SOME CUTIE FACES IN OUR MASKS! WE LOVE TO SEE THE SMILES IN THEIR EYES!
Go to our blog to see some adorable faces in our masks! We love to see the smile in their eyes!
WORLD CANCER DAY & MAKING UP FOR A 19 YEAR REGRET
It’s “World Cancer Day” and this picture holds so many meanings that have been 19 years in the making...It also means a good nineteen pounds I’ve gained since then...but I’m going to post this picture anyways. 😉Nineteen years ago, my brother Mac (who was 9 at the time) was in the hospital at UCLA Mattels. I was older, married with a five-year-old and a husband who acted like one at the time...again kidding...or am I...and lived in Chicago. They didn’t know at this time that my brother had two forms of Leukemia. They thought it was severe strep and tonsillitis, but they had admitted him and my mom and Mac had been in the hospital for days. My mom was a strong woman, but she called me not so much sobbing, but snapping. She was heartbroken and didn’t want to leave Mac. Not for a second. Not for the 10 miles it would take to get home, get clothes, a toothbrush, nor for anything else she needed, so for that week she had nothing of theirs. Since we didn’t know the severity of what Mac had and that I was 26 with a five year-old and was 2,000 miles away, I was torn but didn’t fly in to help. I can say in that moment, none of us grasped her panic and desperation to not leave Mac’s side, but my mom. I got ahold of one of Mac’s friend’s dad who worked at UCLA at the time, I don’t know if he came and stayed with Mac or if he stopped at my moms and grabbed a bag. It changed that moment for her, but in hindsight, I really had regret for not jumping on a plane and doing what I could. Fast forward to this Friday. I get message from a friend, who ironically was going in for breast cancer surgery that morning and runs a nonprofit, asking if I could bring clothes, a Brave Gown and toys to a family they had been stuck in the hospital and didn’t have family they could bring them stuff. My plate was full that day. I had an entire work day planned. Funny how unimportant things seem, when your eyes are opened to real problems. I jumped on it. I ran to the store and shopped for everything Mac would have loved. Batman Hot Wheel cars, a LA Dodger remote control car, a Nerf gun, Nike socks, soft pajamas a blanket, lollipops, cookies, a Starbucks card for his mom, money for dinner and blanket for her as well. The part of the story that really got me was that Luca had just got to go back to school after being out all year! Over a full semester. His friends greeted him that morning with a welcome back sign. He was so excited and then he got a fever and had to head straight the the ER where they comfirmed he caught the flu. Luca and his mom had been stuck there since. His dad hadn’t got to come because he had to stay home to take care of his other siblings. You guys, Luca was the sweetest thing ever. He was so very gracious. He said thank you every time he opened up everything. He was just as excited about the socks as he was the remote-control car. Every time I turned around, he put something new on to surprise me. My heart couldn’t take it.
It’s true when they say, “the gift is always in the giving.” When I rushed out so my car didn’t get towed, I sat on the side of the road, crying for my friend going through the first surgery for this evasive cancer, crying for the opportunity to get to make amends for a past miss and crying that God gifted me with being able to live a life of service...and then I started crying because I realized I was lost in Los Angeles traffic at six o’clock on a Friday night...Obviously that was also a joke, but I truly can’t thank you all enough for your support and gifting Brave Gowns, so I can get to drop everything and have moments like this!
Remembering Easton Baumann Today
In honor of heart month, I’d like to acknowledge this special family that came into my life due to their son Easton who is now in heaven. They spent his entire life, 62 days, at the hospital with him. He made them a mom and dad after he was born with a heart condition. Since then, to honor his birthday, they have made it their mission to do their part to make the hospital experience better for children. They gifted 177 Brave Gowns to @childrensmedicalcenter Dallas and Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas! CHD’s are the most common birth defects. We will forever hold Easton in our hearts.
Mac's Heaven Day, The Eve of Thanksgiving
I probably get on average 25-50 messages a day personally from families and I'm so grateful for each and every one! I read their stories and think “I can’t even imagine.” But yet I can. We lived it. I know their fears, what they smell, how they sleep, the sounds of the machines they hear, the counts they want to see, the hopelessness they feel in moments and how much laughter there truly is in these rooms to get through each day. I have pushed all these emotions down deep so that I can be the ear that the families need at the time they need it.
My Grandpa and Mac Went To Heaven Within A Month of Each Other
This is a picture of my grandpa, Mac and I. Yes, I had a flannel on over my prom dress. You know that old saying, you can dress a girl up...sums me up well. 😉 I just read a story of a family that is going through such a similar situation, so I thought I’d share ours because I talk about it in person, often. Their father died unexpectedly on Monday and today they were told their little daughter was going into palliative care. Well, when Mac was diagnosed I had zero...yes zero...loss in life. So we knew Mac would be fine. God wouldn’t want him in heaven all alone without us. And then, after a year into Mac’s treatment, my grandpa passed away unexpectedly. We were devastated! And to make matters worse, we would be traveling to Nashville for a for his funeral. We all loved him way too much to miss it and my grandma needed us. It also had to be Nashville, because our family wowed Loretta Lynn’s property, until she purchased it and since there were so many generations of our family buried on it, we had a clause in the sale, where all Cooley’s can still be buried there together. My grandpa wanted to be laid to rest by his parents. His mom had died from cancer when he was 10. So now we were left with having to leave Mac in the hospital (with his person of choice) for a night so we could all go to my grandpa’s funeral. We barely closed the door when even going to the bathroom, more or less ever left Mac in his hospital room. He ended up picking my uncle’s most immature friend to stay with him, which was perfect and we knew he’d be fine! So the following month, the eve of Thanksgiving when Mac when went to heaven from a medical error, we all said that we were glad my grandpa had died. His heart wouldn’t have been able to handle the loss of Mac. It wouldn’t have made sense to him and he would have been shattered. So we were glad he didn’t have to endure the pain with us. It also brought us a little and I stress “a little” peace knowing that they were up there together! Thank you all for your support of Brave Gowns and fighting the good fight with me! When you buy a Brave Gown, you’re helping keep Mac’s legacy alive! Alone, I am one. Together, we are unstoppable! ⚡️
A Mom's Point of View On The Importance of Brave Gowns & The Difference They Make
Even with Brave Gowns being sponsored by the CTIP Team (see image below), over the past four years, we've come across hospital staff that are overly protective of the children and sometimes unaware that Brave Gowns are made of the exact same material of current standard issue hospital gowns, but it's woven differently for the softer feel. And even though our gowns have replaced old gowns in over 25 hospitals and used in over 380 hospitals, since most go home with children, we still have a lot of awareness to raise. Thankfully, there is usually a manager on the floor that is aware that Brave Gowns are approved for use within the entire Children's Hospital Network. It is rare that I hear a story like this, so I wanted to share it and tell @strongasamother.blog just how grateful I am that she took the time to write it.
Things I've Learned, Looking Back and Moving Forward
"I was going to reach out to you. You beat me to the punch! I want to tell you that your strong faith of goodness reminded me that I also have that kind of faith. Somehow I stopped nurturing my faith and focused on feeling that strangers on the street are all serial killers! I watch too much Investigation ID. What I am trying to say is your spirit, faith, and energy awakened my spirit, faith, and energy. Thank you so much! I didn't realize my faith needed a jolt until I was faced with your beautiful faith."
Brave Gowns 4th Anniversary! Can You Believe It?
Last week we celebrated the 4th Anniversary of Brave Gowns! Thank you to everyone that helped make it a reality, knowing that these children deserved better!!! We've put over 450,000 Brave Gowns on these amazing children. It's the first hospital gown to revolutionize the gown industry in 150 years and we're just getting warmed up!!!! ❤️🙏🙌🎉
Brave Gowns For Mom To Help Make Children Feel At Ease!
“I’m going in for surgery, and my children are worried enough about me. So I thought if I was wearing a Brave Gown vs. an old hospital gown when they come to see me, it will make them laugh and feel better about mom being in the hospital.” ❤️
I was blown away when I received this message from a mom that ordered a Brave Gown. Have I sold adult Brave Gowns before? Most definitely! But this reasoning was so unique and really hit home. I loved it! ❤️
Here's a couple of our favorite MOMS wearing their BRAVE GOWNS:
I Just Wanted To Say A Huge Thank You!
I just wanted to say that you will never know how much it means that you have given me a chance to give my brother a legacy through Brave Gowns.
Design Your Own Brave Gown!
Just when I thought things couldn't get more exciting family, classmates and friends can put their favorite pictures on a Brave Gowns as a gift!! Whether it's a picture of their entire class, their best friends, their sports teams or beloved pets, a child will now be able to wear them right over their hearts! If you envision it, we can create it! Below is sweet Everly of @jackandeverly a CHD Warrior, in a custom gown with pictures of her family with her big brother's name right over her heart! If you have any questions, please email us at info@bravegowns.com.
www.bravegowns.com