I have been reading weekly updates from a friend back in Arizona that has a 4 year old daughter that has been diagnosed with cancer. Today her update was about a stuffed duck (Gabe’s my heart) that her daughter received with her chemo treatments. Curious, I went to the website and found that these ducks are given to these children through donations. The ducks have chest ports just like many of the tiny patients that receive them. They even come with some supplies like bandages and gauze, so these tiny little patients can take care of their duck, just like they are.
Maybe this feels so important to me because almost 9 years ago, my tiny one year old son went into surgery at Riley Children’s hospital in Indianapolis, IN to remove a growth in his neck. When he came out they had given him a stuffed dog face made by elderly volunteers. I wish I could tell them how much he liked that silly stuffed dog face made with printed circus fabric and magic marker eyes, because we still have it almost 9 years later. It went from a symbol of comfort for a child to a symbol of survival and a reminder of where we were and how far we have come.
If you would like to supply a duck to a child with cancer, It’s only $25.
I did, and I hope it gives a smile to whichever child receives it.
Click here to donate a duck to a child with cancer.
Image from http://www.gabesmyheart.com/
