Providing happiness, comfort, and hope to pediatric patients.

After one of those parenting weeks, where everything seemed to be falling apart, I ended up in the emergency room with my daughter Frankie, who spiked a 105 fever and was complaining of radiating pain between her stomach and her back. Getting to the ER was an adventure in and of itself, as I am a single mom, with no family near, and couldn’t take my twin sons with me. (Thank you Kissondra and Sarah for saving the day). By the time I reached the ER, I was spent and just wanted to fall apart. But as you know, we mamas must carry on…

It was well past my daughter’s bedtime, so coupled with sickness and pain, she wasn’t exactly happy to be there. They had to do a COVID test (the deep one that feels like a hard bristled brush is cleaning your brains out) and unfortunately I had to restrain her to make that happen. She had one the previous day at Urgent Care, and was terrified of it already, but these are the things we do as parents. 

After the COVID test, she was so upset. Her nose was bleeding, she was crying hysterically, and the nurse said, “Frankie, I have something for you!” and left the room. When she returned, she had this bag of goodies that instantly calmed my daughter down. There were books, and coloring supplies, and stuffed animals, and so many amazing things in this bag. At first I thought it was from the hospital but 2 days later, my daughter (who cannot read) handed me a card and said “Mom, you will love this!” or something like that.

The card read,

“Dear friend, My name is Cara and I’m the creator of these packages. I am a senior in high school and a girl scout. I started making these packages as part of my Girl Scout Gold Award project. I will be doing another drop off at some point, so if you have any suggestions, you can email me at caraanngibbons@gmail.com. My goal for this project is to bring happiness and comfort to your day. This past year has been really tough, but I believe there is always hope to be found! I really hope you enjoy the package! -Cara”

I literally sobbed. I was so blown away by this act of kindness, and while it may seem like such a small thing, in that moment, it meant the world to me as a mother. It gave me everything Cara had mentioned in her card: happiness, comfort, and hope. 

As someone who was raised by an incredible mother who taught me to always give back, I felt called to reach out to Cara and connect. I think it is so important to highlight amazing young people like her, who are volunteering their time, to make our world a better place.

Last Sunday, I spent my afternoon at her church youth group, where she has turned this Girl Scout Gold Award project into a service project. I was asked to share why I was there, and I sobbed as I explained how impactful & meaningful her bag was to me and my daughter. 

We are all journeying through life and these challenging times, and I am so grateful that my path has crossed with Cara. I am honored to share my experience and her project with the world, and I am hopeful she will continue to be blessed with support for the important work she is doing. 

If you would like to contribute anything to this worthy cause, you can reach out to Cara via email by caraanngibbons@gmail.com.

In addition to her passion for helping others via Girl Scouts and her church community, Cara plays field hockey, is an active member of her school’s National Honors Society. She enjoys spending time with her 19-year old sister, Julia and her 3 dogs (Oreo, Benny, and Xander). She is a senior in high school and hoping to get accepted into Villanova, where she intends to major in Biology and go on to medical school to become a doctor.

How do we change the world??

One act of kindness at a time…