On New Year's Day, some of my dearest friends joined me in serving dinner to the families at Ronald McDonald House
on the campus of Phoenix Children's Hospital. This was the 4th year
that my friends and I started our new year this way. Sometimes it's
just family members that come for dinner, after spending the day at
their child's bedside in the hospital and sometimes young patients also
come with their families. These are patients who don't need to be
in-patients at the hospital, but need to be nearby for chemo or other
special procedures. Many of them come from the far corners of our state
and, if not for RMH, these families would have the added burden of
paying for long-term accommodations during this extremely stressful
time. The families are always very appreciative of the meal we serve
them and many are comforted not just by our "comfort food," but by our
presence. While some prefer to keep to themselves, others are grateful
for the opportunity to talk about their child and share their story.
This year, one woman spent a good deal of time talking to us and, as we
spoke, I asked her about a ribbon pin that she was wearing. She
explained that it was a pin for "ComfyCozys for Chemo,"
an organization that donates (and sells) special T-shirts designed with
zippers, pockets and slits to
allow access to chest-ports without exposing the child’s body and to
allow for storing of the IV lines preventing tangling and pulling on
their clothing. She told us that through grants and donations, this
organization (started by a mother who lost her young daughter to
leukemia) donates these beautiful tie-dyed shirts to children in
hospitals here in Arizona. The story of ComfyCozys for Chemo can be
found at their website.
Please take a moment to check it out. Also, if you have an interest in
cooking and serving a meal at one of the two Ronald McDonald Houses
here in the Phoenix area, it's easy to check out their meal calendar
and to sign up. Feel free to call me if you want some "how to"
information. I'm happy to share information about how our group does
it.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Pook's Message - 1/5/14
On New Year's Day, some of my dearest friends joined me in serving dinner to the families at Ronald McDonald House
on the campus of Phoenix Children's Hospital. This was the 4th year
that my friends and I started our new year this way. Sometimes it's
just family members that come for dinner, after spending the day at
their child's bedside in the hospital and sometimes young patients also
come with their families. These are patients who don't need to be
in-patients at the hospital, but need to be nearby for chemo or other
special procedures. Many of them come from the far corners of our state
and, if not for RMH, these families would have the added burden of
paying for long-term accommodations during this extremely stressful
time. The families are always very appreciative of the meal we serve
them and many are comforted not just by our "comfort food," but by our
presence. While some prefer to keep to themselves, others are grateful
for the opportunity to talk about their child and share their story.
This year, one woman spent a good deal of time talking to us and, as we
spoke, I asked her about a ribbon pin that she was wearing. She
explained that it was a pin for "ComfyCozys for Chemo,"
an organization that donates (and sells) special T-shirts designed with
zippers, pockets and slits to
allow access to chest-ports without exposing the child’s body and to
allow for storing of the IV lines preventing tangling and pulling on
their clothing. She told us that through grants and donations, this
organization (started by a mother who lost her young daughter to
leukemia) donates these beautiful tie-dyed shirts to children in
hospitals here in Arizona. The story of ComfyCozys for Chemo can be
found at their website.
Please take a moment to check it out. Also, if you have an interest in
cooking and serving a meal at one of the two Ronald McDonald Houses
here in the Phoenix area, it's easy to check out their meal calendar
and to sign up. Feel free to call me if you want some "how to"
information. I'm happy to share information about how our group does
it.
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