Mason's 5th Birthday

Thank You for visiting Mason's Virtual Toy Drive!

On February 1, 2021 Mason had a seizure in our home. One minute she was running around with her sister, Millie, eating EZ bake oven cake and then the next she was completely unresponsive. We called 9-1-1 and after a fleet of police cars arrived, an ambulance came to rush us to the ER. Test results showed that she had suffered a left focal seizure - we would later receive the diagnosis of Epilepsy - and we were admitted for the night.

While she slept, we told ourselves the worst was over, she was safe and we would begin to move on. What we didn't expect was for her to wake up cranky, confused, demanding and downright angry. With another full day of testing, continuous updates from the doctors that we likely wouldn't understand (exhaustion + neurology jargon can really take a hit to your ego), it was nearly impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel...Until we were introduced to our Child Life Specialist (Lisa, are you out there!?). 

For everyone reading this who doesn't know, the Child Life department is pure magic. Lisa stayed with us the entire day and her role included everything from accompanying us to all of the testing, educating Mason in a kid-friendly manner about an MRI, bringing me coffee before I even said I needed one, distracting Mason when the doctors came to speak with me and providing endless amount of entertainment for Mason in an effort to make her feel comfortable and happy. Lisa arranged for a Frozen castle to come to our room, and, when Mason (politely) told her we had that same castle at home, she arranged for Barbie Dream House to come. When Mason (again, politely) mentioned the Dream House didn't have any furniture, she found some. We had books, cars, dolls and stuffed animals dropped by. Mason even got to take home a brand new "Nurse Barbie". We were in awe of Lisa and this initiative. With Lisa's guidance, a traumatic experience soon became an adventure with surprises along the way. It absolutely made the day more bearable and, in some ways, a positive experience for us. Once we got home and settled, we found ourselves continuing to think about this woman and the role of the entire department. After doing some research, we learned that it is run on philanthropy and relies on outside supporters to thrive.

That is why, during Mason's 5th birthday month, we are raising money so this special team can continue to provide care and support year-round to children and families in the hospital. With thousands of children visiting CHOP every year, the Child Life team has an ongoing need for toys, craft supplies, books, video games and movies.

Help brighten a child’s hospital stay through a tax-deductible donation in support of the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).