From Gwen:
My Birthday Mission has been completed!!
My goal: 10 Smile Bags
Outcome: Over $8000 in donations and over 500 heartfelt cards allowed us to assemble 85 Smile Bags to be delivered to my fellow friends on Wings (children on palliative and hospice care) and kids that are currently in the hospital at St. Louis Childrens Hospital.
For many of these kids (myself included), death may come far to soon; therefore, JOY is a choice my family makes each day. With your help, I am able to spread joy, hope, love, and smiles throughout the month of September!! Thank you all SO much for your support and generosity for September Smiles!!
Team Gwen is the best of the best!!
Love, Gwen
Gwen thanks everyone from her tippy-toes to her hairbow for their generosity and participation in September Smiles! The mission was meant to bring smiles to other children (mission accomplished!) but Team Gwen brought so many smiles and happy tears to the Kramer Family due to the outpouring of generosity and participation!! We feel blessed to know so many genuine and caring people!
Due to HIPPA, we weren’t able to know anything about the children who bags were given to; however we have been given a couple details that I would like to share…
*A bag went to a 15 year old girl on life support, her mom immediately hung her cape and cards throughout the hospital room and was so touched that people were thinking of her daughter.
*A bag went to a 2 year old boy fighting neuroblastoma cancer
*A bag went to a little baby girl with a severe neurological condition who has been at Children’s Hospital for a long time. Financial resources are limited for this family and her mom cried that she received a $50 giftcard and immediately put the cape on her baby girl.
Hearing some of these stories made me cry both happy and sad tears. “I can’t imagine what these people are going through” was my initial thought. That probably sounds crazy to most people as we have our own hardships BUT we also have so many blessings. We have had Gwen at home for 99% of the time, we have an outpouring support system from family and friends, we have a wonderful hospital within driving distance, we have good insurance, and so much more. While our circumstances could be different; I know that not everyone has a Team Gwen praying and rooting for them. September Smiles gave each child and family a moment of feeling that needed support!
The head doctor of the Wings/PACT team said “Erin, doctors were fighting over who got to deliver the bags to the kids!” These doctors are used to having some really tough conversations but that day that got to bring a smile to each room!”
September Smiles was created as an event to celebrate Gwen’s birthday with a goal of spreading STRENGTH, SUNSHINE, and SMILES to families with children on palliative and hospice care. When creating the event, we simply underestimated the amount of smiles that would be spread and that is a very beautiful error!!
