Exciting News!!!

This past summer, I entered a contest on Dosomething.org for Pokey Pets. I learned in October that I won the $500 grant!!! I am looking forward to using this grant money to further Pokey Pets, but I can't do it alone! $500 is a lot of money for a little project. I need everyone to help so that Pokey Pets will grow into something larger. My hope is that I can teach others how to make the craft so that more can be made and donated. I am a high school senior and don't have as much time to invest in the project as I would like, but you may have that valued time that is needed! If you are interested in learning how to make Pokey Pets, let me know and we can try to work something out! I am very thankful for this grant from Dosomething.org because it eliminates money holding Pokey Pets back from continuing. All that we need now is the time spent to make them.

Letter Received

On July 29th, I received a letter in the mail from Children's Hospital of Michigan. Here is what the body of the letter said;

It is because of generosity like yours that we are able to eliminate some of the fear and uncertainty that comes with stays in the hospital. Whether it is toys or games or blankets or cloths, gifts from our community bring a level of comfort to the lives of children in our care. With more than 250,000 patient visits, surgeries and hospital stays each year, your support helps us here at Children's to provide a positive link between the inactivity and anxiety of sickness and the normalcy of childhood. Your thoughtful gift really makes a difference. Thank you again for your kindness. Your support will help the children that we care for live happier and healthier lives.
Sincerely,
Deanna Scanlon, Child Life Project Specialist

It is incredible to know that I can be making a difference in another indiciduals' life. I have only donated 15 Pokey Pets so far, but I am hoping to continue donating throughout the year during my annual appointments. I know from experience that it's the little things that matter to those children most, whether it be a simple visit from family and friends, a get-well-soon card, or a stuffed animal friend that hides the scary needles entering into their tiny bodies. Accompanying the letter in the envelope was another letter with a list of items for donating to the hospital. If anyone would just like to donate some of those items instead of the Pokey Pets, let me know and I can make a copy of the list. You can make a difference too :)

First donation!

On Thursday, I went in for my regular appointment at Children's Hospital in Detroit. With me, I brought 15 finished Pokey Pets and donated them! The lady in volunteer services who took them from me was so happy to see what I brought and thanked me. But I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me make them and supported me. Making the Pokey Pets is time consuming and so to have help makes a huge difference in how many are donated. Let's see how many we can create before my next appointment in October! 15 Pokey Pets down, hopefully many more to go!

Introduction to Pokey Pets!

When I was six years old I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease called MPGN MPGN. While the doctors were figuring out what exactly I had and how to treat it, I had to endure several kidney biopsies and unpleasant hospital stays. That's not something a little girl really wants to have happen to her. One thing that did make my hospital stays a bit more bearable was an IV cover.It wrapped around the site of the IV and on top there was a pouch holding a friendly stuffed animal. This cute, friendly IV cover made me feel normal and happy despite the fact that I was being poked and prodded by needles. Earlier this year, I had the idea to make more of these IVcovers and donate them to the hospital just like someone else did for me. I want to provide other little children, who are enduring scary and unpleasant things, to have that same little bit of comfort next to them when things may get a bit uncomfortable at the hospital and they need a little friend with them. I figured out an easy way to make them and plan on calling these friendly IV covers "Pokey Pets"!