Everyone, Meet Grace & Ella!

Grace has been diagnosed with ALL ( Acute Lymphotic Leukemia) - How do you begin to explain to a 4 year old all that comes with that diagnosis? Ella can help! Ella is a friend of Barbie who has lost her hair due to chemotherapy. She comes with two wigs, some scarves, head wraps, and a few other accessories. Ella can be a perfect tool for having that difficult conversation about the side effects of Chemo & can be a comforting companion for those little ones having to go through it. The only problem is, Mattel seems to have made Ella as a trial run exclusively for children's hospitals. This is great, but considering the amount of children that come in an out of an oncology ward on a daily basis, there are not enough Ella's to go around. Grace's parents started this Change.org petition so that Ella can be more redly available to all children battling cancer, especially those as young as their little girl. Click here to sign the petition to let Matel know it's time to make more "Ella"s so that more little ones like Grace can benefit from being able to relate to a Barbie that looks like them!

I found this YouTube video taken at The Jurasz Hospital in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It shows a few of the girls being treated for cancer playing with some of the Ella dolls their hospital received. This hospital only received 12 of them - hopefully signing this petition will allow the hospital's to receive a steady flow of Ella dolls, allowing patients to take their new friend home with them.

(SOURCE: Ruptly TV's YouTube Channel )

Holy Make-A-Wish, Batkid!

One of the biggest non-profit foundations benefiting children dealing with life-threatning diseases is the Make A Wish Foundation. This organization stands for everything that is strength, hope, joy and perseverance in the face of adversity. They allow children between the ages of 2 and 18 to "make a wish", whatever wish they want, and take it upon themselves to make sure it comes true.

It all started in 1980 with a 7 year old warrior named Christopher James Greicius who was bravely battling Leukemia. His childhood dream was to become a police officer and in an effort to lift his spirits, the Arizona Department of Public Safety made sure to make Christopher an honorary police officer for the day. He was officially sworn in as the first honorary ADPS patrolman in Arizona state history, received an official, custom tailored police uniform, and even got to take a ride in a police helicopter. Soon after his wish was granted, Christopher passed away. This event inspired and was the catalyst for what Make A Wish Foundation has become today. 

For 23 years Make A Wish has granted countless wishes for millions of children fighting the fight of their lives. Today, I'm going to talk about Miles' (a.k.a. Batkid) Make A Wish experience which transported him and his hometown straight into a Batman comic book. 

Miles is a 5-year-old Batman fanatic who is currently in remission from Leukemia. His dream and official wish was to become Batman and to fight crime for a day! So today, November 15th, San Francisco, California was transformed into Gotham City for the day, complete with it's own official "Gotham City Chronicle" newspaper, evil villains, and damsel in distress. And, of course, what is Gotham City without its very own Batman? Or in this case, Batkid!

SOURCE: ABC News

Here is what his day consisted of, as told by Bay Area Make A Wish :

"After rescuing a damsel in distress from the cable car tracks in Nob Hill, and capturing the Riddler in the act of robbing a downtown vault, Batman will eat his lunch at the Burger Bar in San Francisco – directly above Union Square. While at Burger Bar, he will get a call on his batphone to go to the window – where he will look down and see a huge group of volunteers jumping up and down asking for Batman’s help. Why? Because the Penguin will be kidnapping a famous Gotham City mascot! The getaway car will be visible on Union Square (a convertible so that everyone can see what is happening), and the chase will be on! After catching the Penguin, Batman will make his final stop at City Hall, where the Mayor and the Police Chief of Gotham City will thank him and give him the key to the city. We plan on having hundreds of volunteers and donors collected to cheer and thank our Batman!"

Wish you could've been there to witness Miles' amazing dream come true? Me too! But thankfully, we live in a world where cell phones, social media, and the internet work as a portal that can transport us thousands of miles in an instant click. Find a play-by-play, complete with videos, photos, and captions, of Batkid's heroic day by clicking here!

Here are some other links you might want to check out!

The Make A Wish Foundation

Article: "SF to be Transformed into Gotham City for Make A Wish"

PS: Miles made such an impression that he and his wish have single handedly shut down the Make A Wish site & here's what they had to say about it ! Holy Make A Wish, Batkid!

(click the image to get a better view)

The Remedy is the Experience

I bet you know this song, but do you know the story behind it?
This video from Good Morning America shows an interview with Jason Mraz & one of his best friends, Charlie Mingroni. Charlie Mingroni was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma of the Collar Bone at the age of 20 & had to endure a rigorous course of Chemotherapy and Radiation. Charlie has been in remission since 2002. 

This song (particularly the first/second verse & chorus) tells a story, inspired by Charlie but told from the view of his best friend, of overcoming the dark times while keeping your eyes on the bigger picture. 

Watch from 0:01 - 3:00 for the story & 3:10 - 6:59 for the song.

Excerpt from Remedy (I Won't Worry) by Jason Mraz

"Well, I saw fireworks from the freeway and behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away

Cause you were born on the Fourth of July, freedom ring

But something on the surface it stinks

I said something on the surface,

Well it kind of makes me nervous

Who say that you deserve this?

And what kind of god would serve this?

We will cure this dirty old disease.

Well if you've got the poison, I've got the remedy.

The remedy is the experience.

This is a dangerous liaison.

I say the comedy is that it's serious.

Well this is a strange enough new play on words

I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on,

So shine the light on all of your friends 

When it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won't worry my life away,

No, I won't worry my life away."

SOURCE: YouTube

Blow Paint Creatures

Yesterday I got to give my first Respiratory Therapy activity and I'm happy to report that it was a complete success! These little Blow Paint Creatures make exercising the patient's lungs fun and interactive. 

Here's what you'll need:

• Non-Toxic Paint (watered down to a Milk-y consistency so it's easier to blow around)
• Paper (I used construction paper)
• Straws
• A syringe or medicine dropper (These are to drop little bits of paint on the paper - It's helpful but not a must. & on the plus side, it adds a little aspect of medical play into the activity.)
• Googly eyes
• Marker (to draw on mouths)

Once you've watered down your paints, you'll use the syringe/medicine dropper/or whatever tool you're using to drop little bits of paint on the paper (If the paint starts to thicken, just stir it around). The child will then blow a big puff of air through the straw, pushing the paint in all different directions. Just repeat this step until the paper is full or until the child decides they are done. 

Don't worry if that page is very wet. That's normal. If there's a window in the child's room, a good way to get the paint and water to dry quicker is leaving it on the windowsill for a little while. 

Once the paint has dried (I actually didn't wait until the paint was completely dry, just dry enough to be able to draw mouths on the Blow Paint Creatures) go ahead and let the child glue the googly eyes on & draw on the different mouths. Some can be happy, sad, scared, mad - whatever the child wants! 

You might be surprised at how many Blow Paint Creatures the child will want to make, I definitely was!

SOURCE: Raising Sparks: Learning for Life

The -Cancer- Cup Song

Carmen is a 13 year old girl who is fiercely taking on her cancer diagnosis. Along with two of her doctors, she put a new twist on the YouTube sensation "When I'm Gone/The Cup Song" by Ana Kendrick. Music can be a major coping strategy for kids, especially teenagers. Whether it's writing their own lyrics, listening to their favorite songs, or playing an instrument, music helps calm their anxieties and allows them to express feelings they might not have the words for or words they don't have the courage to say out loud. Carmen's words tell her story and declare a mantra of strength and perseverance.

You go, Carmen! 

"I got my ticket for the long way round, 

10 rounds of chemo for the way.

And I sure would like sweet victory,

Cancer's leaving tomorrow, what do you say?

When it's gone, when it's gone,

I won't miss cancer when it's gone.

I don't really miss my hair, no need to shave anywhere,

And I sure won't miss cancer when it's gone. 

Then I went and got my tumor cut out,

The one that held the cancer in my knee.

Now it's gone and I feel strong cause I know that nothing's wrong

And I finally beat cancer May 23.

Now it's gone, now it's gone,

Now my cancer's really gone,

I don't miss it, no, I dissed it because I needed my cancer to quit it

And I'm so freaking happy that it's gone.

Now I'm free, now I'm free,

Now I am finally cancer free. 

We are so darned happy, cancer made me feel real crappy,

We are happy that I'm finally cancer free."

SOURCE: Carmen's YouTube Channel - xTheSurvivorLife

A Boy Named Finn (You know, Finn.. Like on a Fish)

"Because sometimes little kids get cancer" 

I love this video by Kids Health by Nemours. It speaks directly to kids newly diagnosed with cancer in a way they can relate to and understand. Finn describes his experience, both physical and emotional, of staying at the hospital for cancer treatment in kid friendly language. He covers all the bases like admitting, moving in, tests and procedures, treatment, kids concerns, family and friends, hair loss, and being able to go back home. This is a great resource for making those little ones understand & feel more comfortable. 

The Child Life Council

The main resource for the Child Life field is the Child Life Council. They are a non-profit organization that empowers, advocates for, and promotes Child Life Specialists. They are the ones that determine what qualifies someone as a Child Life Specialist & what their specific roles are to be the most effective in helping children and their families cope in difficult health care situations. They offer A TON of resources and information on everything Child Life online at childlife.org. When in doubt, check with the Child Life Council!

Here's a flyer created by the Child Life Council which gives you the nutshell version of what Child Life is, what Child Life Specialists do, & why their role is so instrumental in a positive hospital experience for children.

(I know the text is a LITTLE small, so if you want to see the original image click here!)

Welcome to Living the Child Life :)

Hi Everyone!!

My name is Vivian & I'm an aspiring Child Life Specialist. I'm in the process of getting my certification, so no, I'm not there yet but I know that my passion for this field will definitely take me the extra mile! I'm hoping to use this space to post about all things relating to the Child Life profession - from articles, to inspirational stories, to videos, to crafts and activities, to resources, to personal experiences. It'l be a place to keep all those useful tips & tricks I come across while adventuring through this field.

So I'm not exactly sure who's reading this, but whoever you are, THANK YOU! Feel free to contact me with anything you have to say like questions, suggestions or ideas, or just a simple Hey! None of it will go unanswered or unappreciated.
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Welcome to Living the Child Life! 
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