Inspiration
My dear cousin Molly was diagnosed as a toddler with neuroblastoma
Underwent countless hospitalizations and treatments.
During stays, she would conduct tea parties, inviting the other patients, their family, nurses, and doctors.
Louisiana reporters nicknamed her “The Sunshine girl”
Attracted attention and inspired people
The first lady of Louisiana made appearances at her tea parties.
A frequent visitor was Poppy, a children’s folk Cajun musician, who would sing songs and be a source of entertainment for the party.
Tea Time
These tea parties cheerful events where a few hours
she could forget she had an illness and be a normal
kid
Background
I was hospitalized as a child, at the same hospital as Molly and was invited to one of her tea parities
I felt so welcomed and she instantly made me feel better.
Inspired me to write and illustrate a children's book
Work in process
The process
Dealing with illness as a child is a difficult issue
for both the parents and child themselves.
Upon reflection, this spurred me to think of how
other children react or cope with hospitalization.
Hospitalization
Hospitalization separates child from all that is
familiar
A hospitalized child emotional reaction to illness
may be determined or influenced by sources of
stress from within the child or the child’s
parents, along with the hospital environment.1
Reaction to Illness
Regression
Transient Hypochondriasis
Guilty
Anxiety
Stress
Depression
Coping Mechanism
Children use personality specific variety of
mechanism
Seem to be similar to healthy children way of
dealing with stress
Molly adapted and used tea parties as a coping
mechanism for her illness.
Please don’t take my
Sunshine
Molly, “The Sunshine girl” had wisdom beyond her
years and such a positive outlook on life. She used
tea parties as a good positive coping mechanism.
Through all her hardship, she never did she lose her
light, her cheerful spirit, or contiguous smile.
Unfortunately Molly passed away at 6 years old. Molly
is a true inspiration that impacted and inspires me to
this day. She “is my sunshine, my only sunshine”
Future
I hope to continue to write children’s books
I would love to host tea parities in the future for
children with illnesses and possibly read my
book to them.
Here’s to the future….
References
1. Blom, G. The Reactions of hospitalized
children to Illness. Pediatrics. Sept 1958
2. Irma, R. Stress, coping, and adjustment in
children with a chronic disease: a review of the
literature. Stability and Rehabilitation. Vol 21, Iss
7, 1999.