Spreading Sweet Dreams

    I have mostly good memories of my hospital room. That might sound surprising coming from someone who had cancer. 

    But it’s true.

    I remember being surrounded by family photos. There were Disney princess blankets on my bed. My walls were covered in posters of my favorite things. Fairy lights twinkled around me. 

    A few years ago, I was talking to my mom. I mentioned how nice it was that the hospital had decorated my room for me. She laughed—and told me that she had done it herself. 

    I felt so grateful for my mom in that moment. But my heart also sank.

    I realized what that meant: Other sick kids didn’t have what I had. 

    I have mostly good memories of my hospital room. That might sound surprising, since I had cancer. But it’s true.

    I was surrounded by family photos. My bed had Disney princess blankets. My walls had posters of my favorite things. Fairy lights twinkled around me.

    A few years ago, I was talking to my mom. I said it was nice that the hospital had decorated my room for me. She laughed and told me she had done it herself.

    I felt so grateful for my mom in that moment. But my heart also sank.

    I knew what that meant: Other sick kids didn’t have what I had.

    I have mostly good memories of my hospital room. That might sound surprising coming from someone who had cancer, but it’s true.

    I remember being surrounded by family photographs. There were Disney princess blankets on my bed. My walls were covered in posters of my favorite things, and fairy lights twinkled around me.

    A few years ago, I was talking with my mother. When I mentioned how nice it was that the hospital had decorated my room for me, she laughed and informed me that she had actually done it herself.

    I felt incredibly grateful for my mom in that moment. But my heart also sank.

    What this meant, I realized, was that other sick kids didn’t have what I had.

    I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when I was 6. That’s a cancer that affects the nerves. Right away, my whole life changed. I started treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). 

    If you’ve never spent time in the hospital, it’s hard to understand how scary it can be. You’re hooked up to beeping machines. You’re getting all kinds of tests. You’re surrounded by other sick kids. Some of them are much sicker than you. 

    There were a lot of things that helped me through that time. My teachers let me join class by video chatting from my iPad. The staff at CHOP were always kind to me. But the biggest help was having a cozy room. 

    I would spend most days getting treatments. The chemicals these treatments used were killing the cancer. But they also made me feel sicker in the moment. 

    Having a space that felt like home was very comforting. 

    I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when I was 6. That’s a cancer that affects the nerves. Right away, my life changed. I started treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

    Spending time in the hospital can be scary. You’re hooked up to beeping machines. You’re getting all kinds of tests. You’re surrounded by other sick kids. Some of them are much sicker than you.

    Many things helped me through that time. I joined class by video chatting from my iPad. The staff at CHOP were kind. But the biggest help was having a cozy room.

    I would spend most days getting treatments. The chemicals these treatments used were killing the cancer. But they also made me feel sicker in the moment.

    Having a space that felt like home was very comforting.

    I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nerves, when I was 6 years old. Right away, my entire life changed. I started treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

    If you’ve never spent time in the hospital, it’s hard to understand how scary it can be. You’re hooked up to beeping machines. You’re getting all kinds of tests. You’re surrounded by other sick kids, some of them considerably sicker than you.

    There were a number of things that helped make that time easier for me—for example, my teachers allowing me to join class by video chatting from my iPad and the consistent kindness of the staff at CHOP—but the biggest help was having a cozy room.

    At that time, I spent most days getting treatments. The chemicals these treatments contained were killing the cancer, but they also made me feel sicker in the moment.

    Having a space that felt like home was comforting.

    I spent all of elementary and middle school in treatment. At one point, I was in remission. But then the cancer came back. 

    In middle school, I went back and forth to a special cancer center in New York City. I spent more time in hospital rooms than I did in my own bedroom. This was all normal to me. I didn’t know any different. 

    Then, at the end of eighth grade, we got some amazing news. I was cured! I couldn’t believe it. My whole life so far had been hospitals and treatments and tests. 

    I spent all of elementary and middle school in treatment. At one point, I was in remission. But then the cancer came back.

    In middle school, I went back and forth to a special cancer center in New York City. I spent more time in hospital rooms than I did in my own bedroom.

    Then, at the end of eighth grade, we got great news. I was cured! I couldn’t believe it.

    I spent all of elementary and middle school in treatment. At one point, I was in remission—but then the cancer came back.

    In middle school, I traveled back and forth to a special cancer center in New York City. I spent more time in hospital rooms than I did in my own bedroom. This all felt completely normal to me. I didn’t know any different.

    Then, at the end of eighth grade, we received some amazing news. I was cured! I couldn’t believe it. My whole life so far had been hospitals and treatments and tests.

    Two years later, I had that conversation with my mom about my hospital room. And it came at the perfect time. I had just gotten a school assignment. We were asked to come up with a business idea. I knew I wanted to do something related to my experience with cancer. 

    Helping other hospitalized kids have a safe, comfortable space to heal felt important. After all, not all parents can spend time and money decorating their children’s hospital rooms. But those kids still deserve to have happy memories of the hospital, like I did.

    So I came up with the Sweet Dream Project. Kids would fill out a simple survey about what they like. Then I would shop for decorations for their rooms.

     Finally, I would deliver them to the hospital in a duffel bag. I was thrilled when CHOP agreed to work with me on it!

    Two years later, I had that talk with my mom about my hospital room. And it came at a great time. I had just gotten a school assignment. We were asked to come up with a business idea. I wanted to do something related to my experience with cancer.

    Helping other hospitalized kids have a safe, comfortable space to heal felt important. Not all parents can spend time and money decorating their children’s hospital rooms. But all sick kids deserve cozy rooms.

    So I came up with the Sweet Dream Project. Kids would fill out a survey about what they like. Then I would shop for decorations for their rooms.

    Finally, I would bring them to the hospital in a duffel bag. I was thrilled when CHOP agreed to work with me on it!

    Two years later, I had that conversation with my mom about my hospital room—and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. For a school assignment, I had been asked to come up with a business idea. I knew I wanted to do something related to my experience with cancer.

    Helping other hospitalized kids have a safe, comfortable space to heal felt important. Not all parents can spend time and money decorating their children’s hospital rooms—but every sick kid deserves to have pleasant memories of the hospital, like I did.

    So I came up with the Sweet Dream Project. Kids would fill out a simple survey about what they like, and then I would shop for decorations for their rooms.

    Finally, I would deliver the decorations to the hospital in a duffel bag. I was overjoyed when CHOP agreed to work with me on the project!

    Since I started the Sweet Dream Project, I’ve decorated more than a dozen rooms. I raise money to pay for everything. Staff at CHOP say they’re surprised no one else thought of this. I think it’s something only someone who has been hospitalized would think of. 

    Today I’ve been cancer-free for more than five years. My goal is to keep the Sweet Dream Project going once I go to college. I want to partner with more hospitals and expand it throughout the country. 

    Every time I deliver a Sweet Dream bag, I’m reminded of why I’m doing this. Being sick is something that millions of kids go through. If I can bring some of them a little joy, everything I’ve gone through feels worth it. 

    Since I started the Sweet Dream Project, I’ve decorated more than a dozen rooms. I raise money to pay for everything. Staff at CHOP say they’re surprised no one else thought of this. I think it’s something only someone who has been hospitalized would think of.

    I’ve been cancer-free for more than five years now. I hope to keep the Sweet Dream Project going once I go to college. I want to partner with more hospitals and expand it throughout the country.

    Every time I deliver a Sweet Dream bag, I’m reminded of why I’m doing this. Many kids spend time in the hospital. If I can bring some of them a little joy, everything I’ve gone through feels worth it. 

    Since I started the Sweet Dream Project, I’ve decorated more than a dozen rooms. I raise money to pay for everything. Staff at CHOP say they’re surprised no one else thought of doing this. I think it’s something only someone who has been hospitalized would think of.

    Today I’ve been cancer-free for more than five years. My goal is to keep the Sweet Dream Project going once I go to college. I want to partner with more hospitals and expand the project throughout the country.

    Every time I deliver a Sweet Dream bag, I’m reminded of why this work is so meaningful. Having a serious illness is something that millions of kids experience. If I can bring some of them a little joy, everything I’ve gone through feels worth it.