Filed under: Fun Stuff, Parties & Entertaining, Holidays
When AOL built a life-size gingerbread house we knew it would bring joy to the kids at St. Jude. But we didn't know just how much cheer it would bring to the hospital's holiday party. Our reporter gives a first-hand account.
Photo: Courtesy of St. Jude.
"Mom, I'm going to the HOUSE!" declared four-year old Tyteanne Walker in her most demanding, but adorable voice.
"Okay, have fun," replied Tekela Walker, watching her baby, who has been fighting cancer for almost 2½ years, march into the house and peer out a window spying on a group of Santa's elves posing for pictures. Squeals of delight surrounded Tyteanne as kids from 2 to sixteen enjoyed the holiday festivities.
Sounds like the pre-Christmas scene at just about any mall in America, right? But it happened at the most unexpected of locales, somewhere you wouldn't think there'd be much joy or smiles or laughter.
The holiday party took place on a chilly Wednesday afternoon at St. Jude Children Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude is the nation's No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital, where an average of 5,700 patients and their families visit per year seeking medical miracles in their darkest, most frightening hours.
The event was officially called "The St. Jude Women's Club Pictures with Santa's Elves," and there was face painting, a chance for patients to build their own mini-gingerbread houses and yes, pictures with elves. The star attraction was a 6-foot tall gingerbread house built and donated by AOL.
Photo: Courtesy of St. Jude.
"Our families here can't get out and go to the mall and do the whole Santa picture thing," said Kathryn Berry Carter, director of volunteer services for St. Jude. "So we bring it to the families, and over the years it has become very meaningful. The addition of the gingerbread house this year is a beautiful compliment to the event. We're very appreciative of AOL."
The house was built by a team of folks from DIY Life, KitchenDaily, Holidash, MyDaily, AOL Latino and others. The frame was built by DIY Life contributor Brian Kelsey. Then candy decorations were designed by AOL Shelterpop's Laura Fenton. Loads of sweet goodies were donated by Economy Candy and the logo cookies on the roof came from In Record Time.
How good did the gingerbread house look after being shipped here from New York City?
"That house is so cool, the detail is so incredible, it makes you want go over there and take a big bite out of it," said Richard C. Shadyac, Jr., the CEO of ALSAC, the hospital's fundraising organization. "That jellybean wreath looks awful good."
Photo: Courtesy of St. Jude.
The house perfectly fit the spirit of the event, one of many staged each year by St. Jude Women's Club, a volunteer organization that originated in the 1980s. The club is composed of women who either work at the hospital, at ALSAC or are related to someone who works at either place.
On this day, their mission was simple: Make a fun afternoon for the patients and their families.
Scan the party room and it's hard to tell who had more fun -- the steady stream of patients and families, or the women's club volunteers.
"I looked forward all week to dressing as an elf for this party," said Shelley Orwick, a research technician in St. Jude's pharmaceutical sciences department resplendently dressed as an elf complete with pointed ears. "In my job, I'm usually up in the lab and I don't see the kids that often. So it's great to interact with them. Seeing them smile reminds me why I work here."
As the party crowd grew larger and the noise level increased, the event was accomplishing its purpose.
"It helps you to forget all the stuff you're going through," said Jeff Hilliard of Denham Springs, La., whose 16-year old son Gabe is in his second round of chemotherapy fighting Hodgkin's lymphoma. "It allows you to enjoy being here with your child, to have a little fun, as opposed to thinking when the next round of chemo starts, when the next procedure is, when the next appointment is."
Gabe agreed with his father.
"A lot of hospitals you go in are gloomy and boring and sad," Gabe said. "Here, you walk in, everybody is always smiling, they say hello and ask you how you're doing. It's just a very welcoming, wonderful community. This is a good place."
Go from person to person at this party, and they'll tell you the event is typical of what St. Jude is all about.
"This place is like Disney World hospital," said Tanya Johnson of Baton Rouge, La., whose 14-year daughter T'Ara had a cancerous tumor removed from her arm on Sept. 2, a tumor declared 88 percent dead thanks to chemotherapy. "St. Jude will do anything for these kids."
Photo: Courtesy of St. Jude
Tyteanne Walker finished playing in AOL's gingerbread house and began strumming a guitar played by Memphis Jones, a local singer. He and Tyteanne privately enjoyed the final minutes of the two-hour party singing "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer."
Tekela Walker watched her beaming daughter from her distance. Every Wednesday, she and Tyteanne make three-to-four hour roundtrip for Tyteanne's chemotherapy, a scary proposition in the beginning that has faded because of St. Jude's relentless physical and emotional care.
"When Tyteanne first started coming here, we were both scared," Tekela said. "But after I talked to Tyteanne's doctor and once she explained to me that everything was going to be okay, I calmed down. When I calmed down, Tyteanne calmed down. What this place does is give you hope."
Want to see how the gingerbread house was made? Watch the video below or check out the full story!
You can click here to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.