Before I had Eleanora we knew that she suffered from a heart condition that would require open heart surgery. To prepare for this prospect, we worked with a physician team at National Children's Medical Center; however, if there was a more serious underlying condition we wouldn't pursue the surgery. During that time Charlotte, my oldest child, sold several of her toys to fundraise money for Children's Hospital. She raised $4.00 and couldn't be more excited to give the funds to the hospital to help them buy "tools" that would make children well.
I contacted the hospital. They were absolutely delighted by Charlotte's fundraising and said she was certainly one of their youngest philanthropers in the DC region. Inspired by this notion, both Addie and Charlotte decided they wanted to host a lemonade stand during our community's 4th of July celebrations.
Then Eleanora was born and we learned that she was terminally ill--we would not pursue heart surgery after all. And so, with the help of a dear friend and neighbor, the girls planned the lemon stand. They decided, however, that the funds should go to Georgetown's NICU since Eleanora never went to Children's. After a few hours of Charlotte selling "fresh treats" and "fresh lemonade" and Addie "supervising" the stand, the girls raised $415.54.
We couldn't be more happy for their success. This was their first true effort in giving back to the community and they were thrilled to learn how much they had raised. Georgetown was also very excited to hear about their efforts and we're hoping to have a small celebration with the NICU and fetal cardiology staff that cared for Eleanora in the next few weeks.
This stand was more than a fundrasier though, it was a step in the healing process. The girls were no longer observers of Eleanora's condition and helpless, but rather they became participants in helping other children.
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