Becoming Dr. Zellie with Starlight’s Anatomy-themed Hospital Gown

Springtime is the time of year when flowers bloom in bright yellows, warm hues of oranges and soft pinks. It’s also the time of the year when allergy season erupts in red noses, puffy faces and watery eyes.

So, when three-year-old Azalea, lovingly referred to as Zellie, had these symptoms, her parents, Andrew and Courtney, initially weren’t concerned. But Zellie’s symptoms persisted, even after taking medications. Her skin grew paler, making the purple bruises all over her body stick out even more.

Something was seriously wrong.

They took Zellie to the doctor, who ordered an overnight blood test – and immediately found out Zellie had high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“It was devastating news for us,” shares Courtney. “We went from doing fun things or swimming in the pool and then all of a sudden, our world turned upside down, and we were living in a hospital.”

Zellie went from a girl playing and having fun to being unable to move out of bed. She faced extreme pain and was bed-bound for two months. She was forced to learn how to walk again.

Still, Zellie kept a tough attitude. She fought hard. Repeating her parents' affirmations to her every morning, Zellie would say, “I’m going to get through this.” Her resilience comforted Courtney and Andrew. “She was encouraging us to get through,” they shared.

But complications kept piling on top of each other – an intestinal infection, sepsis, and a bursting of her lower intestine leading to emergency surgery. These complications not only added to the concerns Courtney and Andrew had about Zellie’s cancer, but they also required them to stay at the hospital for 100 days, separating them from family.

Courtney and Andrew don’t usually ask for help; they are typically very independent. But with everything happening, “we realized that it was the time when we needed to have help and accept when it comes to us,” they shared.

While researching different support programs for Zellie, Courtney came across a photo of a character-themed Starlight Hospital Gown. “This would just be so great for Zellie,” Courtney thought. The gowns Zellie was living in at the hospital weren’t great – they weren’t comfortable and she didn’t like them.

Courtney immediately reached out to Starlight hoping that she could get Zellie one of the gowns. They joined the Starlight Families program, which allowed them to receive multiple character-themed gowns free of charge.

The Starlight gowns are now Zellie’s daily gown of choice. She loves wearing them inside the hospital and even when she’s at home! Seeing familiar characters on their designs comforts her, and the gowns make caring for Zellie easier for her parents and hospital staff by giving easier access to her tubes.

Zellie's gowns even help keep her brain active and learning. Her Anatomy-themed Starlight Adaptive Gown comes with a design of the body’s internal organs.

She became “Dr.Zellie”, laughing and joking with Andrew as she pointed out different organs and what they do. Dr. Zellie can also ask Andrew to scan the QR code on her gown to play an online game to learn more about her body.

Through play, Zellie continues to learn and develop, bettering her understanding of her body. Now, when something doesn’t feel right, she can more easily name her symptoms and where in her body they might be happening.