Mia’s Masterpiece: Coping Through Long Hospital Stays
Program Impact
Ellia’s Princess Moment with her Disney-themed Starlight Hospital Gown
Program ImpactEllia has had more hospital appointments than most people twice her age.
At just two-and-a-half years old, she bravely endured many EEGs, MRIs and two brain surgeries.
Ellia lives with Aicardi syndrome — a rare, chronic neurological condition that affects the connection between the two halves of the brain. It brings infantile spasms, low muscle tone, vision differences, and constant high brain waves.
The hospital is a familiar place that Ellia returns to. For a long time, that familiarity came with a uniform: a paper-thin, baggy hospital gown with an open back that left Ellia cold and uncomfortable. She also takes a medication that causes her to overheat — a particular challenge in Florida — so Sarah was always managing fans and ice packs to keep her comfortable during appointments.
Comfort Programs for Pediatric Patients
Starlight Children's Foundation sent Ellia a Disney Princess-themed Starlight Gown, which she received through the Starlight Families Program. Made with ties and straps down the side, it came with more coverage and fit Ellia just right. Sarah showed it to her before a recent MRI appointment.
Her eyes lit up.
Jasmine — one of her favorite princesses — was right there on the gown she'd wear through the entire procedure. "She was very excited to wear this at her first MRI check-up since receiving the gown," Sarah says. "You could see in her face she was much more comfortable."
The gown turned a daunting medical appointment into Ellia’s princess moment. The familiar character gave Ellia something to look forward to rather than brace for. An MRI room she’s navigated multiple times before, for a moment, became a place where she got to feel like royalty.
- Sarah, Ellia's Mom“The entire MRI department couldn't stop commenting on it. Everyone called her a princess. It didn't just make her look like royalty; it brought a sense of joy and personality to a clinical environment.”
Her happiness and personality shone. Ellia always makes a memorable appearance at each of her appointments, but with her hospital gown she received tenfold more compliments.
Ellia got to keep the gown on the whole day. She wore it through lab work, the MRI itself, her neurosurgery appointment, and all the way home — eating lunch in it at the end of the day.
Support for Kids Living with Chronic Illness
When you give to Starlight, you help deliver programs that give kids something no medical protocol can provide: a reason to be excited about walking into their hardest days — and turn a hospital appointment into a memory worth keeping.
“We are so incredibly grateful to Starlight Children's Foundation for providing these free gowns; they truly change the atmosphere of a hospital stay. Making these memories a little brighter makes all the difference for Ellia and our family.” - Sarah
Show your care for kids during their toughest moments.
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Care and comfort for parents, delivered through stories of families whose dark days have turned bright with the help of our Starlight community.
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