By: Copley Fry, Friendship Assistant The first time I met Angelika she was waking up from a lumbar puncture. She was a little disoriented from the anesthesia, asking her mom the same five questions on a loop. There wasn’t a moment where she was actually quiet. I could clearly see that this little girl had a huge personality– despite still being under the effects of anesthesia.
As she came to, my co-volunteer Courtney and I got around to asking her some questions, getting to know her better. We learned that Angelika LOVES the Food Network (it is always on when we visit her), her favorite animals are unicorns (yes- even though they’re fictional they still count), and you better be prepared for her to crush you in a game of Candy Land!!
Just seeing how excited Angelika becomes when we ask her these simple questions truly makes me smile. I’m so thankful that Connecting Champions has given me the opportunity to make such a difference in someone’s life, allowing me to help Angelika be a kid again.
Over the next few months while Angelika is continuing her treatments, I hope to continue to get to know her better. As I said before, Angelika has such a big personality, especially for a nine-year-old, and I can’t wait to watch it unfold further. I anticipate many more games of Headbanz and Candy Land, but I also hope that we are able to spend time outside of the hospital too. Since she is such a fan of the Food Network, the idea of watching her cook or even cook with her excite me.
On our second visit, we made unicorn horns out of construction paper and pipe-cleaners and decorated them to make Angelika smile when she was not feeling so well during a treatment, and it worked! I leave my unicorn horn in my car so I always have it with me when I go to visit her. It also serves as a constant reminder of how far a smile, some creative thinking, and optimism can take you.
