I wish to give back to Dell Children's
Lauren
17
lymphoma
Lauren Gives Back
For most teenagers, the comfort of a home can become ordinary and overlooked. For 17-year-old wish kid Lauren, though, only home seemed to have the comfort she longed for.
After being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lauren spent much of her time indoors. Her favorite activities of volleyball, surfing and swimming were replaced with months of immediate treatment within the plain walls of Dell Children’s oncology unit. Although challenging, this time inspired Lauren to find comfort right where she was.
Lauren decorated her room to make it feel like home, creating a warm environment that transformed the stark nature of the hospital. Even her nurses would comment on how cozy her room became. One could say the room embodied Lauren — it was welcoming and reflected the hope she carried with her throughout her days at Dell Children’s.
“Her attitude, her fighting spirit, just knowing she was gonna get through it ... [She] never really complained,” Lauren’s dad Corey said. “I don’t know how she did it.”
Lots of room in her heart!
This experience led Lauren to make sure every child at the hospital felt comfortable right where they were. Her desire to give back was reflected in her wish of a shopping spree in which she purchased materials to fill 25 bins with cozy blankets, silk pillowcases, snacks and other goodies for other kids battling cancer at Dell Children’s.
“She’s really giving kids and teens an opportunity to feel more at home,” child life specialist Kelly Wagner said. “To feel some of the comforts that we often forget.”
Lauren is now in remission and is preparing to begin college in the fall of 2021. She will be studying to become a child life specialist and is excited to make her dorm room at Texas Tech feel comfortable and cozy — just like home.