Visits to Hospitals

I am so excited that the Mr. I Children's Charity is up and running. It took some time to get here, but I am very proud of what has been accomplished so far, and I look forward to posting many more exciting achievements and information about what's been going on. I founded the Mr. I Children's Charity to help kids going through rough or scary medical procedures. Mr. I provides them with a friend who can comfort them.

I am so grateful to GUND, the stuffed animal company who I've partnered with, for helping me find the perfect bear to represent Mr. I. GUND has been so supportive and enthusiastic about supporting this endeavor and I am so excited to work with them.

I would also like to thank all of my friends and family, and friends of friends for being so supportive. This holiday season, I received over $4,000 in donations to help me purchase more bears so that I can continuing delivering them to children's hospitals, as well as spread Mr. I's reach to other children's hospitals. I am so excited to currently be partnering with the Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and the Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago. Both have been so enthusiastic about Mr. I and I am so grateful for their interest and energy in this project.

Over Thanksgiving, I delivered Mr. I Bears to Lurie. Justyna Griffin. the Activities and Donations Coordinator has been so receptive and terrific to work with, and told me that this first delivery would go directly to the MRI unit, as that is where the idea for Mr. I began when I was a patient there. Also, just this past week I delivered bears to Comer Children's Hospital where Erica Luciano, a Child Life Assistant, received the bears. She couldn't help but smile and squeeze one when she saw them. They are so lovable and soft--just the perfect size for a hug and security. I was so surprised when she mentioned that often the donations they receive are the only items to be found in the children's rooms during their stay. This statement not only opened my eyes to the fact that not every sick child is surrounded by gifts and warmth when in the hospital, but also reinforced that Mr. I can make a difference. I am so glad that I am working with two fabulous hospitals. I also hope to expand Mr. I's reach as this charity grows.

I will continue to blog about Mr. I's events and activities as they come up. Please also feel free to visit the Mr. I Facebook page for any information, and "like" it as well.  Thank you all again for so much support. I am SO excited about the Mr. I Children's Charity!

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