BUILD A BEAR RECAP

Kids Need the Darndest Things
A Day at Build-a-Bear

By: Laura Kowalczyk

Bears were filled with stuffing, hearts were filled with love and children were filled with joy. Sunday, April 20th was the “Kids need the darndest things” party at 3 different Build-a-bear stores in South Florida. The event hosted kids from 12 months old to teenagers who have experienced an organ transplant or are currently on the waiting list.

Parents watched joyfully as their excited kids took off running through the store. From bears to alligators, the children had a wide range of new friends to choose from. From there, it was off to the sound machine where they had a choice of different songs or sayings that they could put inside of their bears so after it was stuffed they could squeeze it and hear it forever. The giggles I heard will stay with me always. Hearing a child laugh is the sweetest sound in the world. That is what this day was all about. And believe me we heard a lot of it that day! As the giggling continued it was off to the stuffing machine. “Put your foot on the petal”, the parents said and before they knew it, their special pal became a stuffed animal. Smiles and laughter filled the store.

Parents were enjoying watching their pride and joys just being kids. Forgotten were the beeps of the dialysis machines and all the other hardships the families endure. While every child began dressing their new friend the parents gathered and discussed things they had been through or were going through with their son or daughter. Those children are brave little soldiers. They are tough. They don’t whine about not getting a lollypop. They don’t take things for granted and neither do their parents. You could see how close they were to their kids. Having such a close family and feeling so loved and appreciated is the key to surviving through the toughest, most challenging times. The kids did a great job dressing their bears. The boys made sports bears, karate bears and military bears. The girls dressed theirs up in pretty skirts, dresses, hats and wigs. Some chose sunglasses, cell phones or guitars for accessories. Which (of course) every girl must have! After receiving the bear’s birth certificate the families passed out lots of hugs and gratitude to Laura Kowalczyk, a 13 year post kidney transplant patient and Melissa Chediak-Wetzel from the Transplant Foundation. It was an extraordinary day with extraordinary people.

» Pictures of the event