The Loss Of A Mother, Friend, and Annie & Isabel Warrior

This past July we received a nice note from one of our customers, Maura, whose mother was battling leukemia. Maura purchased four Annie & Isabel hospital gowns for her mother who was in the hospital for two months over the summer due to many complications from her leukemia.

Christine in the ICU in her "Anita" hospital gown with daughter, Maura

Maura wrote the following email to us:

"My mother, Christine, is finally going home. Unfortunately she is not in remission so she will need more chemo but at least when she goes back to the hospital, she will have her four lovely gowns. She's finally up and having her dunkin donuts!"

"Thanks for everything. Seeing her in your gowns while in the ICU helped everyone see her as a person, not just a patient"

That last sentence from Maura really struck us because it is something we have heard from other customers and was one of the reasons why we felt having your own hospital gown was important when we started this business. It is easy for medical staff to treat every patient as just that…..a patient. Doctors get so caught up treating patients and trying to heal them, which is extremely important, however, sometimes doctors forget about the actual person behind that standard hospital gown. That is an easy thing to do when every patient wears the same standard hospital gown. Having your own, cheery, hospital gown not only provides comfort to a patient but it also often helps doctors and nurses pause and take notice of the beautiful person behind that beautiful gown.

Christine was a fighter! After two months in the hospital, fighting leukemia, renal failure, a bleed in her brain, and ICU psychosis, she was discharged just prior to the 4th of July with plans of what she was going to cook for the 4th of July celebration. You can see her fighting spirit in these pictures.

Smiling in her "Anita" gown with her "Isabel" & "Annie" gowns ready at the bedside

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Maura wrote to us to let us know her mother passed away December 3rd. Maura wanted us to know that her mother always felt special in her Annie & Isabel gowns. Maura plans to wear her mother's Annie & Isabel gowns if she and her husband have children in the future in order to help keep her mother close to her heart. LOVE THAT!

Christine & Maura celebrating Maura's special wedding day together

Maura, we are so sorry for your incredible loss. It is very evident how much you both loved each other and she will forever remain close to your heart. Big hugs to you and your family.

Photo Credit: Bharat Parmar Photography

From The Joy of a New Life to a Battle with Leukemia :: The Story of One Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown

Jill was my very first friend. Growing up, our houses shared a fence and we were constantly hopping over to one another's house to play. All of my favorite childhood memories included Jill and I cherish them dearly. We thought we were hilarious. We would spend our summer days making up dance routines in the pool, setting up lemonade and cookies stands in the neighborhood, and our afternoons watching the soap Days of Our Lives and eating popcorn. Long live Bo and Hope Brady. Are they still together? 

Jill has two beautiful daughters, Camryn and Sadie, and we were so happy that she was able to wear our Anita designer hospital gown for the birth of her second sweetheart Sadie. This is what Jill had to say about wearing an Annie & Isabel gown for her birth, 

"Wearing my gorgeous A& I hospital gown while delivering Sadie, truly made one of the best days of my life even more special". 

Jill, like many of our wonderful friends, has become an Annie & Isabel ambassador. She sings our praises to everyone she knows and we are so thankful. Jill was one of our first believers, not because she experienced wearing one of our gowns, but because she understands how a simple and beautiful hospital gown of your own, can change almost everything about being in the hospital.

Jill even wrote to The Ellen Show last year and told her all about Annie & Isabel and how she might like to have us on the show. We all thought Ellen would be calling us right away, especially because her mother is a breast cancer survivor and we donate a portion of our proceeds to support women who are newly diagnosed. CLEARLY, Ellen must have not received her letter! Ellen... are you out there??? We are still free for an interview ANY time that is convenient for you. K? Thanks.

Jill thinks of us. Always. She is an amazing friend. Even better, she has not let the legacy of her own Anita designer hospital gown end with Sadie's birth over two years ago.

Jill shared it with her friend Danni who had this to say,

"This picture is of my husband and me right before I delivered our son Benjamin. Thank goodness for epidurals, hence my smile...and my Annie & Isabel gown, which made me feel so cute and hip!"

Last week, I got a text from Jill that her good friend Patricia had been unexpectantly admitted to the hospital with acute leukemia. Patricia's spirits were low and Jill thought about Annie & Isabel once again and rushed over to the hospital with her gown in hand. She sent me the most adorable picture of Patrica and her sons shortly after, with big smiles on her faces.

Jill knew that Patricia would unfortunately be getting good use out of her borrowed Anita gown, so she surprised Patricia on Mother's Day with her own Annie & Isabel "Susan" designer hospital gown and posted this picture to our Facebook wall.

Here is what Jill said about gifting her our Susan designer hospital gown on Mother's Day,

"It was honestly amazing the difference in her spirit (and her smile) when she put her new A&I gown on today! It's been a very rough week and an especially tough Mother's Day, having to deal with more blood transfusions and a high fever. She is hanging in there and wearing her gown with pride and even showing it off! I LOVE how happy it makes her! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Patricia now has three Annie & Isabel gowns in her rotation and we are thinking about her daily as the Annie & Isabel warrior that she is. Please keep Patricia in your thoughts as she kicks cancer's butt!

Thank you Jill for keeping the dignity, comfort, and style alive with you Anita designer hospital gown!

Have you shared your Annie & Isabel with a friend? We'd love to hear the story of your gown!

~written by Jilly Bean's BFF Selena (co-owner of Annie & Isabel)