A Heartwarming Story for the Holidays...A Teenage Star Soccer Player Beats Her Toughest Opponent...Hodgkin's Lymphoma

We'd like to introduce you to Lauren. She is someone who has been in our hearts and prayers over the last year. Lauren is every parent's dream come true. She is wholesome, athletic, intelligent, beautiful and motivated in life. A year ago, Lauren seemed to have a clear path to realizing all her hopes and dreams for the future. For Lauren, those dreams included being part of an exciting soccer season, thinking about college and enjoying her senior year at St. Francis High School in Sacramento, CA.

Nearing the end of Lauren's Junior year of high school, she felt a lump near her collar bone. Her parents took her to the doctor to have it checked out. An ultrasound was ordered and then they waited for the results. I am sure they were thinking there was some simple explanation for the lump, hoping it would be nothing serious. On April 15th, 2010, two days after Lauren's 17th birthday, they received the call that changed their lives. They were told that Lauren had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Lauren's cancer was found to exist in her lungs, spleen and bones. While this seemed like devastating news, Lauren and her family were told by their oncologist that this cancer was very treatable. Lauren, always trying to keep a good sense of humor and remain strong stated, "Basically my cancer has spread everywhere but my brain and as you may recall from last night's update....I do have a brain."

This was a tough diagnosis for Lauren and her family. It meant that a year which should have been one filled with so much excitement and anticipation would be something very different. Lauren's life would become a maze of doctor appointments, lab tests, chemo infusions and hospital stays. Her days would be full of emotional and physical highs and lows.

Much of Lauren's joy in life had revolved around the sport of soccer. Lauren was the goalie for St. Francis Varsity soccer team as well as a competitive soccer team. Having lymphoma meant that Lauren would surrender her positions and miss her Junior year in soccer, a year when many college coaches scout for the future players. It meant she would give up a part of her independence, something that is so important for teenagers. Having lymphoma meant that the beautiful hair, that framed her face in her senior portraits, would be something that she would lose in the weeks following the beginning of her treatments. Having lymphoma would mean that she took her college SAT exam on a day that she did not feel well. Having lymphoma meant that although she planned and shopped for that perfect dress for the junior prom, when the big day came, she was too sick to attend the event that is the highlight of most girls' junior year. The amazing thing is that, with so many negatives on this list, Lauren decided she was going to fight this battle, hold her head up and BEAT CANCER! "I'm fine" became Lauren's mantra, and, in the end, Lauren has maintained her honor roll status and she is hoping to be able to compete on her beloved soccer teams this year. As for being "just fine".......Lauren truly is...FINE!!!.

In Lauren's own words, "This summer I lost my social life, hair and spot on the team - but I gain so much more." This was her opening statement for her college essay and how amazing is that!!

We were able to follow Lauren on her journey through the beautiful and amazing blog that her mother, Dawn, wrote using "Care Pages". The blog is the story of Lauren, but it is also the story of the faith, love, sorrow and courage of Dawn. Through this blog a community came forward to rally around Lauren and her family and extend to them their prayers, well wishes and also many other tangible demonstrations of their love. You are invited to read Lauren's story. It is an inspiring one, and as you know.....It is always good to read a story with a happy ending!

LAUREN'S STORY

Jesuit High School Friends Getting Ready to Shave Their Heads in Support of Lauren

The Post Shave Look and Lauren is All Smiles!!

Throughout her battle, Lauren wore an Annie and Isabel gown at times and in these last pictures Lauren wears her gown on a hospital visit that marked the official end of her chemotherapy infusions. She is preparing here for the removal of the line that provided access for these infusions. Her mother, Dawn, jotted down her reflections on having a personal hospital gown and wrote in her Care Page blog:

"Lauren sported her Annie & Isabel gown for the "big day" which stirred up a lot of talk among the nurses and surgeon. I joked that the gown got more attention than Lauren. I tried to capture all the comments while I reflected on how much hospital gowns seem to irritate the medical staff. Funny, this whole time I thought it was just the patients who disliked the scratchy, drab green, see-through-thin, and stained hospital attire. Some of the comments I did manage to capture were 'Wow, so soft.' , 'Ties that stay tied.' , 'It snaps on top, brilliant.', 'A pocket, how perfect.' , 'What a great gift.', and my personal favorite........'These gals are really smart!"

"As a parent I loved the gown because you know it's clean, soft and its appearance brightens a very difficult time. Not to mention the patient feels so special!"

Lauren's last chemotherapy infusion was October 18th, 2010 and her latest PET scan shows that she is cancer free!!!

I want to share with you Lauren's words just prior to her last chemo treatment. It is a true testament to Lauren's strength during this process:

"Dear Chemo,

This relationship has gone on far too long. Six months too long. It's been real. But it's over. Tomorrow is the last time we will see each other. Drop my hair off on the porch..."

Lauren, you have been a true inspiration to so many around you. Your strength and positive attitude throughout this journey have been amazing. We continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers as you begin your adjustment back to being a normal senior high school student. We can't wait to see what the future holds for you as it can only be as great as you already are!!

The Best of Sacramento Party benefitting The March of Dimes Is Tomorrow!

We are so honored and excited to have been chosen by Sacramento Magazine as the 2010 Best of Sacramento Editor's pick for "Best Gift for Expectant Moms." This really means SO much to us, as we are both Sacramento natives and love living here!

Sacramento Magazine's Best of Sacramento Party is tomorrow,

Thursday, December 2nd from 4:30pm to 10:00pm at the Sacramento Convention Center. We have talked to so many people who have attended this event in previous years and they say it is THE BEST party in Sacramento!! We will have a table at the event displaying all our stylish hospital gowns!!! Hope to see you there!

To watch a video to see what this event was like in past years and

to find out more information on the event, click the link below.

MORE INFO HERE

It's Thanksgiving...We're Working and We Are Thankful!!

Today is Thanksgiving. On this day, it is customary to think of all the things we are thankful for. As nurses, we often must work on holidays and today is one of those days. We are both working this Thanksgiving day, yet we are so very thankful. Here are the many reasons we are thankful:

We are Thankful for our health.....we will see many patients today whose health is a part of their distant past.

We are Thankful that we are not faced with a serious diagnosis.....we will take care of patients today who are newly diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, heart conditions and many other tough illnesses.

We are Thankful that we have a home to live in and food to share.....we will see homeless men and women today who are just looking for someone who will care about them, give them warmth and food.

We are Thankful that our minds are sound and that we, ourselves, are not dealing with a mental illness.....unfortunately mental health funds have been severely cut so many people come to hospitals, instead of mental health facilities, in a time of crisis, often feeling hopeless....we will see some of these people today.

We are Thankful for our parents.....it is very possible we may be helping families say good by to their beloved parents today.

We are Thankful for our healthy children.....today we will take care of sick children who have not always had the gift of health.

We are Thankful for all the health care professionals we collaborate with....we love that we have compassionate nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, physical therapists etc. that work beside us on a daily basis.

We are Thankful that we do not suffer from addictions like alcohol and drugs.....alcohol and drug addiction is a disease and we are often faced with seeing the side affects of these horrible addictions.....we will welcome these poor souls who find their way to us today.

We are Thankful for our loving immediate and extended families who will be waiting for us when we finish our shifts today.....many times we take care of patients that have never been surrounded by the love of family. We will be their family today.

We are Thankful that we have the privilege of working and taking care of people on a day that most would have loved to have spent with family, enjoying some good food and fun family stories. We hope that we can bring some comfort to those who are struggling today.

What are you THANKFUL for???

Local 17 Year Old Girl Survives Cardiac Arrest - A True Miracle

The beautiful teenage girl below is a true miracle!! Her name is Kristin and she is a 17 year old senior at St. Francis High School in Sacramento, CA. She recently suffered a cardiac arrest from an undiagnosed heart condition called Long Q-T syndrome. She lived against all odds due to the heroics of the people who were with her when she collapsed, the medical staff who treated her at Mercy Folsom and Mercy General Hospitals, the innovative therapies used to save her life and Kristin's strong will to live. We are so excited to tell you about Kristin's story because it truly is an amazing one. As nurses, we LOVE stories like this. It is what makes us love and appreciate our jobs!!

Photo courtesy of Lisa Jesse Photography

Kristin had recently started her Senior year of high school. In addition to school, she also loved to teach children how to swim. She was a good swimmer and a former water polo player. On September 9, 2010 she was teaching children at Tricks Gymnatics, Dance and Swim in Folsom when she suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest and almost drowned. Two co-workers immediately noticed Kristin, unconscious in the swimming pool, and pulled her out of the water. Her manager immediately began CPR. He was trained and certified in CPR but had never had to use it before, however, his instincts and training took over. He performed CPR including mouth to mouth breathing for nearly 10 minutes before the paramedics arrived. The paramedics transported her to Mercy Folsom Emergency Room where they worked on her for over 2 hours. They were able to get her heart beating again and started a procedure called therapeutic hypothermia.

Therapeutic hypothermia is used on any adults who have suffered a cardiac arrest. It is a procedure where a person's core body temperature is brought down to 32 degrees celcius (89.6 degrees fahrenheit) in an effort to reduce the amount of neurological damage to the brain caused from their cardiac arrest. A person is kept in this state for approximately 24 hours and then their body is warmed up 1 degree per hour until they are back to a normal temperature. This is exactly what they did with Kristin.

Kristin with her classmates

In addition to the use of therapeutic hypothermia, Kristin was also placed on a heart assistive device called a balloon pump, and on a breathing machine and was given several medications to prevent her heart from stopping again. Kristin was unconcious for 5 days but when she woke up, she was living proof that modern medicine works!! She woke up not remembering the event but has no sustaining neurologic deficits which is a TRUE MIRACLE.

Kristin walking for the first time in the hospital

Kristin is already back at school, enjoying what every 17 year old teenager should, her senior year in high school!! Kristin has an implantable cardiac defibrilator to prevent a reoccurrance of the cardiac arrest due to her abnormal heart rhythm but she is otherwise a normal teenage girl.

To give you an idea of how miraculous Kristin's story is you should know that, according to the American Heart Association, more than 95% of cardiac arrest victims die before they ever reach the hospital.

Kristin's work manager should also be highly commended because he played a tremendous role in the fact that Kristin not only survived but that she did not suffer any neurologic damage. According to the American Heart Association, bystander CPR doubles a person's chance at survival. Also, brain damage after cardiac arrest can occur as quickly as 4 to 6 minutes after the event unless immediate CPR is begun.

We highly encourage everyone to take a CPR class. You may never use it in your lifetime, however, if you are ever in a situation like this, you will have a great opportunity and privilege to save a life. You can find and sign up for CPR classes at this link: The American Heart Association.

You may have noticed in the pictures above that Kristin was wearing the "Anita" Annie & Isabel hospital gown. While Kristin fought for her life in the hospital she was gifted this hospital gown by her friend and classmate Lauren. Lauren has been fighting AND winning her own battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We will be sharing her inspirational story on our blog soon.

I contacted Kristin's mom to find out how Kristin was doing and she told me that Kristin is doing well. "She just wants to be a normal 17 year old". Kristin's mom, Lisa, gave us this wonderful testimonial about Kristin's Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown:

"The gown was a gift from one of my daughter's good friends who has cancer. I took it home and washed it and when I brought it back to the hospital, she immediately wanted to wear it. It smelled like home, and the fabric was so soft...she just loved it. All the nurses commented how "cute" her gown was and how it made her feel good...at 17 loving a hospital gown is a pretty special order. When we had to go back for a second surgery that was top on her list for me to bring down to her! What a great gift to give! Thanks for making her feel so much more comfortable and beautiful!" ~Lisa Jesse

Exciting Partnership With Brenda Bisharat Photography!!!

If you have been following along with us for a while now, you know how much we admire Bisharat Photography here in Sacramento. On her site www.bisharatphotos.com, Brenda says, "I have a passion for capturing the human spirit through photography and digital artistry, in a stress free and fun environment". This couldn't be a more accurate statement to describe the work of Brenda and her partner Kristene from Bisharat Photography.

Brenda Bisharat

Kristene Colombi

Brenda has been our photographer for years now and we cherish the beautiful moments in time she has documented of our precious boys. We always sit back in amazement during our sessions while she interacts with our very active boys and gets the best smiles. When we were launching Annie & Isabel, she was a huge support to us as a successful mompreuner herself.

We have VERY exciting news for local Annie & Isabel customers from Bisharat Photography! Brenda is offering a complimentary hospital newborn session for women who purchase an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown. With this complimentary session, you will receive a free 5x7 and an online slideshow to choose additional photos. The slideshow is a wonderful way to introduce your new bundle of joy to your family and friends. Read below for all of the details and instructions. This might just get some of our friends to move to Sacramento, as they have been admiring Brenda's work for years! Even if you don't live in the Sacramento area, Brenda has many clients who travel long distances to have their children and familes photographed.

Here is an example of Brenda's hospital newborn sessions

MEETING NEW LITTLE SISTER...{SACRAMENTO NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER}

To get to know Brenda Bisharat better and see some of her work,

please read some posts from her blog below~

DANIEL...{SACRAMENTO BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER}

TWO BIRTHS IN ONE DAY... {SACRAMENTO BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER}

TIME FOR TUTUS... {SACRAMENTO CHILDREN'S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER}

QUIET MINUS POSTS...{BUSY SACRAMENTO NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER}

DOCUMENTING BIRTHS...{SACRAMENTO BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER}

The Gift Of An Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown For Stephanie ~ For A Day She Never Thought She Would Have

In our opinion, the day that you are going to give birth is the most anticipated, exciting, and, in our case, photographed day of our lives! We obviously feel having your own hospital gown is a no-brainer... for so many reasons. You are the ONLY person that has ever worn it, something no one ever thinks about when sporting the hospital issued gown. You can wash it and bring the comfort and smell of home and your own beautiful hospital gown will lack the common holes, stains, and EKG stickers that are often stuck to the standard hospital gowns.

Our gowns have many other features that the standard hospital gown lacks but most importantly it completely covers the backside. Aside from these "practical" reasons... having you own Annie & Isabel hospital gown represents style and always makes a beautiful backdrop to those first photographs with your new baby. It represents how truly special this day is when you are giving birth.

When Vanessa wrote to us about her friend Stephanie's upcoming birth we were so touched to hear Stephanie's story. Below is what Stephanie had to say about her experience in her Annie & Isabel hospital gown. Congratulations Stephanie! Boys are so much fun!

First Time Mom Stephanie and Paxton Jr. "P.J."

"Having your first baby is a significant milestone for anyone. My pregnancy was a very special experience because not too long ago my husband and I thought we'd never be able to have children of our own and were planning to adopt. When I became pregnant it was such a great surprise and I wanted to savor every moment. I received my Annie gown as a gift from my dear friend Vanessa. My favorite color is pink, so needless to say, I was thrilled when I opened the package and saw the pink gown with polka dots! I washed it immediately and packed it in my suitcase. I didn't wear it during labor (I didn't want it to get soiled!) so I saved it for the next two days in the hospital. It was so nice being able to change into a fresh gown that was mine! Not only was it comfortable and easy to breastfeed in, it was so nice to feel pretty when receiving guests and showing off my new baby boy. I got so many compliments on it. Thank you so much for adding to my already wonderful adventure!"

Why Susan G. Komen Hated Hospital Gowns, In the Words Of Her Sister

A friend of mine, who is battling breast cancer, shared with me a book that she is reading called "Promise Me". It is a book written by Nancy G. Brinker who is the sister to Susan G. Komen and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.




There is a paragraph from the book that sums up one of the main reasons we started our company and I wanted to share it with you too. It gave me the chills to read this because it made me realize how important our product is in giving dignity back to patients and making them look and feel better.

This is a quote from Nancy Brinker about how Susan G. Komen hated the standard hospital gown:

"I understand now why Suzy hated hospital gowns. At the time, I guess I thought, Why wouldn't she hate them? She was an impeccably stylish woman who cared a lot about how she looked. That's who she was. But in retrospect, I think there was more to it than that. The one-size-fits-all boxiness of the thing is dehumanizing. That pragmatic but potentially breezy opening in the back goes to the very etymology of the word embarrassing, and the very idea that one size does or can or should even attempt to fit all was offensive to Suzy, literally and metaphorically. This wasn't a matter of style or aesthetics - it was part of a larger dynamic that makes so many cancer patients feel dehumanized and stripped of their dignity."

To learn more about Nancy G. Brinker and her book "The Promise" you can visit her website at http://www.nancygbrinker.com/.