Lukestrong is Transplant Tough

As a Pediatric nurse, I have had the opportunity to see how important Happy Wheels is to a child in the hospital. Now as a mother of one of those kids, the joy that a Happy Wheels visit brings is indescribable. I never imagined I would experience Happy Wheels as a nurse and as a mom but that all changed in 2019 when Luke was just 10 days old. Luke got sick with the enterovirus which caused him to go into heart failure! 

Luke had many admissions to the hospital during his first few years of life but the longest one was just 2 weeks before his 3rd birthday when he was admitted to wait for a new heart. ❤️ Every day Luke had to do thing no 3 year old wants to do, such as have open heart surgery, get an external LVAD, participate in multiple therapies a day, take countless medications and deal with daily dressing changes. BUT, once a week, on Thursdays at MUSC, he had the opportunity to look forward to something fun!

Once a week the Happy Wheels cart would roll to a stop at his doorway and he would stand in awe and the shelves of books and toys that he got to choose from just because. Not because he took his meds well or handled a dressing change well. No, he got to pick something just because they wanted him to. As you can see from his photo he was pretty obsessed with super hero’s and anytime there was a super hero prize on the cart that was always his first pick! 

It was the sweetest thing watching Happy Wheels brighten the day of all the kids on the floor as a nurse but watching my own child smile, that hits a little different for sure. Happy Wheels deserves donations because the kids they see every week deserve the books and toys. These kids have been through more than most of us will ever endure in our entire adult lives and they are tickled pink over a new book to read or stuffed animal to love on. Happy Wheels brings smiles to the faces of every child they visit but more than that, they bring happiness and love. The volunteers remember the kids they see for months or years on end and they don’t ever forget them and that makes Happy Wheels incredible organization that stands out above all the rest! 

One day, each week throughout the year, Happy Wheels volunteers make rounds to each inpatient room with a decorated surgical cart filled with brand new books and toys. Happy Wheels visits approximately 400 children weekly at all 3 children's hospitals in South Carolina. Each child gets to pick out one toy/book of their choice every week for the duration of their admission. They get to keep the gifts and take them home!