"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."
- Christopher Reeve
"We've never had a pop-tart EVER!" Those are the words I was greeted with as I walked in the door to Eden's house this afternoon. Not only was I able to check-off "pop-tart eating" on their childhood bucket list, but I got to meet some amazing girls full of energy. In 2015, Eden did a bridge (backbend pushing up from the floor) in her living room that resulted in a devastating outcome. She had hyperextended her spine, cutting off the blood circulation to the artery that supplies the spinal cord, leading to a spinal cord stroke. After a trip to the emergency room and a 52 day stay in the hospital, she was now considered a paraplegic with damage that spanned from T2-T12. The family packed up everything to begin a journey of a lifetime - recovery.
1,835 miles later, Eden's family found themselves in the lobby of the Frazier Rehab Institute in good ole Louisville, Kentucky. Frazier is a facility in Louisville that houses the Kosair Charities Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery - the place Eden would soon consider her second home. The therapy she receives there requires her to go 5 times a week for an hour and a half each session - talk about dedication! Eden said she wakes up at 6 a.m. every morning to go and make strides towards recovery, however, she assured me that she was asleep by 7:30 p.m. so that she'd be well rested. Not only does the Kosair Charities Center for Pediatric NeuroRecovery provide therapy, they also are constantly searching for a cure through their research. Dr. Andrea Behrman is the one of superheroes behind the scenes over there - she's a woman that always challenges the unknown and provides hope to families like Eden's.
Eden and her sister Isabella decided to take on the task of making homemade s'mores pop-tarts and thought of 2 other friends that would love to join. The girls are enrolled at a local school and have grown into their school family, almost like they were always a part of it from the beginning. Having a community that is so welcoming and supportive always makes for a great transition as someone becomes the "new student" of the classroom. As we got to talking about school and futures, I asked them what they all wanted to be when they grow up and their favorite sweet to indulge in.
Eden is an aspiring artist, but "not the sculpture kind"and dreams of anything and everything chocolate
Isabella wants to be a chef and bake more pop-tarts and other sweets, like her all time favorite - cherry cheesecake
Kenlea enjoys riding horses and hopes to continue that, as she has won many awards in the horse shows she competes in.
Chocolate topped with chocolate is the name of her dessert game
Mia plans to be an interior designer and add her creative touch
to the world when she's not busy being a superstar athlete!
She doesn't discriminate against sweets and will eat anything in the dessert category
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." As I got to spend the afternoon with these young individuals, I fully believe Eleanor Roosevelt is right. Eden, Isabella, Kenlea, and Mia will all succeed because they live a life revolving around the magical 4 letter word: HOPE. The hope and dreams in the room were so very contagious, especially from the parents. Kylee and Nick are the absolute epitome of hopeful parents, constantly encouraging their children to follow their dreams. They say the toughest battles are given to the strongest warriors, and these parents are proof of just that; the amount of love they have for both of their girls is so evident just by stepping into their home. Throughout the entire baking extravaganza, her mom was watching with excitement and even joining in on the s'mores pop-tart baking fun!
Along with being actively involved in both of her girls' lives, she is constantly fighting for a cure for paralysis and is such a huge advocate for Eden and others who have experienced a spinal cord injury. The "Stand for Eden" Facebook page is one of the many places the parents advocate for their daughter, it's one that I strongly suggest following just to see how fantastic they truly are. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is near and dear to their hearts as it provides funding for the scientists working to solve the mystery of the central nervous system. The Hoelscher family recently fundraised over $2,000 on Giving Tuesday to donate to the foundation to get one step closer to a cure.
So with that, I give you bake number two - and boy oh boy was it a ~Sweet~ one.
