I may have mentioned this before but I am obsessed with consignment sales. I started going when I was pregnant with Chase and in need of pretty much everything baby and continue to find great deals on second hand items and clothes, which with five kids is a beautiful thing.
I went to a local sale Friday with Reese. As we were walking by the toy area she got really excited and said “Mommy, look at this doll!” It was a pretty big doll which may be why it got her attention and I was going to dismiss it and say Reese we have plenty of dolls at home. But then I took a look at the doll and couldn’t believe what kind of doll it was. It was called an I am a Survivor doll and was a girl with cancer.
The doll did not have hair but had a hat and headbands you could use to accessorize. She also had a survivor journal. While we really didn’t need another doll I couldn’t leave it. Even though I had my hair back I loved everything about this doll. The fact that Reese spotted this and loved it just solidified that it was meant to be.
What I loved about how Reese liked the doll was that she didn’t give any thought or care to the fact that the girl had no hair and had cancer. To Reese and Alice when we brought it home, this was just another doll. Both girls loved the earrings she came with and the fact that you could change what she wore on her head.
The reason I’m sharing this is because the way my girls approached and treated this cancer survivor doll is the same way, we should treat all those living with cancer. They are still people whether they have hair, are wearing a scarf or hat on their head, are pale, or have visible scars. They are still people who want to be loved by those who see them.
That is what I am grateful my kids were able to do throughout my treatment. I was still Mommy even if my hair fell out and I was really tired. They still loved me no matter what I looked like.
While I worried about my hair loss and how I looked I just wanted to be treated like the same Erin everyone knew before cancer. And thankfully most people did treat me the same.
I am so glad I got this doll for my girls even though they have plenty of dolls. This one is a little extra special and is such an excellent idea for any families going through cancer.
Even with cancer we can still be beautiful, wear pretty hats or earrings and be as normal as possible. We should be treated just like any other person just like my girls treated the doll the same as all of their other dolls.
#breastcancerbattle #chemo #hairloss #chemotherapy #breastcancersurvivor #iamasurvivordoll #onetoughmother
