Mika Claus

Posing with her donations
Originally uploaded by MamaT

Mika and I spent a morning at the Stollery Children's Hospital last Monday. I requested and received a copy of their Wish List in early November. We tried to get a good range of the items with our limited budget. Mika loved picking out things for kids that she herself would enjoy if she had to stay at the hospital. The one item she absolutely insisted upon was a copy of Wall-E.
We met the Child Life co-ordinator on the main floor of the hospital where she presented us with Stollery Bear pins and told Mika a bit about the place. We all went upstairs to one of the play areas called The Beach and Mika unloaded her bags under their tree. Alicia, another staff member, snapped a picture of Mika and printed a copy for her to take home.
Mika LOVED this experience. She glowed with pride and was eager and happy to talk to anyone and everyone she encountered at the hospital - usually she stares at her feet and refuses to speak to people. Mika said she felt really good that the sick and hurt kids would have things to watch, do, and play with over the holidays.
To celebrate her job-well-done, I told Mika we could stop for a snack at the hospital cafe where she could have anything at all that she wanted. Instead of french fries, muffins, krispie squares, etc., the girl chose a yogurt and soy milk - strawberry on both counts, of course: "I want to stay healthy, Mommy."