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‘Brave Gowns’ help brighten spirits of pediatric patients at Women’s and Children’s

Posted at 7:16 PM, Dec 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-20 21:39:53-05

LAFAYETTE – Pediatric patients at Women’s and Children’s Hospital will now have something to make their spirits a little brighter.

The Acadiana Mall donated 200 Brave Gowns to the hospital, and the organization donated 40 more.

The gowns add color for the kids during tough times.

“I think it looks like a T-Rex,” said a 4-year-old patient who was excited to receive his gown.

The pediatric patients in the hospital now have a chance to show off their personality.

These Brave Gowns let the kids channel their inner super hero, princess or dinosaur.

“Most people, when you wear something that you love, your spirits are a little bit brighter. And, that was our goal: to make these kids smile and be happy and not think about how many days they’re going to be in the hospital or what kind of ports or IVs they’re going to have,” said the mall’s marketing manager, Jamie Stelly.

“I think it’s amazing,” said Meika Guidry, whose daughter Sadie was diagnosed with cancer last January. Guidry said Sadie was in and out of the hospital every week for 11 months before getting the good news that she is in remission.

The grateful mother said these colorful gowns will make a difference not only for her daughter, but for all patients.

“I don’t think the public realizes what these kids go through and how strong they have to be. So, any little thing that is done for them, it definitely helps,” she said.

“We have some kids that are with us for sometimes weeks at a time. We have some that are with us for days, so this is going to give us an opportunity to really give them a spot of sunshine in their day,” said a spokesman for the hospital, Trevis Badeaux.

While children go through treatments at the hospital, they aren’t left with many choices, but having the Brave Gowns gives the patients the choice of who they want to be and what they want to wear.

“It’s something that she can make a decision on instead of ‘Oh, you have to take this medicine; you have to do this.’ It’s something she could’ve had control over,” said Guidry. “Every little thing good that happens in a bad situation makes it better for them.”

If you want to help put smiles on these little faces, you can purchase a gown or donate to the cause. The gowns cost $30 a piece. You can call the Community Foundation of Acadiana at 337-769-4840 to make the donation to the Brave Gown Fund.