Ashley's room was a place full of love and  laughter.  The sounds of her joy spilled out of it and filled the rooms of our home with happiness.  It was a beautiful place.  A place designed for an amazing little girl who TRULY LIVED for all 2,937 days of her life.  She lived each one of those days with a sparkle in her eye and a joy that was infectious.  

 

     Now as we sit in Ashley's room, surrounded by the memories of our daughter, our hope is to honor her memory by sharing the love, the laughter and the joy she shared with all who ever had the opportunity to spend time with her there.  

 

     Ashley Kate loved her Pillow Pets.  She took them along with her where ever she went.  The long hospital stays, surgeries and many blood transfusions were all made a little more tolerable by her fluffy friends.  She napped with them daily as they helped to support her broken body.  Sweet Ash loved to "shop"  for new Pillow Pets. 

 

     After Ash left this world the Pillow Pets made me cry.  I couldn't see them in the store without aching for my daughter.  It seemed like I saw them everywhere I went.  I desperately wanted to have the opportunity to purchase them just one more time.   So one day I did.  I bought a pillow pet and brought it home with me having no idea how I would explain it to my family.  That little pillow pet brought me a feeling of comfort, of peace and a tiny bit of joy.  Soon one became two, then three, then four...and from that one simple purchase the vision for Ashley's Room began to take shape. 

 

    Now, from inside of Ashley's Room we work to fill requests, tag gifts, contact hospitals, answer emails, ship orders, consider nominations, organize fundraisers... all the while remembering the little girl who changed our world. Ashley's room is still a beautiful place.  Each gift given from Ashley's Room reminds us that the world is full of families who are just like we used to be.  Families who have children who are struggling with serious illness, and who are spending a part of the their childhoods in hospital rooms around this country.  Our desire is that donations from Ashley's Room may bring comfort to those children and may be a blessing to their parents.  We may not be changing the world through Ashley's Room, but we believe we may very well change a small part of the world these critically ill children are living in.  Even if its only for just a moment. 

 

This is her legacy...

 

     Thank you for encouraging us in our endeavor.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ashley's Mom and Dad