This post is part of my 29 Days of Giving Campaign. You can see the rest of the posts in this series here.
My parents have lived in the same house for 28 years. In that time they've seen neighbors come and go. The house next door has seen at least 4 families that I can remember. Around this time last year, they welcomed new neighbors into the house next door yet again. These particular neighbors have a little girl who is 4. I was instantly smitten with her because a) she's adorable and not at all shy and b) her name is Peyton.
Peyton is a very special little girl, for all the reasons we believe our own children to be special, and then some. Peyton has severe health issues stemming from Mitochondrial Disease. I won't do her or her family a disservice by trying to compartmentalize her disease into a nice, tidy sentence. It's enough to know that they struggle daily, and that most of Peyton's life has been spent in and out of hospitals.
That's how they ended up as neighbors. They moved here to be closer to the best care possible for Peyton. I've been following Peyton's updates on the CaringBridge Journal her mother keeps up for her. A few weeks ago they had some exciting news: Peyton, through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, will be the proud owner of a certified therapy dog. The dog is undergoing training right now, but they hope to have him in their home in time for Christmas. And here's the best part – they've named him Manning. The story alone of how Peyton's wish came to fruition had me in tears.
I can't wait to meet the four-legged Manning and see how much he's going to love his spunky new pal.
Today I Gave: A donation to go towards Peyton's medical expenses and the care and upkeep of her canine pal. Peyton and her family are an inspiration to me – the joy and hope they bring to a difficult situation reminds me of the power of staying positive no matter what. If you would like to help as well, please visit Peyton's CaringBridge Journal for more information.
Today I Received: I had the privilege to attend an event with a local blogger and Verizon tonight. Thanks to them, I brought home a new phone to play with and some treats for me and the kids. While all the "things" are super nice, and I'm very thankful for them, I'm mostly thankful for the opportunity to hang out with some of my favorite locals, who just happen to be bloggers, too. I've been so lucky to meet some amazing women here who get this blogging/social media stuff, women who don't look at me funny when I use terms like "RSS feed" and "retweet" and "hashtag." So thanks, Cherie, for the opportunity to hang out with you and all my awesome Indy bloggers.
Thank you for sharing Peyton’s story. She is adorable and my heart breaks for what she and her family are going through. A poodle named Manning will be absolutely perfect for her.