South Carolina Spread Hugs with DinkyBaby!

My name is Nora Stockman and I have been a Distributor for Vicki for around 4 years, I have always made dolls but I searched the internet one lucky day and found Dinky Baby. Sometimes it is a miracle what a small thing can do, or even an unexpected turn in life. HUGS was one of these small things that made a difference.

The HUGS Project for my daughter started in such an unselfish way, and due to a chronic illness of her own. It helped her come to realize that sometimes it’s the small things that comfort the most.
In May of 2008 she had started feeling badly, her side hurt; she had no appetite as before and felt tired all the time. Yes, she was working at Self Regional Hospital thirty two hours a week and going to Lander University part time to get a degree in Psychology and raising a 10 year old little girl as a divorced parent, but when I noticed her skin looking sallow and the whites of her eyes were yellowed I knew she was going to the hospital on her own two feet or whatever way it took, her best friend Ann agreed, who was a Nursing student at the same University.

That week after tests she was diagnosed and hospitalized with Hepatitis C which not many people get. We had now the challenge to find out where she contracted it, by blood, it could have been at a Restaurant she had eaten and an employee cut themselves and it got into her food, a big chance it wasn’t the cause…a needle, which dictates you are a drug user, she doesn’t do that so it was ruled out, the boyfriend she had at the time was checked and he was negative also. So now what other events took place to put her in a situation to contract this? She had gone to Wal-Mart for a quick run in Pedicure and it had been done with tools she says were already on a table when she went in, most likely the culprit. So this was the most likely way but the food industry wasn’t ruled out.

Needless to say she was on Chemo medications administered by shots each week by her, along with tablets for six months that made her deathly sick but if she could overcome this she was a survivor.

During this time she thought of how children must feel to be as sick as she was and scared. Knowing that hospitals take care of a child’s physical needs she thought that a baby doll or a bear would help a child emotionally to have a new best friend there at the time they were sick…to hold when they were sad or to help dry the tears. She asked me about the Dinky Baby Dolls by Vicki since she had come to my summer show and saw how wonderfully children and grownups reacted to these cute babies.
As sick as she was, she needed this unselfish act to bring her through this hard time by giving to others and not feeling sorry for herself and she asked if I would help her make HUGS happen for the children at our local hospital. I put out an SOS to Vicki and the ladies on our group that make the dolls and got some volunteers that were willing to make and send the babies and bears, Vicki, Joann, Sandy, Lynne and Louise made Chloe’s and Dinky Bears and Jingles along with hats, booties and blankets from some other willing ladies to be handed out to our children. We ended up giving 70 combined dolls out in 2008 for the month of December at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood, South Carolina as a result of all our combined hard work.

My daughter Haven saw the project through and delivered the babies each week as needed. She feels that this was a kindness her 10 year old daughter, Marissa needed to be a part of to know that it is sometimes better to give than receive. She has many requests to take on other places that need a service like this and hopes HUGS will grow in the future. These sweet babies and bears have made an impact on many little lives as well as parents of these children in our community and Haven was so proud when a parent walked up to her this summer at my doll show and asked “Are you the lady that gave my child that wonderful gift in the hospital?” and went on to tell her how much it was appreciated.

She has since had tests and her tests came back wonderful. HUGS was her strength in this tragic illness and will continue to be strength to as many children as we can reach.

Haven as well as the ladies that helped make this dream come true for her, are all my Heroines. I will be your biggest Fan Club because many of you like Haven, struggle with health issues and still find time to give freely to others in need. She is a strong young woman and has made something wonderful happen through her HUGS project and made these babies the “Star of the Show” here in South Carolina. You may go to this link to see the newspaper article and read more.
http://www.myspace.com/hugsnow2008 is one of her ways of getting this out to the public, please go here and read about her and this wonderful cause and how Dinky Babies are a blessing for our community.

Nora Stockman
South Carolina, USA
norastockman@yahoo.com