The Story Behind our New Illness Care Boxes
A few months ago, I saw a post on social media about a precious little two year old named Vivian. Vivian had recently experienced an intense surgery which required a long stay in the hospital during her recovery. Her mother, Ashley, was also mama of two other kiddos.
As a fellow mama, my heart went out to the family during this difficult season and I felt a tug on my heart to send them a laurelbox. I walked into my shipping office, and looked around. And while there were a few items that could work to send, I suddenly realized that our shop was lacking the perfect gifts to send someone spending a season in the hospital, dealing with chronic illness, battling cancer, or experiencing prolonged illness.
Immediately, I knew I wanted to make that change. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work creating a laurelbox that would offer tangible comfort.
As I was brainstorming, I knew we had to offer a luxuriously soft blanket that would feel like a gentle hug on a rough day. I've been a loyal customer of Saranoni's luxury blankets for years and I reached out to them to become a distributor. Saranoni, like laurelbox, is a small, family owned and faith based business. In fact, the Peterson family, who owns Saranoni, have experienced the pain of miscarriage and the loss of their son, Ezra. After reading of their faith in Christ through those losses, we knew that adding Saranoni to the laurelbox shop was beyond perfect.
I also wanted to create a gift to send baby Vivian that would bring her a sense of excitement or joy, be easy for her mama to carry to appointments in her bag, and allow her to play with it alone or with family. Johanna and I set to work designing a boutique style handmade Nature Matching Game. We even personalize each game with one set of the child's initial!
Lastly, I wanted to offer a gift for Ashley, Vivian's mom. That mama was going through so much, caring for her three little ones while one was spending a month and a half in the hospital. I wanted to acknowledge, from one woman to another, what she was going through and express that she was supported and loved. Our You Are Adored Travel Mug turns out to be the perfect option for lugging coffee or tea to the hospital. And you can't beat the You Are Adored Herbal Tea for calming nerves and nourishing depleted emotional reserves!
We also recognized that so many adults are currently waging an uphill battle with health issues or cancer, and we knew that so many could find comfort in a gift box designed for their needs. Our own grandmother is currently spending extended time in the hospital, so this curation of items was directly influenced by what we knew would care for her during her hospital stay. Our illness care gift boxes for adults include a Saranoni Blanket, an herbal tea, a travel mug, and our Lovely, Adored and Brave Tote bag.
Our family committed to praying for Baby Vivian, who is now out of the hospital and back home. We are so thankful to her and her family for inspiring us to create a gift that we hope will touch so many others!
"My daughter had an intense surgery in May that required a month and a half hospitalization. With a 2 year old in the hospital and 2 other littles at home, my husband and I had a lot of low points. Denise (who I have never met) reached out with this box to help comfort myself and my family. The absolute sweetest! It had the most comfortable blanket ever, perfect for my shoulders in that cold hospital. A delicious loose leaf tea and the cutest cup ever. She also included a wooden match game for my Vivian. Games were the best way to pass time in those four walls. Most of all,"it's the thought that counts". People kept asking us what we needed, but we just needed our baby home and prayers. The box was such a sweet, tangible item reminding us people (some that we hadn't even met before) were praying for us. It was special. It was comforting. It was appreciated. Thank you, laurelbox. I hope many other mothers in a tough situation feel the comfort I did from this box." -Ashley, Vivian's mom
