In Memory of Kelsey: Gifts for Young Patients

Join us in donating big eyed beanie boos and other enrichment items to a number of local emergency rooms and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PICU Child Life department in celebration of Kelsey Morand's 12th birthday, who passed away suddenly at the age of 10.

**We set a goal of $1200 since Kelsey is turning 12. However, you all blew past that goal within days! We are overwhelmingly humbled by how willing you have all been to join us in this endeavor. Whatever amount of money is raised, all of it will go towards enhancing the experience for children and families in the hospitals. If more money is raised, we will expand our donations to other emergency rooms with a focus on underserved communities.**

Check out the Rainbows for Kelsey Soap created in Kelsey's memory at the end of this listing! ❤️ *UPDATE* Molly Lee has sold the last bar of soap. Again, so grateful for each of you. Please give her a like on Instagram @OptimisticSoap or online www.optimisticsoap.com.

(a few of Kelsey's Cat Club stuffies)

It has been almost two years since Kelsey's heavenly ascent. Kelsey died on July 3rd, 2023 after complications during a prolonged seizure. She was diagnosed with Status Epilepticus at the age of 3 and her epilepsy was controlled with medication until she had a break through seizure at the age of 10, caused by a high fever (HFMD).

During the past two years we have been so very overwhelmed by the love, support and generosity of friends, family and complete strangers; those who knew her and those who only came to know her after her death. As her mother, one of the things I grieved was the feeling of her disappearance, worried she would be forgotten. But, in fact, the opposite has happened. Those who may have only vaguely known her or never met her - suddenly have felt such a close connection to her. We've never seen so many rainbows as we have in the past two years. (Thank you, Kels).

Kelsey was so very generous. I didn't realize that some of the qualities she so freely exhibited and had mastered were not common-day. She was constantly creating. Creativity flowed out of her. She was attune to social dynamics and had a drive to create for others. If she heard a friend loved something, she got to work trying to make something to cheer their heart. If she heard someone was sad or hurt, she instantly jumped into action to help. If something needed to be done, she was ready to assist.

When she wasn't creating, she was with her younger brother, Parker. They would imagine worlds together, building animal homes out of magnet blocks and hatchimals, read books together at night, create outfits for their big eyed beanie boos, and be of service to others. They were, and are, thick as thieves. Kelsey collected TY Beanie Boo cats. We called them "The Cat Club" and before her death, she had created a whole Cat Café for them with mini homemade lollie pops, a tiny (working) blender, tiny (real) food she would bake, a costume and art room complete with journals and paint pallets. Just weeks before her ascent she bought a tiny working mixer (which didn't arrive until after she had passed). She loved all things tiny for her cats. In fact, she loved all things CAT in general. Cats, rainbows, and leopards all day, every day.

(Kelsey's Cat Cafe)

On March 21st is Kelsey's 12th Birthday. Throughout her short life she had quite a few visits to the Emergency Room because of seizures. Having first-hand experience of how overwhelming and scary that can be, one of her favorite acts of service was to raise money to buy big eyed beanie boos and then donate them to our local emergency room for any children who might find themselves there. She and Parker would scour TY.com (since she said they were cheaper there than anywhere else) and choose stuffies they thought other kids might like. They then created little tags saying "Feel Better" and "Thinking of you" to tie around their necks.

(Choosing the Beanie Boos together online)

In honor of Kelsey's 12th Birthday, we wanted to open this fundraiser up to anyone who might like to contribute. Between her birthday (March 21st) to her heavenly birthday (July 3rd) we are going to be raising funds to donate new big eyed beanie boos to local hospital emergency rooms as well as use the funds to purchase toys and crafts for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Child Life Center where Kelsey spent the last 2 day of her life in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and where Parker benefitted from the kindness and generosity of others and the staff while going through the most unimaginable tragedy for a seven year old; the death of his older sister.

All funds will be used to purchase these items for the hospitals in Kelsey's memory. We thank you for your generosity.

Soap in Memory of Kels

Molly Lee of OptimisticSoap has so lovingly created a special bar of soap in memory of Kelsey. She is generously offering 50% of the sales to this fundraiser and is also offering a chance for a bundle of 20 bars of soaps (one of which is the very limited Rainbows for Kelsey bar) for every $10 donated to our Go Fund Me. It will end on July 3rd, at midnight, after which a random person will be drawn. The soap will be sent to a U.S. address only. To buy Kelsey's Rainbow Soap and to support Molly's efforts please visit her website OptimisticSoap.

To learn more about Kelsey please visit @ Kelsey's Community