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Coping with the loss of her father, a Terrebonne girl has made it her mission to remind cancer patients that they are beautiful champions this Thanksgiving season.
Drained by treatment often needed to combat a life-threatening illness, patients of The Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at Terrebonne General Medical Center were met November 7 by Emma Stuber, a smiling 8-year-old in a purple dress. Emma held a “Queen For A Day” event for 23 patients.
Emma’s inspiration is drawn from the death of her father, Thomas Struber. She lost him after a short battle against pancreatic cancer 2 years ago.
“I never got to say what I wanted to say to him. I never got to say goodbye or give him anything,” Emma said. “Since I couldn’t give back to him, I decided I will give back to cancer patients.”
The Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center provides what is described as “full spectrum” cancer care, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Development Coordinator Tiffany Adams said the center enjoyed hosting Emma and her event, “We were more than happy to host the reception where patients could pick up their pamper baskets and meet sweet Emma,” said Adams.
Sporting a tiara and pink ribbon that read “Find a Cure,” Emma met patients with a smile. She took each to a long table, lined with baskets containing items she and her mother, Leurie Bullock, gathered from donations.
Leurie said her daughter’s dress was purple in memory of her father. Purple is the color assigned to pancreatic cancer.
The baskets largely held beauty products. The idea for the baskets was born of a conversation Emma had with her mother concerning the loss of hair. Leurie said her daughter made up her mind to create the baskets after saying, “I want everyone to feel beautiful.”
Baskets for “queens” – 20 women – included: earrings, necklaces, hats, and socks. Baskets for “kings” – 3 male patients – included: board games, bibles, word puzzle books, and pictures drawn by Emma’s older brother Dylan Muff, 16.
An aspiring artist, Dylan said the inspiration for the drawings came to him from a cartoon, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.” Dylan explained that characters in the show have powers based on their strong fighting spirits, so he drew powerful spirits for the patients.
While no two baskets were the same, a few items were universal: brownies, a blanket, a mixed CD with Carrie Underwood’s song “You Are a Champion” on which Emma wrote “You are a champion and I love you” on, and a bell.
The bell was a special touch, said Leurie, because when Emma’s father was ill, they gave him a bell which he could ring when he needed help.
The tragedy still lingers in the family’s memory, but Leurie said Emma keeps their morale strong.
“She’s the one that keeps us positive,” said Leurie. “I’m like, ‘how do you do it kiddo?’”
Emma and her mother said they intend this only to be the beginning of their efforts. The two are currently planning to assemble 50 baskets for the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans.
Leurie said they would like to have the baskets completed before Valentine’s Day, but had no definite date set yet.
