Art with a Heart - February 2007
| Amelia, Claire and Emma at the circus. |
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Amelia Murphy
Animal-lover. Optimist. Cheerleader. Soccer player. Amelia Murphy, age five, is many things, including a member of a loving family with sisters Claire and Emma, and parents Pam and Brendan. Amelia and her family were nominated by Deb Carle, child life specialist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. In her nomination letter Carle writes: "Amelia is five years old, has had 32 surgeries and is often in and out of the hospital. She's adorable, has great spirits, and works so hard to get better and to get up out of her wheelchair and walk when she can. We in Child Life adore and admire her."
The Murphy family had a fantastic night out on the town that began with hairstyles for the three girls donated by Cookie Cutters Hair Salon. They went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, where they enjoyed floor seats and backstage access. Amelia's favorite part of the performance was the clown food fight. Giggling as she recalls the scene, she says, "I had a great time. The clown food fight was so funny. But, if a clown had thrown a pie at another clown and it had hit me instead, I would have been so grumpy!"
Amelia also loved seeing the elephants and says, "The elephants were almost as tall as the ceiling!" Because she has Buddy, a dog in training who helps her and comes to the hospital with her, she enjoyed seeing what other dogs can be trained to do in the dog act. It made her wonder what she could teach her own dog. While Emma (age 10) enjoyed the motorcycle act, Claire's (age 7) favorite part was the snow cones.
The family had dinner at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse, where they all enjoyed not only appetizers and entrees but also scrumptious desserts such as a chocolate volcano cake and ice cream sundaes.
The Murphy family appreciated that their whole family was included in the special evening. Pam says, "When you face medical challenges with your child, it impacts your whole family. All the kids were thrilled that they got to experience everything together and that it was a special night honoring all of them." Pamela is very proud of all three of her daughters for their compassion for one another and for others.
