A 31 year old Marine was a patient on our unit numerous times during the year following his diagnosis of cancer. In addition to the physical challenges of fighting a difficult illness and facing a poor prognosis, the young father of 2 struggled with the emotional pain of not being there for his 5 and 8 year old children as they grew.
Laura found a website that makes “Daddy Dolls” for soldiers’ families and obtained a photo of the patient in his military uniform. She purchased 2 dolls with the replica of the patient for each of the children and presented them a few weeks before he died. It not only brought comfort to the children, but also the patient knowing they had a doll with Daddy’s face to hold when he no longer could hold them.