BACKSTORY:
Hi, my name is Madison (Maddie) Fruge. November of 2011, I was rushed to the hospital after getting hurt playing basketball. I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and was hospitalized for several weeks, during thanksgiving. As a result, I lost about 65% of my memories of my entire life, including family and friends. Also, I had to relearn how to walk, run, and perform simple sc
hool-tasks, such as adding and subtracting. During my time in the hospital, my family and I learned that there were many children without any support, besides the medical staff. These children didn't have someone to visit with them, much less bring them a "get well" present. Daily, they had to watch other families and friends visiting their loved-ones. The fear of not being able to take care of yourself nor having someone who understands what you are going through. Although, my family was with me everyday, I had forgotten most of them. Waking up and not knowing 4 of the 5 people around you, is the most terrifying feeling to experience. It broke my heart to see kids, just like me, without anybody there with them. There were children in the hospital who have been without their families for days, weeks, and even months. Thanksgiving is a time to give back to others and to give thanks to God for what we have. We tend to take the little things in life for granted, but in the blink of an eye everything can be taken from you. I know this first hand. You have to live life everyday like it is your last. Since I was released from the hospital, my dream has been to put a smile on children's faces and give them a sense of hope. My goal is to make a minimum of two annual trips per year. One of the trips will be back to the same hospital that I was hospitalized at. I plan to make this trip during the Thanksgiving holidays, because that was the time I was there. If you could help me do this, it would mean the world to me. God Bless.
