The Nicest People

While it’s evident from my last post that I’d give up dance marathons if it would give O back the missing part of her chromosome, since that’s not going to happen, I’m going to gush about some of the most amazing college students I’ve ever met.

And see, I WENT to college, so I’ve met quite a few college students in my day. Heck, some of the college students I met back when I was a college student are still my very best friends.

But these students? The ones who put their hearts and souls into raising money for Riley Hospital for Children and putting on the best party a five year old and an eight year old have ever been invited to, those college students are amazing.

Two in particular have made a lasting impression on A and O. Ally at Indiana University and Hayli at Purdue University.

These two young women made it their goal during the weekends we were on their campuses to ensure that Alyssa and Olivia had fun. They were amazing. They put aside their very busy schedules and spend every minute we were at their respective dance marathons with us, making sure we were fed, were entertained, were first in line at the bathroom.

Seriously, it is amazing to me that they are so selfless.

Now, I know that there are a lot of amazing 18 -22 year olds out there but there are also a lot of selfish ones. We just got really, really lucky to meet both Ally and Hayli.

Not only did they get Olivia gift bags, they made sure Alyssa was included. That warms my heart more than you can know. To make sure the sibling of the Riley kid feels special too goes above and beyond. They didn’t have to be told that sometimes it’s hard to be the ‘typical’ sibling of a ‘special’ child. That sometimes, the typical kids feel left out when everyone is gushing over the special one. They seemed to know instinctively that all eight year olds want to be noticed too and they did that. They did more than notice Alyssa, they pulled her in and made her special too.

I will be forever grateful to these two young women who danced with Olivia, found other students to do cartwheels with Alyssa, who brought us water and found us pancakes when O was so hungry she was reverting to sucking her thumb.

All of the students who do the dance marathons are wonderful. I watch the others play with the other Riley kids and I’m warmed by the generosity of the human heart.

The ever lovely Julie likes to say that you can always tell the families who are new to dance marathons because they’re the ones who still watch their own kids. The families who have been there a few times know that the college students are there to entertain the kids.

And it’s true. Well, unless you’ve got kids like mine, who want to be able to see Mom at all times. But most kids are happy to let their parents go off somewhere because these other, younger people are there to take care of them.

Ally and Hayli do for us what Riley hospital itself does. They care for the entire family, not just the patient.

Alyssa asked me last night if Ally was going to be ‘our girl’ again next year when we go back to Bloomington. I told her that Ally is graduating this year and heading off to New York.

Alyssa was a little sad but perked up when I reminded her that with Ally starting her new job and new life, it opened the door for someone new to get to know her (Alyssa) and Olivia and how great is it that we get to make another new friend?

She did ask if Hayli would be ‘our girl’ at Purdue and I said maybe so. Hayli is a freshman this year, which gives us a chance to see her for another three years. If she wants.

I’m hoping all this exposure to the love, the generosity of others inspires my girls to give back as much as they’ve been given. Of course, like Julie, I also want them to actually attend class when they’re in college. Dance marathons take a lot out of the students. I just hope they give back to them too.

(Yes, look at me, assuming O will someday be in college. It is not outside the realm of possible. I’m just saying.)