Some Extra Medicine For A Little Girl

Vivian looking out the window, wearing her own construction hat.

Sometimes in life a happenstance meets a special need. That happened when a campus reconstruction project was underway across the street from ST. LOUIS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. Construction workers, Travis Barnes and Greg Combs, were working on the building, as they have done together many times in the past.

Travis noticed something interesting as the project proceeded, "We got up about three floors and we could see the kids waving in the windows." That was something unique about this project, its proximity to a hospital that treats sick children.



There was one particular little patient who made a special connection with these two construction workers. Vivian Keith, 2 1/2 years old, came into St. Louis Children's for chemotherapy treatment after a diagnosis of  acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

According to mom, Ginger, Vivian was in isolation to protect her from contracting contagious illnesses for an extended period, when all she would see is people entering her room gowned and masked with protective equipment. The child wasn't allowed to leave her room, either, so her world was confined to what was surrounded by the room's walls and what she could see from the windows.

Ginger explains how therapeutic it was for Vivian just to look out the window, "We've always watched the construction, from day one since we've been there. Vivian likes to hang out in the window and play with her figurines. She likes to wave and we watch the crane. And sometimes they wave back."

Then there was a really difficult day when Vivian wasn't feeling very well. That happened to be the same day that both Travis and Greg were trying to get their attention and pointing at something, instead of waving.

Ginger continues, "They were waving like crazy at us and pointing at the beam and it had 'get well soon' on it. It was so sweet. It's hard for [Vivian] to grasp the extent of it, but we know. And I know that she's not the only one they were waving at - a lot of kids play in the window. It just means so much. That they're taking the time, that they're doing this for the kids." That sentiment brings tears to mom Ginger's eyes.

But Travis and Greg had meant it for the little girl they noticed in the window. They had conspired with their co-workers to write the message on the beam and then rode it to its place in position on the new building.

The construction workers (left) with Vivian and family.

Once Vivian was out of isolation, the family got to meet the two therapeutic construction workers. They exchanged gifts and hugs that day, and also shared an appreciation of the friendship that had formed through a window into a little girl's hospital room.

The "get well soon" message on one of the beams.

Thanks to this article from Kindness Blog: http://kindnessblog.com/2015/09/11/these-construction-workers-gave-a-sick-little-girl-the-gift-of-friendship/; this article from Today News: http://www.today.com/news/construction-workers-send-get-well-note-girl-cancer-missouri-hospital-t41876; and this article from KDSK.com: http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/making-a-difference/2015/08/31/construction-worker-special-message-girl--window/71438236/.

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