"No matter what we brought into her room, nothing can match Mary鈥檚 shine," Cindy Thota, director Special Spaces Wisconsin, said of 8-year-old Mary Schroeder.
Mary鈥檚 mother, Jennifer, says Mary has a unique sense of fashion, a love of accessories and sparkles. Mary鈥檚 father, Mark, is a firefighter in Waukesha.
Thanks to the generosity of a nonprofit organization, Mary鈥檚 new bedroom matches her personality.
Special Spaces Wisconsin creates dream bedroom makeovers for dependent children ages 219 with cancer who are within one year of treatment. Their mission is to provide children with a safe place to recover, heal, sleep and play.
The Mukwonago Area School District student was diagnosed in November with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Mary is on a more than two-year treatment plan.
Mary and Jennifer created a Pinterest board to show the things Mary liked.
Thota said children with cancer are always in their rooms.
"It gives them something totally fun to think about when they are in a terrible place thinking about cancer," Thota said.
Thota picked furniture that Mary could grow into as she gets older, such as the wooden headboard. A seamstress used the extra material from the drapes to cover the headboard.
"It can be sparkly when she is 8 and when she doesn鈥檛 want it to be full of sequins and sparkles, she can just pull it off," Thota said.
A gumball machine, sequin board and cupcake pillow were also on Mary鈥檚 list. A team of volunteers and Special Spaces corporate sponsors helped put together the room. Thota put sprinkle wallpaper on her ceiling. The new light fixture plays music and changes colors.
The organization also gave Mary鈥檚 big brothers new bedding, mattresses and other items they were interested in.
The reveal
While Mary鈥檚 ideas were incorporated, the reveal was a big surprise. At first it was hard to plan when the organization would come in to do the makeover. Jennifer was unsure if Mary would be in-patient or at home due to complications in her treatment.
鈥淏ecause Special Spaces deals with cancer patients, they know there are ups and downs. We held on to this knowing Mary would still have her new bedroom,鈥 Jennifer said.
Before the makeover, Mary鈥檚 bedroom had a princess theme.
鈥淚t was Disney princesses, lots of stuffed animals and she had this little twin bed,鈥 Jennifer said.
During the mornings is the only time when Mary鈥檚 family could snuggle with her. The little girl has been uncomfortable and snuggling helps to comfort her.
鈥淪he always complained about how uncomfortable her bed was. Trying to fit an adult and a child in the same bed is difficult. A lot of pain for a princess,鈥 Jennifer said.
Special Spaces bought Mary a queen size bed with the thought of her having it as she grew.
The organization worked with the Ingleside Hotel to allow the family to stay overnight. While the family was there, work was done on the bedroom.
Jennifer posted a video of the reveal and Mary was posing for the camera and jumping up and down. Jennifer said Thota nailed it.
Jennifer added the bedroom gave her daughter new life.
鈥淪he had been running off fumes due to how tired she has been from the treatment. She was trying to run because she was so excited,鈥 Jennifer said.
It was very meaningful for Thota. 鈥淚t made me feel great. Mary held my hand and said she was starting her cancer treatments back up. She said she knows it will be hard, but said the new bedroom gives her something else to think about and excited about for the month of April,鈥 Thota said.
Both Thota and Jennifer described the bedroom as a warm hug.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a constant reminder of the people that care and support you while you are going through this. It is her. All the things she can鈥檛 control with her treatment and things she has to do. She still has this little sanctuary that is all hers with sparkles and beauty,鈥 Jennifer said.
Fight Like a Bear
Mary鈥檚 nickname as a baby was 鈥淢are Bear鈥 or just 鈥淏ear鈥 due to her fierce, strong and loving personality. It is only natural that many people have joined in to help her during her fight against cancer.
There will be a #FightlikeABear benefit from 11 a.m.鈥搈idnight on Saturday at Lake Beulah Country Club, N9430 E. Shore Road, Mukwonago.
The event will feature a bags tournament, 50/50 drawings, meat raffles, silent auctions, live music and a fashion show. The Mukwonago Fire Department will be showing off their trucks and there will also be a buffet lunch with proceeds going towards the benefit.
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