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Maggie’s

Baggies

Written and Illustrated by: Madison Frye

Maggie’s Baggies

Written and Illustrated by: Madison Frye

Children’s Press

A Division of Canyon Ridge PublishingAustin, Texas

Dedicated to:

Brianna, who founded Pennies of Love, to provide hospitalized children, similar to her younger brother, Dillon, with arts and crafts.

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I sit, and sit, and sit,

in the hospital waiting room.

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I watch as…

Nurses pass by,

New people enter, And others leave.

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I hear…

the quiet murmur of doctors behind the walls and

the rhythmic open and shut of the big wooden doors.

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Sitting in a stiff, uncomfortable wooden chair in the hospital waiting room, each day, for weeks on end

gets really old…

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But I am willing to do it for my little brother, Jim.

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Every couple of weeks, Jim ends up in the hospital.

He’ll be out for a few weeks and then back in again.

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The doctors say he has something wrong with his white blood cells…

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so it is easy for him to catch any germs that come his way.

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One ordinary day, while sitting in the hospital waiting room,

I began to wish I had some markers and paper

to draw with.

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But then, a thought entered my mind…

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What about the sick children who have to lie in bed all day with no one to talk to and nothing to do?

Don’t they get bored too?

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I began to sympathize with them and started thinking of things I could do to help improve their stay at the hospital.

I thought long and hard…

Throughout the days in the hospital waiting room…

And before going to bed each night.

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As I brainstormed, my thoughts drifted to my birthday, which was only two weeks away.

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Even though birthdays are supposed to be happy and fun,

I knew mine would be just the opposite…

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m e la n

and

lo

ne

ly

co

hl y

,

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as Jim was too sick to come home and celebrate with me.

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Without him, my birthday would be nothing.

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I thought for a minute.

“What would you like for your birthday this year, Maggie?” my mother asked as we drove to visit Jim.

?

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“A new bike, rollerblades, a board game?” Mom prompted me.

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“I don’t want anything for myself,” I said confidently. “I want money to provide kids in the hospital with art supplies, puzzles books, and card games. If I am bored sitting in the waiting room, imagine how bored they are lying in bed all day, all alone. I want to make them feel more at home.”

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“What a great idea!” Mom exclaimed. “How kind you are to think of others.”

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On my birthday, I ripped the beautiful pink paper off of a small box.

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I carefully lifted off the lid and…

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low and behold, the box held a stack of money that would help me achieve my dream! My wish had come true!

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The next morning, I found myself awake extra early as I was super excited about going to the store to start making fun bags.

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After my mom and I arrived at the toy store, I dashed happily from aisle to aisle, looking for the perfect items to fill the bags.

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My birthday money was enough to fill five bags, which I delivered to five lucky children at the hospital the next morning.

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Each time I handed a child their “fun bag”, both of us were warmed inside. This is indeed a birthday I will never forget!

Seeing that smile of thanks and acknowledgement encouraged me to make more bags.

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However, first, I’d need money…

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I ran bake sales,

Maggie’s Bake Sale

Proceeds benefit hospitalized children

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Had lemonade stands,

Maggie’s Lemonade

Proceeds benefit hospitalized children

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And raised awareness throughout the community.

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I made more and more bags. What started out as a small dream had become a HUGE

SUCCESS!

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“Why don’t you start an organization?” Dad suggested one morning at breakfast.

“What a great idea!” I exclaimed.

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This morning, I found myself awake extra early, as I was super excited to get my new organization approved.

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Now, my dad and I are off to the Secretary of State’s office where I will complete the forms required to operate my new business.

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Hopefully, my dream will become reality so I can continue to reach out to children in hospitals across the country, just like my brother, through my new organization, Maggie’s Baggies.

Maggie’s

Baggies

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