Once upon a time there was a sweet girl named Sofia who was born with a little tiny little hole in her heart. She was a special little girl from the very start....winning the hearts of those around her with her sweet smile and sassy personality!
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Sofia spread cheer to everyone she met... complimenting the clerks at the store, smiling and waving at strangers while waiting patiently in line, and sharing joy to those around her. One day sweet Sofia starting having really high fevers. Her doctors couldn't figure out why and referred her to the pediatric blood & cancer clinic....which was no fun! Fortunately, many tests and scans later doctors ruled out the really scary stuff and diagnosed her with benign neutropenia of childhood (the doctor' said kids sometimes have high fevers for no good reason....but they often will eventually grow out of it!).
Prayers, kisses, love and time eventually healed the little girl and her fevers went away for good! When she turned four her doctors said her heart hadn't fixed itself & like Sofia, the hole was growing bigger. It was time to have heart surgery to put a little umbrella-like device inside her heart to seal up the hole that kept growing bigger. Sofia was brave and charmed all the nurses...the pain medicine made her act so silly! Sofia & her parents got to go home the very next day, but sadly, the doctor team called and said they needed to hurry back to the hospital. Oops! The little umbrella was not quite in the right spot. The sweet little girl had to be readmitted to the hospital and undergo many more tests (not fun!) because her doctors weren't quite sure what to do next.
Ultimately the sweet girl made medical history (literally) & after many more appointments and much prayer, she is now growing and thriving. As crummy as all the additional follow-up tests & appointments have been, it has pushed them to really focus on the things in life that truly matter. They know there are many valuable lessons to be learned from even the most unfortunate experiences.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sofia began to embrace crafting & baking. At the age of 5 she announced that she wanted to "open a bakery" to "make cakes and stuff for kids in the hospital to cheer them up!". When asked how she planned to make money to buy supplies for her business she said she would "sell lemonade & treats to all the grown-ups who have money because kids don't have money to buy treats & it would cheer up all the sick kids to get cakes & presents from us!"
Sofia & "Mama" (Grandma Barb) operated their licensed home bakery together until Mama's sudden & undexpected anoxic brian injury following complications post-hysterectomy. Following Mama's death, Sofia & her mom, Megan began to seek purpose in their pain, channeling their grief into ways to uplift others. Random acts of kindness, pay it forward moments, and intentional, meaningful moments of love, support & inclusion have been the center of their efforts. Sweet Sofia began making homemade lavender bath soaks, sewing handmade scrunchies, purses & rice-filled comfort hot packs for those in our community. For every item purchased, another is gifted to a local individual who is making a difference daily in the lives of others & giving back to their communities. Educators, healthcare professionals, city & county employees & officials including law enforcement, fire department, community volunteers, local nonprofit & small independent business owners, parents, students and their support networks have all been recipients of her uplifting messages and gifts. You can join their effort and leanr more about their 501c3 nonprofit Mama's Sanctuary by Sweet Sofia by visiting their website www.mamas-sanctuary.org or donate directly through their fundraising site: https://givebutter.com/mamas-sanctuary
With the help of her grandparents, parents and her own entrepreneurial spirit, the sweet girl's dream became a reality in October 2021. Sweet Sofia's became an official licensed and certified home bakery and has allowed the real-life Sweet Sofia to flourish while learning many valuable skills that will serve her well for whatever her extremely bright future holds.
UPDATE: Since opening it's doors in October 2021 Sofia has expanded her gift giving to include providing surprise gifts to local first responders, EMTs, firefighters, police, healthcare workers, mental health workers, teachers, utility workers, restaurant workers and clerks at some of her favorite retail stores & small local businesses. She now makes relaxing bath soaks in addition to her yummy baked goods (in separate areas of course!) and was able to gift over 200 local heroes & role models with surprise treats in her first six months of operation.
To nominate a local role model or hero to be the recipient of a Sweet Sofia's "Caught you being Sweet" bag please send us a quick email telling us how the person you are nominating has been a blessing to others. ordersweetsofias@gmail.com
If you would like to sponsor a gift to a local hero, donations can be sent via Venmo @mamas-sanctuary (the QR code on the left remains the same but the name has been updated to reflect the nonprofit and tax status with venmo)
Personal checks can mailed to:
Mama's Sanctuary by Sweet Sofia
1035 Blairs Ferry Road
Marion, IA 52302
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