We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pamela Babek. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pamela below.

Pamela, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

WishersandDreamers.org have been blessed to have the privilege of sending/donating over 20,000 hospital doll gowns to children all across the World for their special little friends and to Children’s Hospitals across the United States to be used as a teaching tool.

On July 29, 2013 Wishers and Dreamers sent their very first hospital doll gown to a little girl named Mattie located in Georgia. Previous to sending the gown Pamela (Dreamer) had sponsored a baby doll for Mattie. The baby doll was custom made for Mattie to help her cope with her cancer journey. Mattie named her baby doll Angel. (Pictured in this post are Mattie and Angel) Pamela posted the photo of the first hospital doll gown on FB. Due to Pamela’s involvement with children battling cancer, many parents started asking if we could make a gown for their child’s buddy. Mattie and her doll, Angel, were our inspiration to create Wishers and Dreamers. We are thankful this little girl entered our lives and she will always have a special place in our hearts. Mattie earned her angel wings in November of 2013, after her brave fight against DIPG, an inoperable brain tumor.

Now 9 years and over 20,000 gowns later, Wishers and Dreamers have received awards and community support that recognizes all the hard work our volunteers have done. We want to thank everyone that has supported, donated, volunteered, and sewed for Wishers and Dreamers. We are a volunteer and community based foundation. Without all our volunteers and supporters we would not be able to continue the mission of sending hospital doll gowns to children for their special little companions. Most of all, we want to thank the children for fighting a strong and courageous battle.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Wishers and Dreamers Inc (501c3 nonprofit) send to children suffering from illness, disease, disabling condition, or fighting medical challenges a hospital gown for their doll, bear, or little buddy to be used as a comfort item, encouragement, and a teaching tool for FREE. We also send our hospital doll gowns to Children’s Hospitals across the United States as a teaching tool and comfort item for their patients.

Imagine yourself as a parent taking your child to the hospital for a procedure. Imagine having to hand your scared child over to the hands of medical staff or even a surgeon. You packed your child’s best little buddy to be by their side. Now the staff and you, as a parent, are trying to calm and comfort your child. You’re as nervous as your child or even more so. This is when your child is gifted a Wishers and Dreamers Hospital Doll gown. The staff shows your child the gown and helps put it on their little buddy. Maybe, even using the gown and their buddy to explain to your child about the upcoming procedure.
This is where the Love and the Hope, and the Magic begins.
The gown and their buddy are now the child’s focus. We have been told by thousands of parents about this experience and how the gown calms the child. You know their doll or bear will be there for your child when they wheel them into the OR and when they first awake. We receive emails weekly from parents sitting in the waiting room. We feel not only do the gowns help the child but also the parents. These gowns tend to stay on a child’s buddy for a long time. Adult children now tell us they still have their gown on their doll or stuffed animal.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2020 we depleted our fabric stock due to the pandemic and focusing on protecting our community by making over 28,000 cloth facial masks. The masks were donated to law enforcement, first responders, frontline workers, local children’s hospitals, and many others. Today we are in need of funds to replenish our fabric supply.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

During the pandemic and the shutdown of many businesses we were blessed with an outpouring of help and support from volunteers. Our mission had to shift from making our hospital doll gowns to mask making at the request of children’s hospitals and our community. Our volunteers made over 28,000 masks to protect our community. Our volunteers started to make child size masks to match the gowns we donate to children and hospitals. The matching sets ended up being a hit for our local hospitals. We were told by many hospitals and parents that having the matching set helped. The children didn’t resist putting on their masks since they matched their little buddy’s gown.

Contact Info:

• Website: WishersandDreamers.org
• Instagram: WishersandDreamersinc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.WishersandDreamers.org

Image Credits
Wishers and Dreamers Inc