Jenna Brown
“From all of those feelings and tears a beautiful thing was made- an organization called Love Smiles that brings authors and pediatric cancer families together. ”
đź’śJENNA BROWN
🧡LOCATION: BEDFORD PARK, ILLINOIS
đź’›PHOTO BY: JEREMY BROWN
🖤BLACK ”TEARS” ITEM: BLACK SHIRTS AND DR. MARTEN BOOTS
đź’™SKIRT BY @INDIE_TRUE_
đź’šFOLLOW @TEARSANDTULLE
🎤IN JENNA’S WORDS...
I knew from the minute Gina and I spoke about wearing the skirt that I couldn’t do it alone. Sydney and I needed to do this just as we’ve done everything this past year and a half, together.
The last 18 months have been emotional, messy, beautiful, interesting, hard, and a thousand other things I can’t put into words. When I put the skirt on, I felt the weight and saw the beauty of all of those feelings again.
In February of 2020 I gave birth to a daughter. The doctors had said I’d never have the baby I hoped I was getting. My whole world had changed, but I had no idea the extent. Just four months later I sat holding this beautiful little girl, listening to the doctor as he used the words “malignant, tumor and cancer” to talk about this baby. My baby. I told him he was wrong, my baby couldn’t have cancer, she was only four months old. The pediatric oncologist came and we talked a lot about tests and treatments and hope. We were lucky. Her cancer was well researched, they knew how to treat it. The next few weeks and months were a blur. We did all the tests and in between tried to have a normal life with our baby. I felt angry that this happened. I felt sad that moments felt robbed. Guilty because my baby would be okay, who was I to be angry or sad?
From all of those feelings and tears a beautiful thing was made- an organization called Love Smiles that brings authors and pediatric cancer families together. Love, my nickname for Sydney, and her smiles that got us through. I wanted to give other parents the peaceful moments we had found. Fall into a story with your child, snuggle together, listen and forget everything else. Forget the tests, endless appointments and procedures. Have a normal moment with your child listening to a story.
As we sat together in our beautiful skirts I thought about the past year and the journey it has taken us on. I thought about the tears we’ve cried over our worries. I thought about the laughs we’ve had with the pediatric oncology staff. I thought about all the milestones she’s reached. I thought about the endless smiles she’s given to everyone she’s met at the hospital.
I thought about how beautiful the words “Sydney is in remission” sounded.
(In remission as of 6/1/2021)
About Jenna…
Jenna is a mother to two (one has four legs and a tail the other has two legs and is a human), avid book lover, not for profit founder, teacher and music fan.
Through teaching she has been able to spread the joy of reading and through her not for profit she hopes to share the comfort of a good story. Having faced some difficult and surprising experiences this past year she knows the difference the time with a good book can make.