Athena received Strand Barbies from Cook Children’s Hospital
Athena Strand, the 7-year-old girl killed in Wise County in late November, was once a patient at Cook Children’s.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Thousands of toys and a single message arrived at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth Thursday morning: all in memory of a little girl.
Athena Strand, the 7-year-old girl killed in Wise County in late November, was once a patient at Cook Children’s. Her mother, Maitlyn Gandy, agreed to retell the story. She wanted, especially on Thursday.
“I think everyone is extremely nice and kind,” she said while visiting the hospital.
“And I just think that’s a really good thing,” Gandy said of the toys arriving at the hospital on behalf of her daughter.
Athena was a patient at Cook Children’s for three days last September. And while she was there, nurses gave her a pink cotton candy teddy bear. Athena’s mother said it quickly became the pink-obsessed little girl’s favourite.
“It’s been her favorite for the past few months,” Gandy said. “And she slept with it on every night.”
It was a bear that Athena loved so much that they buried it with her.
“Sometimes it just takes a small gesture of kindness to make someone feel a whole lot better,” Gandy said. “And I think that’s what the bear did for Athena.”
When Mattel, with distribution facilities in Fort Worth, learned that the FedEx driver who confessed to Athena’s murder was supposed to deliver her a Barbie on the day of her death, the company contacted Gandy to ask if it could donate the toy to her name. Athena’s mother immediately chose Cook Children’s.
“I just want to do as much good as I can for Athena. Because Athena was just… good,” she said.
The toys also carry a message. Representing multiple professions and multiple ethnicities, the Barbies are tagged with the phrase “You can be anything.”
“I raised my kids to believe that as long as you work hard, they can be anything they want,” Gandy said. “I hope all young children know that they can become whatever they want.”
Gifts in memory of the little angel who never got this chance.
Cook Children’s allowed patients in the hospital to visit the lobby and atrium on Thursday to pick up the toy of their choice.
If you would like to donate to Cook Children’s or volunteer, Click here.
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-cook-childrens-receives-mattel-barbies-in-honor-of-athena-strand/287-1f8c067c-94d0-438d-9e80-2d032ba43b56 Athena received Strand Barbies from Cook Children’s Hospital
