Defeating Cancer One Playset At A Time: How Hope Transforms Lives
“Our employees thought this was one of the best volunteer opportunities we have ever brought to the table.” Ark Restoration’s Marketing Director, Tammy Wilbur, shared after the company’s Roc Solid playset build for five-year-old cancer fighter, Mia in Atlanta, GA. Mia was diagnosed with leukemia in November of 2022 and has spent many hard months in and out of the hospital. Due to the nature of pediatric cancer treatment, Mia’s immune system was weakened, making it dangerous for her to play on public playgrounds. The Ark Restoration and Safelite teams joined Roc Solid on April 28, 2023 to build a playset for Mia through Roc Solid’s playset program to give her a safe, germ free place to play. While Mia was in the hospital for several days of treatment, a group of twenty volunteers from Ark Restoration were busy building her big surprise in the backyard one spring morning.
How Play Defeats Cancer
Roc Solid builds playsets for kids fighting cancer because play is one of the first things taken when a kiddo is diagnosed. Their immune systems are compromised due to treatment, making it dangerous for them to play on public playgrounds where they can encounter germs. Roc Solid partners with organizations like Ark Restoration to provide playsets for kiddos like Mia right in their own backyards so they have a safe place to forget about cancer and just play.
Building Mia’s Surprise
In just a few hours, the determined team had Mia’s playset built, signed and even tested out. “Our day was amazing,” Tammy shared. “While Mia was not there due to being hospitalized, her Papa, Mimi, Dad and cousins were there and being able to hear about Mia from them, being able to see her through their eyes was such a gift.”
“Ark Restoration has always had a strong value of community, so partnering with Roc Solid to become the community families like Mia’s needed was a clear ‘yes!’,” Tammy shared on behalf of her team, “Having an opportunity to help a family with a child diagnosed with childhood cancer and being able to provide a child a place where cancer doesn’t have to exist, if only for a little while, made supporting Roc Solid easy!”
What Hope Looks Like
Mia returned home from the hospital a few days later to a big surprise in her backyard. Her family shared pictures of Mia playing on her new playset with the Ark and Safelite teams. “Our reward was seeing pictures of Mia when she arrived home from the hospital to see her new playset, her smile melted our hearts!” the Ark team shared.
“I am certain we got far more out of this than the family.” Tammy told the Roc Solid team. “It was such a humbling experience, and I know we are all changed as a result of it.”
If you would like to become a Roc Solid corporate sponsor and join us to build hope for families fighting pediatric cancer, send us an email at info@rocsolidfoundation.org.
To learn more about Ark Restoration, click here: https://www.facebook.com/ArkRestoration/
To learn more about Safelite, click here: https://www.safelite.com
