The Magic of Pixie Dust

Nevaeh Garza couldn’t help but feel frustrated and tired. The 10-year-old girl, who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, had been scheduled for a routine platelet transfusion at Beacon Children’s Hospital. But instead of a quick visit, she had to stay days longer than expected because her white blood cell counts were low and she was running a fever. Her parents could hardly console their little girl as she sobbed, wanting to go home. “You will feel better and you’ll be home soon, baby,” her mom, Becky Garza, of Mishawaka, reassured her daughter.

While eating a piece of taffy later that night, Nevaeh lost a baby tooth. She tucked it under her pillow before falling asleep and woke the next morning to the biggest surprise. When she opened her eyes, Nevaeh saw pixie dust all over the floor. She could even make out footsteps – proof the Tooth Fairy had visited her. She reached under her pillow to find a $5 bill and two $1 bills covered with more pixie dust. Nevaeh’s mom felt grateful for the unexpected kindness of the Beacon Child Life team, who made sure the Tooth Fairy could find her daughter and make her smile. “They helped her forget where she was and why she was there, if even for a little while.”

“We are grateful that Beacon Children’s Hospital is close to home for the treatments my daughter receives. Nevaeh’s beautiful outlook on life has helped her cope with the ups and downs of this illness.”