Where Hope Hopped In
There are moments in life that divide your story into two parts: before and after.
For us, that moment came when Oaklyn was born.
The excitement of finally meeting our beautiful little girl was quickly met with uncertainty. We learned that Oaklyn had been born with a cleft palate, and quickly, the hospital (and the Ronald McDonald House) became our world.
The days seemed to blend together as we navigated feeding difficulties, met with specialists, and tried to process everything happening around us. Every feeding felt like a challenge. We celebrated the smallest victories, grieved the setbacks, and reminded each other to take things one moment at a time. The hardest part of being in the hospital was the element of the unknown. Every test prompted more tests, each test indicating the potential to more scenarios we would play over and over in our heads. What would our world look like?
If you've ever found yourself sitting beside a hospital bed, you know how strange time feels there. The outside world keeps moving while yours seems to stand still. You find comfort in familiar faces, routine visits from nurses, family visits and the little things that make an unfamiliar place feel just a bit more like home.
One of those little things became someone very special.
During one of our hospital days, we wandered into the gift shop. We weren't looking for anything in particular—we just needed a moment to breathe (which is easier said than done when it seems like you can’t catch your breath). That's when we found a small white bunny.
Something about him felt right.
We bought him for Oaklyn, hoping he would be a comforting friend through everything she was facing. At the time, we had no idea that this little bunny would become so much more than a stuffed animal.
That bunny became Bun Bun.
He was there through hospital stays, appointments, surgeries, scary moments, and celebrations. As Oaklyn grew, Bun Bun became a constant in her life—a familiar friend she could cuddle with when the world felt overwhelming. Looking back now, it's hard to imagine our journey without him.
In many ways, Bun Bun reminds us that hope doesn't always arrive in big, dramatic ways.
Sometimes, hope looks like a tiny stuffed bunny sitting beside a hospital bed.
Sometimes, hope is a nurse offering an encouraging smile after a difficult feeding.
Sometimes, it's your partner reminding you that you'll get through one more day.
And sometimes, hope is simply believing that brighter days are ahead, even when you can't quite see them yet.
Those early days weren't easy. They were filled with fear, exhaustion, and countless unknowns. But they also showed us how resilient people can be. They taught us to celebrate every ounce gained, every successful feeding, every answered question, and every milestone that once felt impossible.
Most importantly, they reminded us that even in life's hardest chapters, there is still room for joy.
For us, that joy came wrapped in soft white fur with floppy ears.
Welcome to the story of Bun Bun.
He may have started as a simple gift shop bunny, but he quickly became part of our family—and a symbol that hope has a way of finding us when we need it most.
And yes, his tail is really green!