100 Sparkle Bags, One Very Special Friend, and a Little Bit of Halle in Chicago

Wednesday started early…really early. I caught a morning flight out of Hartford and landed in Chicago at 7:30 a.m. And waiting for me at the airport was one of Halle’s dearest friends, Caitlin.

She knows me well. There was a Starbucks pumpkin cold brew in her hand, a huge hug, and that familiar feeling of being with someone who knew Halle, not just knew of her, but actually knew her.

Caitlin had invited me to Chicago to spend the day with her team at Pfizer’s Lake Forest office in Chicago. What started as an opportunity for the Halle Grace Foundation to participate in a community outreach project became so much more than that…it became a day about Halle.

Caitlin, Laura, and so many others at Pfizer coordinated an incredible toy drive to fill our Sparkle Bags. And the generosity of the Pfizer employees was overwhelming. They donated so much that we were able to fill 100 Sparkle Bags for children receiving care at Lurie Children’s Hospital. One Hundred!

Each bag was filled with a Squishmallow, coloring book and crayons, a card game, Play-Doh, and a couple of other fun surprises. Then a group of Pfizer employees gathered together to help us put every single bag together. Caitlin and I each filled a Sparkle Bag or two, but we wanted the amazing Pfizer volunteers to have the majority of the packing fun. They jumped right in, filling bags, designing personalized cards, packing boxes, and bringing so much energy and generosity to the room.

There is something pretty special about watching a room full of people who never knew Halle take the time to put together something that carries her name and her spirit. By the time the volunteers finished, we had 90 bags filled and the boxes packed and ready to go. Everyone had headed out, and we thought we were almost done.

Then two more Amazon boxes were delivered. Inside were 10 more Squishmallows and enough toys for Caitlin and me to pack the final few bags and bring us to 100! So, with the room quiet and the volunteers gone, Caitlin and I packed those last 10 Sparkle Bags together. Just the two of us.

Well, the two of us and Halle.

It was such a special moment. After all the activity and excitement of the day, there was something peaceful about standing there beside Caitlin, filling those final bags with toys and love. I felt Halle with us. I could almost imagine her smiling at the Squishmallows, the sparkles, and the fact that we were finishing something so meaningful in her name.

But the part of this whole experience that caught me completely off guard had happened a bit earlier during the Pfizer Town Hall, where Caitlin and I had the opportunity to talk to the Pfizer team about the Halle Grace Foundation.

I was able to share our mission and why we do what we do. But Caitlin also shared something I couldn’t have shared in the same way. She told them about her friend Halle. Caitlin proudly shared why Halle was so special to her and why she continues to keep Halle’s legacy alive through the work of our foundation.

And her words hit me harder than I expected. I got choked up. I needed to take a minute to gather myself before I could continue speaking.

Because hearing someone who loved my daughter talk about her is different. I know every detail of Halle’s life. I know her laugh, her sense of humor, her stubbornness, her love of sparkles, her determination, her big personality, and all of the little things that made her Halle. But sometimes I forget that other people carry their own memories of her, too. Caitlin does.

And hearing her talk about Halle reminded me that her life touched people in ways that continue long after she is gone.

After the talking was over and the Sparkle Bags were stuffed, Caitlin had one more surprise.

She brought out some of Halle’s favorite treats: Oreo cupcakes, Jelly Bellies, and root beer. Because of course she did.

And suddenly, in the middle of a Pfizer office outside Chicago, there were 100 Sparkle Bags, a table full of Halle’s favorite treats, and two people talking about a girl who should be here. It felt like a little bit of Halle was in that room.

After a long day at Pfizer, Caitlin and I loaded all 100 bags into the car and headed into downtown Chicago. Our final stop was Lurie Children’s Hospital, where we delivered the bags to be shared with children receiving care in the oncology and hematology infusion clinic. That moment brought everything full circle. The bags weren’t just bags anymore. They were going to become a stuffed animal to hug during a long treatment. A coloring book to fill while waiting. A card game to play with a sibling or parent. A little container of Play-Doh to create something when the day feels anything but normal.

A little bit of distraction.

A little bit of fun.

A little bit of joy.

And maybe, for a child sitting in a hospital receiving treatment, that little bit matters more than we realize.

This trip was a whirlwind. Less than 24 hours in Chicago. An early morning flight, a full day at Pfizer, 100 Sparkle Bags, a few tears, a lot of laughter, some very special Halle treats, and a late-night drive into the city. But it was also a gift. A gift to say Halle’s name. A gift to hear someone who loved her tell others why she mattered. A gift to watch people who never knew her choose to be part of her legacy. A gift to finish those last 10 bags with Caitlin and feel Halle right there with us. And a gift to send 100 little bags of joy into the hands of children who need some extra joy right now.

That is what I hope the Halle Grace Foundation continues to do. Not simply remember Halle. But keep her spirit moving forward. Keep saying her name. Keep telling people who she was. Keep sharing the joy, kindness, and love that she brought into our lives. And keep finding ways to make a difficult day just a tiny bit brighter for another child and their family.

Thank you to Caitlin, Laura, and the entire Pfizer Lake Forest team for opening your doors, sharing your generosity, listening to Halle’s story, and helping us fill 100 Sparkle Bags.

And Caitlin, thank you for loving my girl then, and for continuing to love her now. I am so proud of you. I know Halle would be, too.

Here’s to 100 bags of sparkle, 100 little moments of joy, and a whole lot of Halle making her way through Chicago. ✨