A mother who lost her daughter, McKenna Schummer, to cancer at the age of 11 is carrying on her little girl’s legacy in a unique way.
Melissa Schummer has spent years donating beauty products to children’s hospitals, all in hopes of making young patients feel beautiful and strong, but Wednesday’s (March 6) delivery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit had a deeper meaning.
“I can see her smile in here, I can feel her presence here,” said Melissa Schummer.
March 6 is what McKenna’s family likes to call her “Angelversary.”
Returning to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit six years to the day McKenna became their angel is a full circle moment.
The family remembers how cancer treatments wouldn’t stop her love of doing makeup.
“She talked about how it gave her the courage and the strength, and of course, she loved to feel beautiful with her makeup on,” said Schummer.
Schummer describes how her daughter would do the makeup of medical staff who would treat her.
A donation from a family friend helped them create a beauty bar inside the Detroit hospital. McKenna designed the room and logo, but it didn’t open until three months after her death in 2018.
Now, they travel across the country to ensure that young patients experience that same confidence.
They donate beauty boxes filled with makeup, activities, and more to children in hospitals across the country. So far, they are in 25 hospitals. They even apply makeup for some of the young patients.
“I definitely learned from the best in my past experiences, so hopefully I can live up to her expectations,” said Hannah Schummer, McKenna’s younger sister.
Hospital staff see the difference it makes from the joy it brings to the safe place it creates.
“To just have a place where you can go and you don’t have to necessarily worry about the medical side of things and just kind of have that relaxation time, I think is worth everything to those families,” said Maureen Stys, manager of child life and volunteer services at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
If you want to support the family’s mission, they’re having a 5K in Davidson on Saturday, March 9, to honor McKenna Schummer’s life and legacy.
The run is a fundraiser for their nonprofit. For more information, click here.