By Anna Skinner
From the young age of 21 days old, Olivia Mangin has been a Riley kid.
Due to being born without an opening between her stomach and small intestine, Olivia underwent surgery three weeks after being born.
Now 13, Olivia has been in and out of Riley many times.
“A friend of hers made her a blanket made from fleece,” Olivia’s mom, Kelly, said. “Olivia loved that blanket so much that she wanted to learn how to make one on her own.”
After she learned how to make the blankets and shared them with her brother and sister, Olivia learned that a friend of hers had cancer. So she made her a blanket.
The kind act blossomed, and Olivia wanted to make as many blankets as she could before she turned 13.
“Liv knew that it is sometimes scary to be at a hospital and undergo tests/surgeries. She wanted to give them something to make them feel warm,” Kelly said.
Olivia ended up making a total of 38 blankets out of fabric that included cool designs or animals. But she didn’t stop there. Planning on delivering them this month, she had to go one step further.
With Riley’s strict rule about washing everything with Tide Free and Clear to prevent allergic reactions in the children, Olivia couldn’t just bring the blankets in for the kids.
The solution? Olivia washed all blankets by herself, hand placed them in bags and included a label to let the kids know they were prayed for.
“I felt that God was calling me to make these blankets for the kids at Riley,” Olivia said. “I wanted to show them love and let them know that I know what it is like to be scared and unsure while in the hospital. I wanted them to feel comfort through the blankets.”
