No matter how old your girls are in your Girl Scout troop its amazing how each girl steps up and lives the Girl Scout Law. In Girl Scout Troop 1216, the girls stepped up and were friendly and helpful, considerate and caring and most of all they were a sister to every Girl Scout. This story was submitted by Kim Roots, she shared how her troop helped her daughter during a time when she needed them the most.
submitted by Kim Root
In December 2012, my daughter developed cataracts, the result of years of eye drops that were supposed to help a condition called uveitis. Uveitis, which causes inflammation of the inner part of the eye, is often found in children with juvenile arthritis. Maggie has lived with juvenile arthritis since shortly before her 3rd birthday and she has uveitis.
For years, Maggie’s disease was held at bay through medication, cortisone shots and eye drops. We always knew the cataracts were a possibility. But they were preferable to her losing her sight. Once she developed the cataracts, her eyes worsened quickly. By April, the cataracts were so bad she was declared legally blind. We had to get her an aide in school just to get around.
Caring for a Sister Girl Scout
Maggie spent almost three months blind. But she never let it get her down, and her friends all helped, Including her fellow Brownies. Maggie went camping even though she couldn’t see, and her fellow troop members led her around, always making sure she had an arm to hold onto. Maggie went on a Girl Scout troop visit to the circus, where a friend and I explained everything we saw. We went to see a play that starred one of my Brownies, and I sat and described the entire thing to her as we watched. Two of Maggie’s fellow Brownies were in her ballet class – they altered their own routine just so they could link arms with Maggie and help her on and off stage.
I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house the night Maggie got out on stage and danced her routine!
- Maggie (center) with her friends Caitlyn and Kennedy, who helped her ballet when she couldn’t see.
Helping and Learning about our Senses
It was a perfect time to start the Senses badge. The girls all took turns being the “blind” one and led each other around. We sat outside, eyes closed, and listened for sounds – birds chirping, passing cars, dogs barking. The girls practiced writing their names in Braille, and we passed along some of the items Maggie was using in class; paper with raised lines, a coloring book with all raised pictures, a copy of the Braille alphabet. We also did the exercise where I laid out a bunch of
items, then covered them and asked the girls to remember what they saw.
We didn’t finish the badge before the end of the school year, but the new year brought us a new member and the opportunity for more learning. One of our girls, Molly, her mother is deaf, and has been teaching the girls sign language. We are working on the Girl Scout Promise right now. We also went to the park where the girls again took turns being blind and leading each other around.
This time, Maggie, who had successful cataract surgery in June and now is back to being like any normal 8-year-old girl, took on the role of leading her friends around.
Kim Root has been the leader of Troop 1215 for three years. She started when her daughter was in 1st grade. It’s now a multi-level troop with 22 girls. She loves being a leader and loves doing the fun stuff with the girls, and most of all she loves the LOVE she get in return from the girls. Kim is a 40-year-old mom of two, a freelance writer, and a big supporter of the Arthritis Foundation.
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