Meghan's Hope

12/13/2025

It's day 7 of the 12 days of Meggie. Today, a story about blankies and grief. See the light yellow blanket under the pink one? She received that as a gift when she was born. Her twin has a blue one. It has her initial on it, "M". She loved it. She also loved the pink flower one, because, well, it was pink. 🙂

Here's a little tidbit about a parent's grief: My biggest regret is that I buried her with both of those blankies, because she loved them and I wanted her to be "warm" and have things she loved with her.

As soon as we left the funeral home and were on our way to the church for her funeral, I was instantly filled with regret. I suddenly wanted to keep those blankies, especially the yellow one, but it was too late. Why did I want it so badly? Because she loved it. Because I loved that she loved it. Because it smelled like her. Because I wanted to sleep with it because I could no longer cuddle her. Every time I see this picture, I see her joyful smile, and I wish I still had those blankies. 💔

12/12/2025

It's day 6 of the 12 days of Meggie! Today, we celebrate the dancing princess she was! She loved listening to and making music (quiet was not in her vocabulary!) but she really loved to dance! Wonder where she got that from? 💃

Many of these photos were taken at her auntie T's wedding. She LOVED dancing with everyone there! She probably told everyone she had on her "pretty shoes", too, she was so excited to wear them! 💗

I had planned to enroll her in dance classes after Christmas in 2004, when she was 3, but she never got the chance, because her dresser fell on her and killed her a week before Christmas.

12/11/2025

It's day 5 of the 12 days of Meggie. Today, a celebration of the love she and her big brother had for each other. He adored her and she adored her big brother!

He claimed "the girl baby" at the moment he learned we were having two babies, and it was love at first sight. I used to say he'd take good care of her in true big brother fashion, and all her potential boyfriends would have to get big brother's approval! (surely, she'd have wanted to date his friends, LOL).

My heart hurts for my boys, for not having the opportunity to grow up with their sister, and for their broken hearts. They were far too young to experience such loss, but it's helped to make them deeply compassionate young men, and they are blessed with an emotional I.Q. and empathy far beyond their years.

Sibling grief is often the forgotten grief, but they miss her terribly, and grieve, too. 💗

12/10/2025

Today is day 4 of the 12 days of Meggie. I give you a girl and her cats! She loved all animals, but especially kitties. She used to approach our persnickety orange tabby Duncan by saying, "Do nice Duncan". Every stuffed cat she owned, she named Duncan because she loved him so. She was rarely seen without a stuffed cat in her hand or nearby.

When she died, we asked that in lieu of flowers, people donate to the because she loved kitties so much and would love to help them. They received so many donations they dubbed her the kitty Angel and were able to renovate their kitty adoption room. The watercolor pictured below still hangs there today.

She had received the beige kitty sweatshirt pictured here for her 3rd birthday and loved it so much she wears it to this day, as she was buried wearing it. Her favorite "Duncan" is also still with her. The boys each took one of the other stuffed Duncans to care for, and I have the other favorite. Occasionally, I still sleep with it, especially this time of year.

If you have a kitty that has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, chances are Meggie is taking care of it right now, LOL!

12/09/2025

It's day 3 of the 12 days of Meggie. Today, a celebration of twinship and the love she and her twin brother shared. After she died, it became incredibly clear that twinship transcends death. 💖💖

One of the hardest things for me is forever seeing one where two should have always been, and the pain of her siblings for having lost their beloved baby sister and their "boss".

12/08/2025

It's day 2 of the 12 days of Meggie. This was her first Easter. I loved that dress, even though she didn't (it impeded her crawling speed!). What I love best about this photo is it captures her gleeful and fun loving spirit so well, even though she was only 6 months old at the time.

12/07/2025

Level up your grief I.Q.- with the 12 days of Meggie! Today is the first day of Meggie! I started sharing the 12 days of Meggie in 2015 as a way of honoring her for the 12 days leading up to her Angelversary, the day her dresser stole her from us.

Bereaved parents want nothing more than to have their child's life and the impact of their death remembered. If you knew her, share a favorite memory in the comments! Even if you never met her in person, my hope is that you will get to know her and her sassy, sweet, fun-loving personality over these next 12 days through photos and stories.

It seems fitting, that on day 1, we begin where she did. A newborn twin. (She was younger by 4 minutes!) Don't you just love how they are holding hands and snuggled together? 💗

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! Remember to wherever you are spending the holidays! I'm so grateful for all you have done to help us spread the word to prevent furniture tip-overs! 🩷

11/26/2025

Important information if you ever stay at a hotel or rental property:

Could staying at a hotel pose a risk of serious injury or death to your child? YES! Here is some important information about hotel and rental property safety hazards, particularly furniture tip-overs, and the story of a family recently involved in a hotel tip-over incident:

I was recently contacted by a mom whose two young children were the victims of a tip-over of a small, nightstand-style dresser in their hotel room at a very popular, well-known, and respected hotel chain.

When the mom asked management to please come up and anchor it to the wall, she was blamed for "not watching" her children (their dad was in the room, and watching them, but out of arm's reach). We know that tip-overs are not caused by a lack of parental supervision and cannot be predicted or anticipated no matter how heavy, light, tall, short, or well-made the furniture is.

It's now been almost 3 months since this incident, and the hotel chain has yet to respond to our requests to meet and discuss ways to simply, inexpensively, and adequately address this risk at their properties around the world. We want to help them be the first to offer their guests peace of mind with this simple, inexpensive, safety risk mitigation.

It's taken multiple calls, letters, and emails for the one property where the incident happened to compel them to anchor the dressers, and we don't know how many they actually anchored or with what, despite offering my expertise and assistance to them.

Furthermore, I have also been able to tip dressers at the same hotel brand's properties (different brand and different style of dresser) very easily. When I brought it to management's attention, I did not get the follow-up I was promised, either. This is unacceptable! The photos of these two dressers are below.

Here's the thing I want you Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels, Radisson, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and anyone who rents their home or property (Airbnb, Vrbo) to know:

1) Any furniture with drawers, doors, and/or shelves can tip over and seriously injure or kill a child or even an adult! 26% of tip-over fatalities are adults over the age of 60, so it's imperative that you protect all of your guests.

2) Tip-overs are caused by physics. Period. It doesn't matter how heavy or light, tall or short, wide or narrow the furniture is, what it's called, or where it was purchased. You cannot tell by looking at a piece of furniture if it can tip-over, nor can you predict it. Sometimes all it takes is opening one or more empty drawers, bumping into them, or putting pressure on an open drawer or door to catch your balance, or if a child is trying to reach something, for instance. If it's not properly anchored to the wall, IT CAN TIP-OVER!

3) The ONLY way to prevent furniture (or TVs) from tipping over and potentially seriously injuring a guest is to properly anchor that furniture to a stud in the wall. If you don't have studs, there are other methods that can be used. Message me here or reach out to Parents Against Tip-Overs s and www.Anchorit.gov to learn more!

4) I assure you, "watching the kids" does not prevent a tip-over from happening. You can be in the same room and be powerless to stop a tip-over. My Meghan died while our family was asleep.

5) Being proactive by anchoring your furniture to the wall and advertising it will increase trust in your brand and minimize your liability should the unthinkable happen.

6) Still don't think there's a risk? Every hour someone is rushed to the E.R. because of a tip-over injury. That's 24 people every day. It can just as easily happen at your hotel or rental property as it can in a private home.

Are you planning a hotel or rental property stay? Before you book a stay at a hotel or rental property, ask if their furniture is secured. If it's not, refuse to stay there until they do so. Consumer demand drives consumer safety.

Have you experienced a tip-over incident at a hotel or rental property? Message me with the details!

11/23/2025

Recall alert: Another recall of a cloth drawer dresser for violation of the STURDY Act and for posing a risk of injury or death due to tip-over or entrapment. Refund is offered.
These kinds of units may be relatively light, but they tend to be top-heavy and likely inherently unstable, misleading consumers into thinking they are safe due to the cloth drawers.
They may also be challenging to safely anchor to the wall due to the lack of a solid wood frame and the tops likely being MDF or another material unlikely to safely hold a screw. That said, there are still ways to anchor these units, stainless steel zip ties would work. or dispose of it.

Consumers should stop using the recalled dressers immediately if they are not anchored to the wall and place them in an area that children cannot access. Contact Romorgniz for instructions on how to dispose of the dressers to receive a full refund. Consumers must submit a photo to Romorgnizrecall@ou...

10/23/2025

Today would have been Meggie's 24th birthday. Happy Heavenly birthday my beautiful girl. 🩷

Please take a moment to share her story with your friends, family, and coworkers, and encourage them to anchor all of their furniture with drawers, doors, and shelves to the wall so no other family ever has to know our pain. visit www.anchorit.gov to learn more.

Also, do something silly in her memory! She'd love that!