BEREA —
Sitting barefoot on her living room floor, fifteen-year-old Taylor Lake is surrounded by assorted arts and crafts and Christmas decorations.
Carefully, almost methodically, she sorts the pieces into piles and fills gallon plastic bags with handfuls of the goodies.
Several times a year, she goes through the process of creating these gift bags to give to children in hospitals.
It is her chance to play Santa Claus and to attempt to bring a smile to the faces of children who might not have any reason to smile.
Taylor, a sophomore at Madison Southern High School, knows what it is like to be stuck in a hospital bed.
She spent the first six years of her life in and out of doctor’s offices, before someone finally was able to diagnose what ailed her.
It was determined that she suffered from ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
“I had ulcers in my bowels and in my colon,” she said. “When they flared up, there was blood and I was sick and tired and couldn’t eat anything.”
The condition caused her to spend a great deal of time in hospitals.
That experience led her to want to help others.
“It’s kind of scary in the hospital, all the needles freaked me out,” she said. “It’s also kind of boring in the hospital. I wanted something to keep me occupied.”
While she was in the hospital, her mother Elizabeth brought her arts and crafts to give her something to do to pass the time.
Inspired by a boy who brought gifts to children, Taylor made the decision that she wanted to follow in his footsteps and do the same, especially during the Christmas season.
On Wednesday, Taylor and her parents took gift bags to the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington.
Hauling the gifts in a wagon that bears a sign reading Taylor’s Fun Factory, Taylor handed out an assortment of gifts.
Included in her gifts were 32-inch Christmas trees, Play-Doh, scissors, crayons, stickers, colored pencils, drinking straws, playing cards, pencil sharpeners, glue, Christmas hats, notebooks, stuffed teddy bears and decorations made to look like items such as snowflakes and little versions of Santa.
Taylor said she enjoys surprising the children with gifts and the tools to decorate their rooms for Christmas.
“I just love doing it,” she said. “I love seeing the kids happy. It makes me happy. Kids shouldn’t have to stay in the hospital, especially at Christmas.”
Taylor, who is in remission and has been off medicine since March, began delivering gifts when she was 9.
She attained most of the items through donations from community members and businesses and money from her father’s plumbing business.
“We’re just so proud of her that she thinks about other kids,” her mother said. “When we come through the hall with the wagon, the kids will come running out of their rooms and peek into the hallway to see what’s going on.”
Although delivering gifts is something Taylor does to make the hospital stay easier for children, little did she know that her simple acts would lead to being featured in magazines, meeting celebrities and getting to visit to the White House.
As part of the Children’s Miracle Network’s Champions Across America, Taylor was part of a group in 2006 that was invited to meet President George W. Bush.
Offering to help handicapped children resulted in Taylor getting to the front of the line several times, something that was not lost on the president.
“He said, haven’t you already been here three times?” Taylor said.
Country musician Tracy Byrd accompanied the group to Washington, D.C., and spent time with the children.
During another trip, this one to Disney World, Taylor had a surprise one-on-one meeting with musician Leann Rimes.
In her effort to help promote awareness about her disease, Taylor has leant her image to the Children’s Miracle Network to use whenever they want.
That has led to her being featured in several magazines.
Every once in a while, she said she is surprised to open a magazine and find herself on one of the pages.
Just before leaving for the hospital on Wednesday, the Lakes received another piece of good news.
People’s Bank called to offer a donation, which meant the Lakes were able to stop at the store on the way to Lexington to buy even more supplies to provide even more children with gifts.
All the trees were donated by the Lexington-Hamburg Walmart, the Berea Walmart donated $50 and State Farm provided the stuffed animals.
During a recent donation, a little girl in the hospital was so happy to receive a gift she even donated $5 to the fund, Taylor said.
Anyone interested in donating to the next delivery by Taylor’s Fun Factory can call Taylor’s father Pat Lake at 1-859-302-2479.
Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@
richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Taylor Lake, 15, right, and her mother Elizabeth put together craft kits in their Berea living room to give to children at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington as part of Taylor’s Fun Factory. Nancy Taggart
Special delivery
- Local News
-
-
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day
Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
-
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed. -
Pets of the Week from the Madison County Animal Shelter
The Madison County Animal Shelter is located at 1386 Richmond Road in Berea. Shelter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Animals available for adoption can be seen from noon to close Monday through Saturday. The adoption fee for cats and kittens is $10. Puppies and grown dogs may be adopted for $25. Adoptions include a free veterinary exam, a first series of vaccinations, a discount on spaying and neutering, free licensing and de-worming. Call the shelter at 986-9625.
-
A big sister’s reflection on life, love and changes
Yesterday was my Little Sister’s graduation. This one, though, was especially important to me.
-
Veterans will conduct Memorial Day programs
Although Memorial Day weekend may be a time of picnics and barbecue for many, some will be observing the day’s original meaning.
-
EKU Arts Center attendance tops 50,000 mark
The Center for the Arts at Eastern Kentucky University has played host during its inaugural season to more than 50,500 guests from more than 30 states and abroad, according to data released by EKU.
- More Local News Headlines
-
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
