Baby Brother's Time in NICU Inspires Dalia to Donate
Published Saturday, September 7, 2019
Dalia Papa (middle,front) got to see a lot of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit when her baby brother Dawson was born 8 weeks premature. “She came every single time we visited, except once!” recalled her mother Cherie.
So when she asked to set up a lemonade stand this summer, she decided she wanted the money to go back to the Hospital – specifically the NICU. “I was a bit shocked,” said Cherie. “I assumed when she initially wanted to set up the stand that she’d want to save the money to spend on herself, but she very specifically told us she wanted to donate it.”
Dalia’s lemonade stand was set up outside her family’s home on Clarkson St. “It’s already a relatively busy street,” remarked Cherie, “but this summer it was especially busy, as there was even more traffic since Junot St. was closed and much of that traffic was re-rerouted onto Clarkson. It was actually perfect for us since her stand got tons of visibility.”
Dalia set up between noon and 3 pm and raised $200 in one short afternoon. She had both lemonade and butter tarts available, with the tarts being a free treat to those who purchased lemonade. “When people heard about where she wanted to give the money, they were very generous and gave a little extra,” said Cherie.
Now that summer’s over, and having wrapped up her lemonade stand, Dalia’s returning to St. Pius to take on Grade 2. Her hard work, determination and generosity won’t soon be forgotten though, as newborns in the NICU will greatly benefit from her donation. One day, they too might be ready to open a lemonade stand of their own!