Aubriana's Story
Meet Aubriana!
In late 2019, a large tumor was found on Aubriana’s brain and she was diagnosed with a childhood brain cancer called Medulloblastoma. She went into emergency surgery and spent Christmas & her birthday in the hospital, followed by 6 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week. Aubriana recently finished 1 year of chemotherapy.
She is overcoming many obstacles due to her paralysis from the tumor. She had to learn to sit, stand, walk, feed herself all over again. Aubriana has recently had additional surgeries in Miami (for eye surgery) and Cleveland (for facial reanimation) to help with recovery from the facial paralysis. All of this travel for surgery and recovery time means that Aubriana has to spend a lot of time in her room when she does get to come home, and away from her friends and activities she used to love.
Due to her left side weakness her balance is not perfect and she can’t walk long distances. She can’t keep up with the things kids her age do. She misses out on recess, sports and birthday parties that involve water slides, bounce house, roller skating etc. She needs assistance getting around and she will always need therapy to keep her as strong as she can be.
Since her diagnosis she has had 5 surgeries and more to go.
Aubriana’s sister, Abigail, is 18 months older than Aubriana. They are best friends and Abigail has taken such good care of her sister. They miss each other tremendously when Aubriana is in the hospital or has to go out of town for surgery. They miss dancing together.
Her old bedroom became a place of pain, isolation, sadness and fighting for her life. Her new space is lovely and whimsical, a peaceful space to help promote positivity and recovery!
Aubriana
We interviewed Adrianna, the lead designer for Aubriana’s room, on her experience!
What were the girl's wishes for their dream rooms? What could they absolutely not live without?
Aubriana loves unicorns so she definitely wanted to have those incorporated into her new room without being over done.
Aubriana’s room BEFORE
What was your vision for the room?
I wanted give her a space with as much room as possible to play with toys and enjoy. I also wanted it to be really functional and organized. With a love for art and playing with dolls, she definitely needed the storage. I loved using the loft bed I found because it really gave her everything she needed. The desk component was amazing because it gave her the space to create art and the drawers and shelves helped give her the storage she needed for toys and art supplies. Plus, there was the added bonus of a secret hiding space! I also wanted to incorporate her love of unicorns and some of her favorite pieces. She loved her unicorn lamp and wanted to keep that in her new room. Adding unicorn sheets and art were a perfect balance and also made the room feel like something she could continue to grow into.
Aubriana’s first look at her new room
Aubriana’s Wish List - A loft bed with lots of storage
How was your experience designing the room?
I loved designing Aubriannas room! Kids spaces are some of the most fun to design because they love bold colors and patterns. Kids imaginations really give you ideas to create a space that can be playful but also designed to be grown into.
Unicorns + Pink + Dreamy Play Space
What was the hardest part of designing?
The hardest thing about designing and especially right now is lead times and stock. I wanted to create the perfect space, but with the limited stock on items and choices, it can sometimes prolong the process.
Mural wallpaper and window treatment details
What was your favorite part of this room?
My Favorite part of Aubriana's room would have to be the wallpaper. the wallpaper i selected is whimsical and elegant. It works beautifully with the freshly painted walls and ceiling and really helps turn the room into something incredible.
Closet Art provided the perfect closet space!
How did it feel seeing the look on her face when she first saw her room?
It made me so happy to see Aubriana's reaction. I think she was so happy to see her room transformed into a space she can go to and relax or enjoy her spare time. I’m happy I was able to help give her that space.
Desk space for art and study, with the perfect hiding space under the loft bed!
Our Junior Designer, Tanner designed a room for Aubriana’s big sister, Abigail’s!
What were the girl's wishes for their dream rooms? What could they absolutely not live without?
Abigail really loves dance and makeup so her wish for her room was to have storage for her dance costumes, an area to display her awards and place to store and do her makeup.
Abigail’s room BEFORE
We think she loves it!
“It’s like a Pinterest Board came to life,” Abigail said at the reveal.
What was your vision for the room?
A lot of storage with fun pops of gold and pink :)
The lovliest textured nightstand with gold accents
How was your experience designing the room?
It was amazing! This was my first time designing a Savvy Giving By Design room and I can't wait until I can do another!
Window Treatments with Pink Trim
What was your favorite part of this room?
My favorite part is probably the rug, it has so many fun colors in it and it really ties the whole room together. I’m definitely getting one for myself! We worked hard to find the perfect wallpaper for the space. Abigail wanted gold accents and the wallpaper backdrop was the perfect addition. Sophisticated for a teen, with a fun abstract pattern.
The Perfect Make-up Vanity Space
How did it feel seeing the look on their face when they first saw their rooms?
It made me emotional seeing her face light up when she opened the door. I was just super happy that I could design a room that she loves and very much deserves.
Abigail’s plush rug with pink and gold accents. The perfect accent.
Abigail and Aubrianna at the Reveal
Design Team and Savvy Giving by Design volunteers on reveal day!
Special thanks to our incredible team of volunteers and sponsors. Patcraft flooring provided beautiful new vinyl plank wood look flooring that is both aesthetically beautiful and antimicrobial for clean spaces. Sir Painter painted these beautiful rooms in fun new colors. Creative Design Interiors fabricated gorgeous window treatments for the rooms. Erwin Electric helped us change out lighting and fans with their expertise. Thanks again to Closet Art for providing beautiful and functional closets to help organize their spaces.