LOCAL Houston | The City Guide APRIL 2015 | Page 30

Local April.qxp_002houston 3/23/15 2:15 PM Page 30 A ROLLER COASTER OF A LIFE Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “There’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child.” It’s what is done in light of this sorrow however that can sow the seeds of hope. This is what the GOUDET FAMILY has done through their donations to Texas Children’s Hospital. The first gift was to honor their daughter Mariana’s suffering and life through a mural placed on the third floor outside of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The mural depicts a roller coaster painted by Mexican artist and friend of the Goudet family, Luis Lara. The roller coaster represents the experience of most who are at the hospital. “It is a constant roller coaster of emotions – physical, emotional and psychological,” shares Mariana’s mother Karla. MARIANA was born with Down syndrome and subsequent complications kept her in the NICU at Texas Children’s for her the first 8 months and the following 6 months on several floors of TX Children’s Pediatric Care Unit until she passed away in PICU. In that time, the Goudet’s got to know the staff and the hospital pretty well, and the mural was a way for them to say thank you and to give back. “It [the mural] has a lot of special details that represent our life during Mariana’s stay at Texas Children’s,” says Karla. In addition, the Goudet’s donated MARIANA’S PLACE, a multisensory room used to give therapy to kids with special needs including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism, and children going through their rehabiliation. As soon as Mariana was born and her down syndrome was discovered, Karla began researching the syndrome and came across the concept of these multisensory rooms and their importance in a special needs child’s development. “In these rooms there are lights of hope, love and generosity to light a path that is sometimes dark for these children,” shares Karla. “It is a place where they can be at peace and happy while beneficial to their rehab.” They are in the process of raising funds for five more of these rooms in the Katy, Sugar Land, CyFair, Kingwood and Clear Lake campuses as well. To donate, please contact [email protected]. Karla shares, “In life there are things we cannot control, but the only choice we have is how we choose to live those things. Although it’s not easy to live without such a special gift as Mariana, we are trying to make her live in our hearts every day and not just in our memories, by giving back to others.” KARLA GOUDET MULTISENSORY ROOM By Carla Valencia de Martinez | Photography by Hallie Keller 30 L O C A L | april 15