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| Children play at Maddie's House in downtown Stanton after Saturday's dedication ceremony. |
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11/3/2008 10:05:00 AM
Time to play at Maddie's House
Elisabeth Waldon
Staff Writer
STANTON - Three years after the death of Maddie Trimper, 7-year-old daughter of Stanton's Jeff and Jane Trimper, a community gathered in her memory on a sunny Saturday to dedicate a playground for her young peers.
"I'm truly amazed at the number of people I see here," Stanton Mayor Bob Burns said as he presided over the ribbon cutting on Main Street near the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail. "I think that says something about our community. We care about our kids."
The park just off Main Street boasts colorful playground equipment, bright blue chopped up tire pieces to fill in the spaces, a soft foundation and Maddie's House - the focal point of the park.
The Stanton Downtown Development Authority was responsible for much of the funding. Other money came from community members who participated in fundraisers in conjunction with the Trimper family.
"Everything out here is pretty much state-of-the-art," Burns said. "It is very attractive. It draws your eye to it when you drive past on the road."
Maddie Trimper died Nov. 7, 2005, from side effects associated with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).
The Trimpers first learned of their family's plight on Oct. 25, 2002, after their son, Max, now 13, fell while on a playground, prompting a computerized tomography (CT) scan. He then was diagnosed with MLD. Maddie and Sam, now 9, both were tested. While each had only a one-in-four chance of having the disease, both tested positive.
Doctors feared Sam and Maddie would show symptoms soon. On July 27, 2003, it was learned that Maddie was showing "definite disease" signs after undergoing tests at Duke University in Durham, N.C. The Trimpers found a researcher there who had successfully performed stem cell transplants and halted MLD before symptoms appeared.
On Aug. 24, 2003, the family returned to Duke where Maddie and Sam began preparations for stem cell transplants. What was meant to be less than a three-week stay kept the Trimpers at Duke until Feb. 1, 2004.
Maddie then had surgery on her gall bladder to remove a gallstone on July 10, 2004, at Duke.
Shortly thereafter, on Aug. 6, 2004, she was diagnosed with Epstein Barr disease and mononucleosis, a side effect from the stem cell transplant she had undergone. In November 2004 the Trimpers had to return to Duke where Maddie was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Then in October 2005 Maddie was transported from Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids to the pediatric intensive care unit at Cornell University in New York City. She died after spending a month there.
Sam has responded well to the stem cell transplant and has experienced no MLD symptoms while Max uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. The Trimpers hope that Duke doctors will find a way to heal him.
During Saturday's ceremony Jane Trimper thanked friends, family and the city of Stanton for making the dedication possible.
"What started as a little plan around our kitchen table turned into this," she said. "We love it. We think it's unique and special, just like our little girl."
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Posted: Saturday, December 06, 2008
Article comment by:
Lisa Wiemer Lillelund
The Stanton community sounds like a wonderful place to raise children. I am happy to read about your continuous support of the Trimper family and for your care and concern for children in your community. Regards,
Lisa Wiemer Lillelund, who grew up in Charlevoix and now lives in Massachusetts.
Posted: Monday, November 03, 2008
Article comment by:
Judy Hornak
The loss of Maddie can not be
measured only shared by those
who care.
love and hugs Judy Hornak
Chesaning, Mi
Posted: Monday, November 03, 2008
Article comment by:
Dr. Don and Marcia Trimper
We were fortunate enough to attend the opening of Stanton's park and Maddie's House. It was a beautiful sight to watch the children playing around and in the playground equipment, especially Maddie's House. This community has provided a wonderful and safe place for the children to play. Stanton and the surrounding communities have been huge supporters of the Trimper family and we thank every one of them for their continued enthusiasm and caring that they generously offer.
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