As I sit here, almost two years since launching My Buddy Boo, I feel… incomplete. Is this how I thought I’d feel two years into this business? To be honest, no.
In the beginning, I started Boo because my mental health was in a dark place. Boo brought me back, it lit a spark in me that I had been longing for. After caring for my daughter, watching her suffer and seeing the toll it took on both my daughters, my husband, my whole family and others, it didn’t feel right to simply go back to the way things were. We had all changed, we were all different people, we needed to find a new normal. So I started searching for something that would make a real difference, something that would give back to my community and give me a sense of purpose.
Boo has healed me in so many ways, and this community has healed me, too. I feel like I’m making an impact. A purpose built career. Just like I dreamed.
However, running a business brings its own mental health challenges. Some days, I feel like I’m not doing enough, or that this "Boo life" might be too heavy to carry. Some say I have a bleeding heart, but as a business owner, I can only bleed so much. This is incredibly tough for a giver, especially when you’ve been that family on the other side, and you know exactly how much a Boo would help. This is why I designed Boo…. to help these families, these kids, to reduce their medical trauma.
So, why do I feel incomplete? When I launched two years ago, I set a goal to donate 750 Boos a year, one for every child diagnosed with cancer. (It’s actually 1000 Australian children who are diagnosed with cancer every year now) I haven't hit that goal yet. But I know that one day, with your help, We will.
I have a dream that one day, every child who walks into a hospital will walk out with a Boo. A play therapy toy with a device and a badge that says, "I see you, and you are not alone." I don’t have all the answers on how we’ll get there, but I know I can't do it alone. I need my village. I need you. Together, we are going to change the experience for these incredible children.
Your stories bring me so much joy, how Boo helped a child through port access, or how your child finally felt seen because their Boo looked just like them. I love hearing how parents finally understood their child’s feelings through the emotion badges, or how Boo provided comfort during a bone marrow transplant. Honestly, every single story brings me to tears and keeps me going.
Thank you for being my village. BIG love
Katie X - 'Choose Joy Over Bitterness'