Grace & Aileen's Cupcake Story

Two things you need to know about Grace and Aileen. They are identical twins. And they are Annie's cousins. Grace and Aileen learned way too much about Adrenal Insufficiency when Annie had a brain injury as a result of an adrenal crisis.Before Annie's brain injury, I took this picture of Grace, Jack, Olivia holding Annie and Bill. Grace, Aileen and Annie used to swing together out in our backyard yelling Kumbaya at the top of their lungs.

Here are Grace and Aileen with Annie touring Seattle in October of 2010. (Their mom, Lorraine, and Annie's dad, Bill, are in the picture too.)

Last week, Aileen and Grace made Cupcakes for Annie,

the night before telling their class at school about their little cousin who

died from complications of Adrenal Insufficiency:

And here they are with their Girl Scout troop:

The troop picture was taken while they were camping,

so they didn't have any cupcakes there--

but they drew pictures of cupcakes on the back of the Cupcakes For Annie flyers,

which is kinda the same, only they probably didn't taste as good.

Adrenal Insufficiency isn't just an obscure disease to Grace and Aileen. They stood at Annie's grave with shoulders heaving and tears streaming the day we buried her. They know what devastation it can bring.

Thank you, Grace and Aileen, for bravely sharing about Adrenal Insufficiency with your friends, school and Girl Scout Troop. Your love for Annie shines through you both!

Love you,

Aunt Jean