My friend's neighbor will turn one this week. The family also just recieved a diagnosis of brain cancer. They operated but were unable to get the portion attached to the brain stem and it is a type that does not respond to chemo. They had already planned a birthday party and if the darling child is out of the hospital in time they plan to continue with the party plans. My friend has been asked to do the cake. She asked me for advice since I decorate cakes for a living and she does not, but I am too blown away by the request to even think straight. Does anyone have any ideas. We have come up with a grassy scene sheet cake with a 3-D wishing well on top, but that is all.
Sorry to hear of the bad news. While we don't understand why some things happen, especially with children, we have to have faith.
To be honest, if it were me, I would focus my cake ideas on things she likes. Keep it fun and happy because that is what makes lasting memories.......
I thnk the only thing I would consider is making the cake fun/cheerful. How about adding frogs and butterflies and bright colored flowers? I did a cake for a friend whose mom only had a few months to live and she didn't want a party at first. After we talked she decided to have the party with a very happy theme. It made for a wonderful memory for the family. Good luck.
Don't do a wishing well. Have the cake be totally unrelated to anything w/ illness and hope. Make the cake as if nothing is wrong. The baby has no idea she is sick...everyone else does. So, give her something that will make her smile ear to ear...this is what the family will remember.
I agree. The party is to celebrate life and so should the theme of the cake. I would just steer clear of the age thing on the cake as it would just be a topic of focus where you don't want to take it. Just celebrate the child with all the love that can be put into it. (Not a bad recipe for any cake).
First, let me say that your friend should be applauded for being so sensitive to the family's circumstances that she would seek out advice on the cake. IMO, the cake should have a first birthday theme, as for any other child without a tragic diagnosis. The family wants/needs to celebrate the life they have shared with this little one. It goes without saying that the family and other party guests will have the illness on thier minds, but that should not detract from the purpose of the party. They have good reason to celebrate this little one and how far she has come in the last year, as all parents of little ones do. Chances are that the family wants everyone to treat this little one as they would any other birthday kid. Parents of special children, whether they are stricken with illness or disability want to feel normal. Normalcy is something they will cherish and crave with whatever time they are blessed to have with thier precious child. A traditional first birthday themed cake, complete with a smash cake, number one and the like can be your friend's contribution to bringing joy and happiness untainted by the circumstances to this little one. My prayers are with the family.
Don't do a wishing well. Have the cake be totally unrelated to anything w/ illness and hope. Make the cake as if nothing is wrong. The baby has no idea she is sick...everyone else does. So, give her something that will make her smile ear to ear...this is what the family will remember.
I agree! Good luck!
A little off topic...may I ask JP...what is a smash cake? I have seen the term so much and keep wondering??
So back on topic... prayers and much love to family and the little one.
A smash cake is a small cake decorated to match the main cake that the baby can mush, smush and smash. I made a small #1 in my pics for my son's first birthday and the paw and bone for his 2nd birthday. Some people make a 6in cake but imho that's a bit big for such a little one.
You could do a grassy knoll with a well and maybe a bunny with butterflies and flowers. I think it would be precious.... for the smash cake, but bright colored icings and butterflies on it, she would love it. I agree, horrible situation, but she doesn't really comprehend she is ill so make the cake stand out to her so she will remember it and her family will have photos of her special day with her smiling.... Good luck with the cake, this family will be in our prayers!
Celebrate life! Grass, flowers, butterflies-there is a wonderful article explaining how to create them by Jackie http://www.cakecentral.com/article16-How-To-Make-Realistic-Edible-Butterflies.html- bright colors. Each of us have lives only so long-we must enjoy and praise God for what we are given. The lives of those we love will always be too short, be it one year, ten or eighty.
A smash cake is a small cake decorated to match the main cake that the baby can mush, smush and smash. I made a small #1 in my pics for my son's first birthday and the paw and bone for his 2nd birthday. Some people make a 6in cake but imho that's a bit big for such a little one.
Ah I get it..thanks db! The paw is adorable (Like your yinyang heart cookie too)...
Definitely a smash cake for this little one and put a ton of our love into it.
It's a difficult trick to not focus on illness for it's all too pervasive tugging on the heartstrings of our mother energies... but what we call miracle is in fact inherent in the fabric of our being, and love is the ingredient for healing all, so just know this little one has mine.
Blessings..and keep those cakes coming..
Love the signature a fellow cc'r put on:
Cake's a powerful food.
Cake can actually bring people together.
You know... "It's Bill's birthday"
"Yeah, I hate that guy."
"There's cake in the conference room."
"Well, I should say hello."
-Jim Gaffigan
Cake IS a powerful food, and we all have it in our hands to move mountains.
-cp
Thank you!
I love Jim Gaffigan. I heard that bit on his comedy special and had to put it on! But it is also so true below the surface humor! Cake brings people together, celebrates memories and milestones.
If I were given this beautiful task of creating a cake for this little one I would probably go over top 2 or 3 tiers, stars shooting out the sides, etc. Something like this one by Rebecca Sutterby and Julie Durkee who won the foodnetwork celebration cake challenge. I love this cake:
Wait a minute all of us are zeroing in on the girl's illness. What about the little girl. Does she have a favorite toy or character? Elmo, little Einstein, Nemo- something that makes her giggle. Horses, puppies, kittens, winnie the pooh-there are gobs of stuff that a one year old might like.
As a mom with children who have a genetic illness and therefore, a supposed shortened life expectancy, I thought I might throw my two cents in.
Don't do the wishing well. The day will be bittersweet enough with out wishing that everything would have turned out differently. Do a character or toy that the child loves. I would also not put the age on the cake, but maybe include a number candle for the parents to use if they so wish. Some parents with chronically ill kids are funny about the number thing.
I agree, focus on the child's favorite things. She needs a reason to giggle and that will in turn give the family a reason to giggle, which they need very much right now, IMO. She doesn't know she's ill so it needs to stay upbeat.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Take care!
Have to agree with everyone about leaving the illness out of it entirely. She's 1, and little kids who are sick have a way of always seeing the bright and positive things in life.
She may or may not have a favorite character at this point, so you can't go wrong with bright colors, butterflies, rainbows, strawberry shortcake, or a horse theme would be nice.
So sorry to hear about this situation.
S.
I agree, have the party like she is not sick. In my photos I have a three tiered first birthday cake for a little girl of a friend of mine, it was her first birthday and she had been suffering with leukemia since 8 weeks old. I topped it with a Precious Moments topper in the birthday series, holding a number one. I was hoping to be able to buy her the rest of the series each year, but God saw fit to take her home four months later after a bone marrow transplant.
Anyway my point was that the cake was cheerful and happy and matched the theme of the first birthday, rather than focused on the illness at hand. The little girl deserved a "normal" birthday (which in her case was her only birthday) and that is what she got...even though she felt sick most of the day.
So sad.... 
Thanks everyone for all of the ideas and prayers. It doesn't look like little Olivia is going to be home for her birthday, she has chemical pneumonia and had been put back on the ventilator. They still plan to hold the party when she gets home, so I am passing on all the ideas to my friend. Please continue to keep her in your prayers and thank you again.
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