Chelsea Rae Gregory, Miss SC International 2011 to Visit Palmetto Children's Hospital



Well, the next stop on the road to Miss International 2011 will be to visit the Palmetto Health Children's Hospital in Columbia, SC on June 20, 2011. The visit will include the reading of the book by Ginger Hodge, When Donkeys Fly. Once the book is read I, along with sister queens Avery Close, Miss South Carolina Teen International and Elizabeth Malvasia, Mrs. South Carolina International will host a craft party for the children. The craft party will consist of the girls making little crowns and the boys making family coats of arms. How royal is that???  We bought a kit so that the girls will have little gems to add to their crowns and the boys will have stickers for a shield they will make.  We will have an hour!

The Palmetto Health Children's Hospital is the first children's hospital in South Carolina and one of the most state-of-the-art facilities around.  Its a freestanding new hospital which combines compassionate medical care with comfortable family-centered spaces, age-appropriate play areas and therapeutic diversions to help reduce stress and encourage healing.

Their mascot, Richie Raccoon, has been there to welcome children from birth through adolescence since Children's Hospital was founded in 1983. Children's Hospital was created through the efforts of a group of 35 pediatricians and hospital leaders and community volunteers.

I look forward to reading the book, When Donkeys Fly not only because it is written by South Carolinian author, Ginger Hodge, but because of its message. The book is all about going after your dreams and not allowing people to tell you you can't do it. I feel like that is my story as I have struggled with a learning disability all of my life and yet was able to overcome my challenges and achieve my dream!

Avery Close and I both support CHADD, the organization that helps those with Attention Deficit Disorder. We both struggle with ADHD and are avid members and advocates for CHADD. The CHADD national conference in Orlando, Florida will also feature us in November as part of their speaker program.


Attention Deficit Disorder is the most commonly diagnosed neuro-developmental disorder in children. And half of those who possess ADHD, also possess other learning disaiblities from processing disorders to reading disabilities.

I am very excited about visiting the Children's Hospital and would like to thank Rachel Rentz for inviting me and my sister queens to make an impact on the children in their care!  Will post pictures and write more when we return!  Have a great week everyone!

Chelsea Rae Gregory
Miss South Carolina International 2011