MORRIE & DOROTHY
Brought to You by Your Hospital or Practice Name and Logo
Story by Jeffrey J. Lefko
Illustrations by Sherrie Molitor
Trying to reduce post-discharge readmissions and complications?
Want to make sure vital information doesn’t get buried in paperwork?
Need a fresh new way to raise awareness for an important initiative?
What if you could do all three at once?
YOU CAN…by
including the information in a children’s book.
United Writers Press and Lefko & Associates, a healthcare marketing and business development company, have developed a creative and uniquely effective method for delivering that information and getting it read not just once—but over and over—through books for children and families.
Up to six pages are reserved at the end of the story for customization:
9 Provide general discharge information, answers to common questions asked by new parents about self-care, and recommendations for how to prepare for bringing a new baby home.
9 Promote special services offered by your department or physician’s office.
9 Include a related public safety announcement about a campaign, e.g., tips for safe sleep, water safety, etc.
9 Keep your contact information readily available, including phone numbers, email addresses, patient portals
Flip through the story to see different options!
MORRIE & D OROTHY
by Jeffrey J. Lefko
Illustrations by Sherrie Molitor
Deliver Information in the Form of a Keepsake
Have Hospital Staff Autograph Individual Copies
Congratulations!
Sally Jones, RN
JillDoe,NursingAsst.
Best Wishes,
Jennifer Smith, M.D.
Congratulations!
Samuel Lopez, M.D. Anesthesiologist
C.J.BestofLuck! Johnson,LPN
Copyright
©
Jeffrey J. Lefko
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Seen as a symbol of good luck, especially in the Netherlands, storks had a tendency to nest on people’s roofs and chimneys. It was believed that storks on the roof would result in good luck for the couple living in the home.
How would they see the evidence of that good luck? In the form of children—hence the legendary connection between storks and the arrival of babies. In some countries, it was even believed that placing sweets in the window was a signal to the storks that the family in the home was ready for a new baby.
Once in a while, things happen that change everything. This is a story of one of those things…
Once in a while, things happen for a reason that will change everything. This is a story of one of those things.
Ina marsh not so far away were two nests.
In each of the nests there was an egg.
One day, the two eggs hatched, and out came two little birds. But instead of two birds just alike, out of one egg came a STORK…and out of the other, a PELICAN.
The stork was a boy named Morrie and the pelican was a girl named Dorothy.
From the day the two hatched, they stuck together like glue. If you saw Morrie, you knew Dorothy was somewhere close by. Likewise, when Dorothy appeared, you knew Morrie wasn’t far behind.
They splashed in the water the very same way. They did EVERYTHING together.
They laughed at the same jokes. They played the same games.
They got older, and they began to notice some differences between them. Morrie’s backpack was blue and Dorothy’s was pink… Dorothy’s beak was bigger than Morrie’s.
But they didn’t care. They were BFFs — Best Friends Forever.
Then, one day on the way to school, they saw a sign announcing tryouts for something called “Baby Express.”
“What do you think, Dorothy?” asked Morrie.
“I don’t know what it is, but if you do it, I will, too.” answered Dorothy.
When they got to class, they asked their teacher, Mrs. Owl, about the tryouts.
Mrs. Owl smiled. “Those chosen for Baby Express deliver babies to families all over the world. The best get trophies, and medals are hung around their necks.”
“What do we have to do?” asked Morrie, already imagining a medal around his neck.
“First, you must talk to General Stork,” said Mrs. Owl.
After school, Morrie and Dorothy hurried over to the tryouts. Behind a big desk sat a stork wearing a helmet.
Morrie walked up to the desk. “I’d like to try out for Baby Express,” he said.
“All right,” said General Stork. “You will have to show me how well you can fly. Show me whatcha got.”
Morrie flapped his wings and took off. He made a big circle and then a small one. He flew high and then low and then high again, doing everything he could to impress General Stork.
When Morrie landed, General Stork pinned wings on Morrie’s chest.
“Welcome to Baby Express!” he said.
Next, Dorothy stepped up to the desk. But the general took one look at her and began to laugh.
“YOU can’t try out,” he said. “You’re a GIRL and a PELICAN! Only storks can deliver babies.”
All the other storks laughed, too. All, that is, except Morrie.
Morrie put his wing around Dorothy and tried to make her feel better. He knew she could fly as high and as long as he could. He knew she could dive and swim as far as he could, too. He knew she could do everything that he could, sometimes even better.
Just then, the general called Morrie over to join the delivery line. The general would fetch a bundle with a baby in it and give it to each of the storks in line.
As they reached the front of the line, the general yelled, “GO!”
Morrie had just reached the front of the line when the general came running, almost out of breath. In his wings were not one, not two, not three, but FOUR bundles, each with a baby in it.
General Stork set the bundles down and looked at Morrie. “This almost never happens, but we have a set of four babies quadruplets to deliver. Can you do it?”
Morrie looked at the general and then the bundles and then back at the general again. “No, I can’t,” he said, “but I know who can!
My best friend Dorothy!”
The general looked at Dorothy, who was still sitting on the bench. “Can YOU do it?”
Dorothy stepped to the front of the line and gave the general a big salute. “Yes, sir,” she said. “I can.”
Dorothy carefully placed each of the four bundles in her beak and made sure that the babies were safe.
Then, with a running start, she glided up onto the breeze, and soon disappeared in the clouds.
Dorothy flew and flew until she saw lights in the window of a hospital in the distance, shining their welcome to the bundles she carried in her beak.
CHOOSE HOME VS. HOSPITAL ILLUSTRATION
Dorothy flew and flew until she saw lights in the window of a home in the distance, shining their welcome to the bundles she carried in her beak.
Use your hospital / birthing name here.
CHOOSE HOME VS. HOSPITAL ILLUSTRATION
With great care, Dorothy delivered the four small babies each to their already waiting cribs. First, she laid them on their backs. Next, she made sure no pillows and blankets were around them so they could sleep safely. Then, as quietly as she could, she flew out the window and back the way she had come.
When the young pelican broke through the clouds and came into view of the crowd now gathered at Baby Express, she heard lots of clapping and whistling.
“Good job, Dorothy,” they yelled. “Good job!”
Morrie clapped and whistled and yelled loudest of all.
Then General Stork gave Dorothy wings, just like Morrie’s.
“And,” he said, “I have an announcement to make. From this day forward, pelican or stork, girl or boy, all are welcome to deliver babies for Baby Express!”
Morrie pushed through the crowd of storks that had gathered to congratulate Dorothy and whispered in her ear. “I’m tired. How about you?” “You bet,” said Dorothy. “It’s been a long day.”
So, wing on wing, the two best friends set out for home. They knew their moms and dads would be waiting. And they knew that they needed a good night’s sleep, because there would be new babies to deliver tomorrow.
It used to be that when it was time for a baby to be delivered to its new home, only a stork would be called on to do the job.
But just because things have always been done a certain way doesn’t mean that they should or that they always will…
So, the next time a baby is coming to someone you know, there’s no telling who will fly through the nursery window. Will it be a boy or a girl? A stork or a pelican? Morrie or Dorothy?
Then again, it doesn’t really matter, does it?
