Natomas girl battling leukemia gets dream bedroom makeover
A little girl battling leukemia received the bedroom makeover of her dreams thanks to the Folsom-based nonprofit Sweet Dreams Foundation.
Gurneet Natt was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2022. She spent months in and out of hospitals, often having to sleep near her mother to monitor the symptoms. Her mother, Nav Sandhu, described the toll the diagnosis took on her family.
"I remember crying 24/7," Sandhu said. "It was the hardest thing that anyone could face."
Because of her treatment protocols, Natt very rarely had a space to call her own. Natt's old childhood bedroom was painted a dark color and filled with memories she and her family wanted to forget.
"The smell, the room, the color...just reminded us of that dark time in our life," Sandhu said.
Then, the Sweet Dreams Foundation stepped in. The nonprofit transforms the bedrooms of children who are battling life-threatening diseases.
Sweet Dreams Foundation CEO Jennifer Richards experienced firsthand the loss of a loved one due to cancer. As a child, she helped take care of her grandfather as he was dying of lung cancer. She says she felt called to help those who are battling illness.
"It's not just a bedroom, it's a community that's coming together for these kids," Richards said.
With the help of churches, businesses and volunteer groups, the nonprofit has worked to transform the lives of children like Natt for the past 17 years.
Natt's fully transformed bedroom is now a place to replace her old memories with new ones.
"It's going to give me my own space again and I'm really excited for that," Natt said.