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Dec My Room Dallas Honored A Brave And Caring Mother With Bunnies And Butterflies

Apr 25, 2022 1:30 PM by Jeanne Prejean

Seven-year old Phoenix Ho and eight-year-old Riley Mack never knew each other before they died. They both had mothers, but different types of mothers. One allowed her son to be “allegedly” beaten and abused by her boyfriend for weeks. The other mother comforted and suffered watching her daughter struggle through a no-win battle against Fanconi Anemi, an extremely rare genetic DNA repair disorder.

While on Wednesday, April 6, Phoenix’s mother was in the Denton jail, Riley’s mom Tina Mack was being honored for being a caring, courageous and loving mother at the Room To Grow Luncheon fundraiser for Dec My Room Dallas co-chaired by Dawn Greiner and newlywed Terra Najork Peterson at NorthPark’s Neiman Marcus Courtyard. On a bench covered with a pink and white blanket were four stuffed bunnies in front of a poster with Riley’s photos surrounded by butterflies.

Susan Plank, Tina Mack and Karen Michlewicz

It was Riley’s battle that brought the Dec My Room into the Macks’ world. During her treatments, Dec My Room discovered that Riley loved bunnies. And since live bunnies weren’t allowed in the hospital, the organization decorated her room with stuffed ones. Riley especially took a liking to one that she named “Blossom.”

For Tina and Riley, the tailor-made decorations eased the weeks that mother and daughter faced until Riley’s death in 2020.

When asked if she had other children, Tina said that she had a son, whose arrival had been unplanned. But now it was as if it had taken place to ease the loss of Riley.

Thanks to the sold-out-crowd, the day’s program of lunching and fashion conversation about style by Neiman’s designers (Balmain, Herve Leger, Chloe, Brunello Cucinelli, Alberta Ferreti, Zimmermann, Andrew Gn, Tom Ford, Dolce and Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, Farm Rio, Lowe, Etro and more) by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman and Kameron Westcott would support the program to help families like the Macks.

Kameron Westcott and MacKenzie Rodgers
Terra Najork Peterson, Lisa Ogle and Dawn Greiner
Tia Wynne, Jonika Nix and Elizabeth Tripplehorn Galt
Nancy Nasher and Meredith Hays
Kristen Gibbins, Andrea Nayfa and Kristen Casner

The turnout of more than 275 guests filling the garden courtyard included Dec My Room Founder Susan Plank, Nancy Nasher, Kristen Gibbins, Meredith Hayes, Lisa Ogle, Tia Wynne, Jonika Nix, Elizabeth Tripplehorn and Erika Michlewicz.

Room To Grow Luncheon table

It was reported that Dec My Room was newly christened Dec My Room North Texas.

At the champagne board near the check-in, April was doing double duty replacing the glasses and taking cellphone photos of guests in front of the board. The rest of the serving staff was working out of the nearby underground garage where the meals were being prepared.

April snapping guests

After the luncheon, Tina shared that while being introduced shared that a white butterfly flew over her table and up and around her before flying away, making her feel that Riley was there with her.

Filed Under: Childhood, Children, Environment, Events, Fashion Show, Fund raiser, FYI, Garden, Health, In-person, Luncheon, Outdoors, Pediatric care Tagged With: Andrea Nayfa, Dawn Greiner, Dec My Room Dallas, Dec My Room North Texas, Elizabeth Tripplehorn Galt, Jonika Nix, Kameron Westcott, Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Kristen Casner, Kristen Gibbins, Lisa Ogle, Meredith Hays, Nancy Nasher, Neiman Marcus NorthPark, NorthPark Center, Riley Mack, Room To Grow, Susan Plank, Terra Najork Peterson, Tia Wynne, Tina Mack

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