Store brings prom dresses to sick teen at hospital

HOUSTON – Lauren Logan has been dreaming of the perfect prom dress for years.

The 18-year-old senior at Angleton High School has spent the past few weeks worrying about dress shopping, and she has faced some obstacles that most teenagers never have to worry about.

As a baby, Lauren was diagnosed with a heart condition that required her to need an artificial pulmonary valve. Her condition has made her susceptible to health problems, and when she came down with a stomach flu, she was admitted to the hospital.

Lauren’s doctors told her bacteria had spread to her heart, and she would need to stay in the hospital for six to seven weeks for treatment, dashing her hopes of dress shopping with her mother Shannon.

"The day we were actually (going to) go prom dress shopping was the day I ended up in the emergency room,” Lauren said.

Shannon was disappointed too.

"As her mom, I was looking so forward to the experience. Just going shopping and having her enjoy the experience and us to enjoy it together," Shannon said.

So Shannon took matters into her own hands, and reached out to the Camille La Vie store inside Memorial City Mall. She was hoping the store manager would allow her to rent a few dresses for her daughter so she could try them on in the hospital and select the dress she loved. But the store manager had something better in mind.

"We brought all of these dresses and some shoes just so Lauren can figure out what style she likes” said Jordan Mays, assistant manager of Camille La Vie.

The staff brought dresses that Lauren picked out, as well as some of their own selections, so that Lauren could try them on in her hospital room.

She tried dress after dress, some in vibrant colors and sparkly floor-length fabric, as her nurses and doctors looked on, beaming.

"The staff and the nurses and Lauren -- everybody's been so excited for this day, and Camille LaVie made it so special,” Shannon said.

Mays and the Camille La Vie staff even donated the dress Lauren chose, and arranged for a hairstylist and makeup artist for Lauren -- something she said was incredibly special.

"It makes me feel so amazing. Like, there's people out there are willing to do that for kids,” Lauren said.

Lauren is scheduled to be released from the hospital on April 12, which is 10 days before her senior prom.