Libby Wilson remembers the fog.

“I didn’t want to believe that Mac was going to need a liver transplant,” she said.

McLean Wilson remembers wanting to leave the four walls of their son’s hospital room to process this unreal experience alone, without his son seeing dad’s fears on display.

“Many times, we felt the need to be outside to pray, think, be alone, cry, process … to just have a break,” he said.

The world turned upside down pretty quickly for the Wilson family. In 2016 their son, Mac, complained of stomach pain, which in the matter of days turned into vomiting and jaundice. The family cut their beach trip short and drove straight to Le Bonheur. Mac, one of quadruplets, was nearly in critical condition when he arrived back in Memphis.

Mac needed a new liver.

As Libby and McLean took turns going outside for a breath of fresh air, they found themselves wanting more for Le Bonheur families.

“There wasn’t really a place at Le Bonheur for us to find refuge outside. We found ourselves walking around the block a lot, and that was not the prettiest of walks,” McLean said. “For us being outside, especially in God’s creation, allows us to feel God’s presence more,” McLean said. “Being outside helps us get into a better head and heart space to be wiser and love more.”

Several years after Mac’s transplant, the Wilsons learned about plans for the Le Bonheur Green outdoor space for families on the hospital’s south lawn.

Many times, we felt the need to be outside to pray, think, be alone, cry, process … to just have a break.

“We felt very indebted to Le Bonheur for their amazing love and care and diligence around Mac’s illness, surgery and post op. This feeling led to a sense of wanting to steward some of our resources over to Le Bonheur in a meaningful way — something both meaningful to our family but also meaningful and needed by Le Bonheur,” McLean said.

The Wilsons came to Le Bonhuer with the idea of creating a prayer labyrinth, which is an ancient practice used to facilitate prayer, meditation and spiritual transformation. The idea fit perfectly into the design of Le Bonheur Green’s space.  It will be adjacent to the heavily landscaped serenity garden, which will offer shade and the meditative sound of water.

“Libby and I are excited to be part of Le Bonheur Green and know it will be an escape and a place for families to regroup, re-energize and find solitude,” said McLean.