Meg, Cammie, and their local Panera Bread family

Written by Meg McMillian

Panera, you mean so much to our family. When we moved to Mount Pleasant, MI in 2021 it was the first restaurant we went to where Cammie actually ate something (& she LOVED it). Not only did she love their broccoli and cheddar soup & their spinach & artichoke soufflés for breakfast (we get a weekly catering order for her) but the beautiful humans who worked here became our family. My girls adore them.

You see, Cammie has less than 10-15 safe foods that she will eat. Most people never take the time to realize eating a meal is a complex sensory experience consisting of foods with ranging appearances, odors, textures, and tastes. Cammie refuses most new foods but prefers what she knows & loves although we always offer variety 🤣 but hey sensory processing disorder alters her food responses so we’ve learned to roll with it.

This year Panera & our favorite people there gifted my girls with SO much love for Christmas. There are no words for how special it made Zoe & Cammie feel. They even wrapped Zoe’s presents in Barbie & Cammie’s in Encanto wrapping paper because they know how obsessed they are 🥹 To Kaylee, Tone, Catera, Bailey, Ira & Kyle - we appreciate you more than you could ever imagine. There are some people you meet in your life that make a lasting impression forever & these people make that list. We are so fortunate for you all & appreciate all your generosity with loving on my girls this Christmas. Now everyone go out and support your local Panera!

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We are so excited to spotlight this story from our dear Extra Lucky friend Meg McMillian. Meg is the Mom and full-time caregiver to her two daughters Zoe (6) and Cammie (3 .5). Meg experienced a Down syndrome diagnosis for her daughter Cammie in utero and has dedicated her entire life to being her full-time caregiver. If you are lucky enough to follow Meg on Instagram, you’ll also find your new favorite account. One of our favorite parts of the day is watching all the incredible adventures Meg takes with her daughters which she shares on Instagram stories. Whether it be making flower soup in the backyard, exploring a local creek in Michigan’s beautiful landscape, or crafting and baking, Meg finds the MAGIC and provides beauty in experiences and connection with her girls. We like to celebrate the big AND the small over here, and Meg was able to potty train Cammie effectively recently. That’s a huge win and we are so proud of Cammie! Meg is open and advocates for Cammie’s sensory impact issues, and most recently opened up about her experience with food sensitivities. Her advocacy is so apparent to not only us but to everyone around her. So much so that the team at Panera Bread sent her family an entire Christmas collection of gifts for the girls. We are spotlighting this because Panera is delicious and clearly amazing, but most importantly we understand that they see Meg for who she is every time she picks up that weekly catering order. They see a truly committed, loving, passionate, kind, creative, exceptional mother, and caregiver committed to this Extra Lucky life. Meg is an inspiration to all extra Lucky caregivers and we just wanted to make sure she knew that this week. We love you, Meg!!!

Be sure to give Panera Bread some love and follow Meg on Instagram.