TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — Hattie’s Toyland opened in Trussville in August. The owners say business has been good so far, and they expect to see a lot of people this week.
The toy store sells just about everything you can imagine, but it’s also in another business – the business of spreading hope.
Kelsee Philpot and her husband Taylor are the proud owners of Hattie’s Toyland. The store is any child’s dream, filled with toys and games from all over the world.
“My husband and I say all the time, we were expecting kids to come in and be excited. One thing we did not expect was how excited the adults are when they find what they are looking for,” Kelsee Philpot said.
The walls say Hattie’s Toyland is a magic place. What they don’t say is that the toy store is helping to heal the Philpot family.
“In 2020 I had a daughter that was stillborn. Her name is Hattie,” said Kelsee Philpot.
“We really get to take something and allow her life to have purpose here in the store,” Taylor Philpot added.
Each day, the Philpots do everything they can do to fulfill that purpose. However, they say there are still tough moments.
“You see someone getting married and know that I’m never going to get to walk my daughter down the aisle, and that’s heartbreaking,” Taylor Philpot said.
The store provides a constant reminder to the family, who has experienced so much darkness, that there is light.
“Even just seeing children come in and celebrate their birthdays, and those milestones and Christmas, and I feel like I get to see maybe what she would be like at that age,” said Kelsee Philpot.
Theres no right or wrong way to mourn a child, and the Philpots are still learning how to do so.
“I think the grief journey is never ending you are always going to have those moments that take your breath away or stop you in your tracks,” added Taylor Philpot.
“Theres no denying this is special, and this was supposed to happen. I will say that grief taught me some lessons I don’t think I would have learned otherwise, so I can look back and be grateful,” Kelcee Philpot explained.
Hattie’s Toyland is open every day until Christmas Eve. More information on the store can be found here.