To say that Ashley Dickinson is busy would be an understatement. To say that she is blessed would also be an understatement.
Dickinson is the mother of four young children—under the age of 6. “Tyndall just turned 6, Haskell IV is 4, and Riley and Gray [twin girls] just turned 2 on St. Patrick’s Day,” says Dickinson. “I wasn’t the one that just wanted to go to college to meet a husband and have kids right way. I knew I wanted children, but I imagined working for a while first.”
While Dickinson might have originally wanted to wait for children, she discovered soon after she and her husband, Haskell, had their first child that motherhood was something she was made for.
“During my first pregnancy, I realized this was what I was meant to do. Despite severe morning and all-day sickness for the first three months, I loved being pregnant,” she admitted. “When Tyndall was born, I was captivated and couldn’t wait to do it again.” She soon got the chance to “do it again” when she discovered only eight months after Tyndall was born that she was pregnant again. After her second son, Haskell, was born, and after the loss of a child at 18 weeks in 2007, Dickinson became pregnant with twins. “So then we had four children age 4 and under, and two were newborns!”
As a mother of four little ones, Dickinson’s plate is already full, but that has not stopped her from actively giving to others.
“The best piece of advice I’ve received, and something that most of us have been told, is to treat others the way that you want to be treated,” she said. That advice seems to have driven her since her college days at Vanderbilt University to her current time chasing toddlers around her home.
“They [my kids] have given me so much, but most importantly, they have taught me to be selfless,” said Dickinson. “From the second Tyndall was born, a switch went off in my head, and I’ve never really been the same since. I know all mothers say that, but I truly put them first all the time.”
Dickinson may have had a switch in focus after her children were born, but she always had a mindset that focused on others. While she was studying at Vanderbilt, her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. She took time off to be with him, and he beat his first bout with the disease. However, eight years ago he developed cancer again, and Dickinson once again took time off from work to be with her father.
“My first job here in Little Rock…was at Delta Trust & Bank… I was there for about a year when my father was diagnosed with cancer [the second time] and around the same time I found out we were expecting our first child,” she said. “I decided to make the difficult decision to quit my job and spend most of the next year commuting back and forth to Florida to be with my mom and dad while he was sick.”
Dickinson explained that it was never her father’s wish for her to put her job on hold, but she said it was the best thing she could’ve done. “I was able to go to Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa,” she said. “He fought his disease with all he had and got to spend time with Tyndall [his first grandchild] before he passed away.”
Her generous and selfless spirit prompted her to give back to the community and to co-chair this year’s St. Vincent Foundation’s IV Party with her husband.
“The St. Vincent Foundation debuted its signature IV Party in the spring of 2007; it set a new standard as far as fundraising events go here in Little Rock, with its elegant yet trendy atmosphere,” she explained. “This year the party will benefit the Jack Stephens Heart Center at St. Vincent. Unlike many heart-specific hospitals, the center can treat the whole body,” including other health issues such as cancer and diabetes. Their comprehensive treatment allows patients to receive good care in the same location.
The Dickinsons want the St. Vincent IV Party to not only raise funds so the center can continue to provide exceptional services to their patients, but also give guests an event to remember.
“The IV party originally was held on St. Vincent’s campus, up on the rooftop,” Ashley Dickinson said. “While that venue was fun and very pertinent to the cause, weather often created logistical issues.” The annual party has since been moved to the Pleasant Valley Country Club Tennis Pavilion, and while the move was a major change for the event, it has not dampened the party’s spirit or aesthetics.
This year’s 5th annual event, which will take place on Saturday, May 11, is a glamorously themed Las Vegas Party. Dickinson revealed that it is “not so much modern-day Vegas but more the old, glamorous Vegas from years ago. Think gold; the elegant and classic gold that was prominent in the early booming years of Las Vegas, when the vintage showgirls wore plumes, and celebrities from Hollywood began flocking to the city for its spectacular nightlife.”
Dickinson said there will not only be a “party and entertainment vibe,” but the Las Vegas theme will also be carried over into the menu. “Las Vegas is known for its restaurant diversity,” she said. “We are definitely capitalizing on that. There will even be a manned sushi station preparing fresh food. People can truly come with appetites and not be let down.”
Dickinson pointed out that another important part of the event is the sponsors: “RAPA Radiology Associates, P.A., has been a sponsor for fours years in a row, and this year is their second year to be our presenting sponsor. Without their support, and the support of all of our other sponsors, we wouldn’t be able to put on such a great event each year.”
Dickinson believes in what St. Vincent is doing and she said that, “by supporting the IV Party and the Foundation Board at St. Vincent, we, as a community, are saying let’s make central Arkansas the place to go for expert care when anyone we love needs it.”
Soirée: Do you have childhood memories of looking through fashion magazines or watching actresses in movies and wanting to look or dress like them?
Dickinson: Yes, I loved clothes and handbags at a very early age, probably 3… I also loved to look through my mother’s fashion magazines. I couldn’t wait for the huge, heavy Vogue magazine to show up, and I would fantasize about going different places in the clothing.
Do you watch any fashion or style shows on television?
I used to love Project Runway. When I was pregnant with the twins, I spent a month in the hospital because I was so sick for the first 19 weeks. Project Runway was definitely something I looked forward to at night and re-runs during the day! Now I don’t have any time for television.
How has your style changed since you’ve had children?
Do you take time for yourself and your style? My style has definitely changed since I’ve had children. With four little ones and milk, food, glitter, glue, etc., on someone’s hands all the time, I cannot walk around in “dry clean only” like I used too. It’s funny how when moms of really little ones have their hair blown out, lipstick and nice clothing on, everyone says, “Wow! Where are you going?”
What are some of your favorite brands? Is there a designer you cannot live without?
A designer I cannot live without and always want more of is Missoni! Luckily, there is the M Missoni line, and those items are still beautiful but not as expensive…
I love my Chloe handbags and also my Louis Vuitton Epi leather handbags. I think a great bag is a perfect accessory, especially when I need to carry a lot of kid stuff.
St. Vincent’s 5th Annual IV Party
when :: 6:30 p.m. VIP, 8:30 main event, Saturday, May 7
where :: Pleasant Valley Country Club
tickets :: $175 per person for main event, $500 per person for benefactor perks
info :: 552-2380, StVincentFoundation.org