Stephaney Lacey of Rock Springs has been helping her 4-year-old daughter, Charlee, pursue her passion for collecting “hero patches.” After making a public request to anyone willing to send her daughter a patch, Charlee’s collection has grown exponentially.
Last month, Lacey put out a public request asking whether any first responders had patches they would be willing to send to Charlee, who idolizes them and has interacted with many of them in her short life.
By mid-August, a month after Cowboy State Daily told her story, Charlee’s collection has grown to more than 300 patches, with more arriving every day.
“She’s received patches from police and fire departments, EMTs, active and former military, and even other patch collectors,” Lacey said. “A museum sent her a huge package of patches from all over the U.S. and overseas, all with descriptions.”
Now, Charlee has a custom-made patch of her own that will be sent to “Charlee’s Patch Buddies” around the world. Lacey said the last month has been a life-changing experience for Charlee and their entire family.
“My heart is overflowing with joy seeing how many strangers came together for my sweet girl,” Lacey said.
Strength Through Struggle
Charlee’s been through a lot in her short life. She was born at only 39 weeks old at University of Utah Hospital, where Lacey had been LifeFlighted after going into labor at 24 weeks.
“The doctors guaranteed she’d be born, but nothing beyond that,” Lacey said. “We were expected to say goodbye to our little girl before we got to say hello.”
In her first weeks of life, Charlee was diagnosed with laryngomalacia, or extra skin on her larynx. It was collapsing on itself and slowly suffocating her, and it was discovered that she was allergic to the formula she’d been given.
When Charlee was 2, she lost her grandfather, Anthony Wackler, to sudden renal failure.
Then came 2025. In one year, Charlee was in a car accident, helped her mother recover from emergency surgery in a Colorado ICU, and learned the little brother she was eagerly expecting wouldn’t be coming home.
After Lacey told Charlee that her brother had died in utero, Charlee blamed herself.
“She told us she was mean to the baby and the baby ran away,” Lacey said. “It destroyed me. When another little boy at the library asked her if her mom was pregnant, she told him, ‘No, my mom’s baby ran away.’”
Despite all of this, Lacey said her daughter “has the brightest outlook on life” and treats every stranger like a friend.
“We struggled for eight years (to have Charlee), but it was eight years’ worth waiting for,” Lacey said.
Hero Patches
When Charlee and her cousin, Mario, visited the Rock Springs Police Department in June 2024, Chief Bill Erspaumer gave them both a police patch.
“They have cherished those patches and memories since that day,” Lacey said.
As time went on, Charlee got more patches and cherished each and every one. Seeing how “something as simple as a patch brought so much joy to my little girl,” Lacey decided to see what she could do to make the most of her daughter’s eclectic interest.
“First-responder patches are her favorites because she sees them as superheroes,” she said. “She points to them and says how they took us on an airplane so she wasn’t born too early (and how) they helped when mommy was sick.”
Lacey started the Facebook page “Tiny Hands, Big Patches: Charlee’s Patch Buddies” to see if anyone would be willing to send a patch or two to their Rock Springs address.
“We figured she would receive maybe five to 10 patches from just neighboring communities,” she said. “Some people collect knives and coffee cups, but my little girl took an interest in patches.”
Within a few weeks, Charlee had received patches from North Dakota, Maine, Alaska, and Hawaii, as well as several Wyoming law enforcement agencies. Deputy Casey Watkins with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office drove to Rock Springs to deliver his in person.
Since then, patches from everywhere have been arriving on Charlee’s doorstep.
In the month since the Cowboy State Daily told 4-year-old Charlee Lacey's story of collecting “hero patches” from first responders, she’s been flooded with hundreds of them. (Courtesy Photo) 
In the month since the Cowboy State Daily told 4-year-old Charlee Lacey's story of collecting “hero patches” from first responders, she’s been flooded with hundreds of them. (Courtesy Photo) 
In the month since the Cowboy State Daily told 4-year-old Charlee Lacey's story of collecting “hero patches” from first responders, she’s been flooded with hundreds of them. (Courtesy Photo)
Everything From Everywhere
In the last month, Charlee’s collection has exploded.
First, letters started arriving from across the United States from people who’d heard Charlee’s story and wanted to contribute. Every letter has been preserved so Charlee can read them when she gets older.
Then the packages started arriving, 10 to 15 per day.
“We owe a huge thank you to our mail carrier,” Lacey said. “She was probably a little confused, but she’s done extra hard work delivering that crazy influx of mail.”
Charlee’s gotten patches from police and fire departments from nearly every state, each with a letter supporting the little girl and explaining the significance of the patches.
Lacey admitted she’s had a hard time keeping up with them all. At this point, she doesn’t even know how many patches Charlee’s received.
“I can confidently say it’s at least 300,” she said.
Some agencies have gone above and beyond with their packages. Many agencies have included keychains, stickers, and pictures of their K9s in their patch packages.
The Pennsylvania State Police Department sent Charlee a patch package that included a plush puppy, a T-shirt, a sweater, and a custom cup with Charlee’s name on it.
The New York Police Department was among the first to answer the call for “hero patches.” They’ve since sent an official NYPD uniform shirt, with sleeves covered with patches.
Meanwhile, the Hot Springs Ambulance Service in South Dakota added Charlee to their ranks. She’s an honorary EMT and has the badge to prove it.
But Charlee’s “lucky treasures” are challenge coins. They’re custom-made medal coins used to recognize the service of law-enforcement officers, commemorate milestones, and build team identity.
“We’ve enjoyed learning about the origin of the coins, and she really lights up when they’re included,” Lacey said.
Lacey got a shadow box for all the challenge coins that had been sent to Charlee. It was quickly filled with over 18 coins from across the nation.
No Words, Much Gratitude
The highlight of Charlee’s day is taking her mother’s hand and leading her to her bedroom to admire her growing collection of patches.
“The sparkle in her eye and bright smile on her face make every morning worth waking up for,” she said.
The deluge of patches and letters has done more than brighten Charlee’s day. Lacey has noticed that her young daughter has become more outgoing since the world has been arriving at her doorstep.
“We have noticed a boost of confidence in our once-shy little girl who would hide from everyone,” she said. “She could hardly handle a short grocery store outing.”
Lacey said there are “no words” to express the depths of her gratitude to the people who’ve heard Charlee’s story and sent their support through letters, packages, and patches.
“We have so many to thank for bringing our baby girl out of her shell and showing her how special, cared about, and loved she truly is,” she said. “There are no words to truly express our gratitude for our new friends all over the world who have taken our little girl under their wing and shown her nothing but love and support.”
A Patch For A Patch
As patches kept flooding into Charlee’s collection, Lacey realized there was one crucial thing missing: a patch of her own.
So, Lacey designed a pink-and-purple patch for Charlee’s Patch Buddies. Charlee can not only add to her collection but also start sharing with the people who’ve shared so much with her.
“We're going to do a lemonade stand to raise money to have more made, so she can send her patches to those who have sent her patches,” she said.
In the meantime, Lacey intends to keep sharing Charlee’s patch collection journey with the international cadre of people invested in it. She’s gotten behind because there are so many patches and only so much time in a day.
Charlee’s struggled in her short life but is living it to the fullest. Now, she’ll grow up knowing she’s got a world of support.
“Four years old and already a force of change,” Lacey said. “Charlee has left her bright fingerprints on the world, while the wonders of this big universe have left their gentle mark on her world in return."
Anyone with patches they’d like to contribute to Charlee’s collection can deliver them to this address:
Charlee Lacey
443 Valley View Lane #36
Rock Springs, WY, 82901
“Everything Charlee receives will be loved and taken care of,” Lacey said. “I promise.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
