Nothing a Little Monkey Bread Can't Cure

Desperate to get six-year-old Aidan Murphy to eat, hospital staff and family said he could order whatever he wanted. Murphy had lost six pounds during his stay at a Philadelphia-area hospital for a virus, and his weight fell to only 34 pounds. Murphy's only request: "Monkey Bread from the beach." "Of course, we all looked at each other because there's no Monkey Bread or anything close in the hospital," Murphy's family said. "Needless to say, when the tray of jello, broth and rice was put in front of him, he said in his groggy little voice, 'Where's my Monkey Bread?' " That's where Lee-Ann McHugh came in. She's friends with the Murphys and aunt of Laura Idell, owner of Ocean City's Monkey Bread. When Idell learned of Murphy's request, she sent a free shipment of Monkey Bread and stuffed monkeys to the young fan of her sweet and gooey treats. Monkey Bread cuts the ribbon on its new downtown location on Friday, April 11. Idell owns and operates a Monkey Bread stand at 972 Boardwalk (now open weekends). On Friday, Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce officials helped her cut the ribbon on a new downtown location at 955 Asbury Avenue. The new location will serve breakfast sandwiches and other menu items, in addition to Monkey Bread. Read more on Facebook. A grand opening weekend celebration continues today at the downtown location with free coffee for customers. "It's soooo good that our little guy has been pining away for it," the Murphys said of Monkey Bread. "That's the best endorsement. Monkey Bread is Aidan Jack approved." And, of course, the young man now is out of the hospital, recovered and probably regaining a little bit of that weight.