I'm the aunt of 3 former preemies. Between the three, my family spent 7 months in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). During our time there, we noticed that so many families are simply unprepared. Many weren't expecting to give birth for months and had not even begun shopping. When the medical expenses were added... purchasing basic baby supplies added so much stress to what was already a heartrending situation for these families.
A NICU stay is no walk in the park. It's an entirely new and terrifying world with incubators, wires, beeps, blares and the smallest and sickest babies you will ever meet.
This holiday season, the children's mom and I will be collecting new blankets, bottles, pacifiers, toys and clothing to donate to NICU's across the nation to help make the NICU a little brighter for the families that will be spending their holidays bedside. We'll start with our own NICU (Arkansas Children's) and work out from there, shipping donations where they're most needed. Our goal is to collect and deliver 1,000 blankets by the end of December. If you are interested in helping out, please let me know! You can send your donations directly to me, or we can help you locate a local NICU in need of supplies that you can deliver your blankets and other items too!
Additionally, we have started a Cause page on Facebook to connect individuals interested in taking up this cause in their own home states. You may join at: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/378308/26728149?m=1a240be5
Monetary donations made on the Cause page will go to benefit the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation Inc. so that the hospital may continue providing services and hope. Arkansas Children's Hospital has continually been ranked as one of the top pediatric hospital in the nation, boasts over 90 doctors that have been voted as the Best in their fields, and serves not only children in the state of Arkansas but in surrounding states as well. More information on ACH and the Foundation may be found at: http://www.archildrens.org/foundation/about/
To help keep track of items donated thus far, please see: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/actions/2123?cause_id=378308
I hope you will consider helping out! All it takes is picking up a baby blanket or two on your next shopping trip and dropping it in the mail. It may not seem like much, but it really can make a difference.
Cheers,
Fallon
fallon@progressiveu.org
