It was an amazing experience.
Also heartbreaking.
And sobering.
A reminder that life doesn’t always go the way we’d like it to.
We first decided to deliver care packages to the moms on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Oishei Children’s Hospital after speaking with some hospital staffers. They felt the moms in the NICU were often overlooked; forgotten. Sometimes they are up there for days, weeks, even months. Watching their babies, praying for their babies. Sometimes juggling other children at home, sometimes forced to go to work. It’s a tough – incredibly challenging balancing act. But they do what they have to do.
We asked the community for help with this mission through our charity, Totally Buffalo’s Hope for the Holidays. Of course, the community came through big time! As you usually do.
We received adorable Thirty-One Gifts zippered bags from Jamie Wintringer; $500 worth of Tim Horton’s Gift Cards from Rosanna Berardi and The Berardi Immigration Law Firm; candy, gum, pens, stuffed animals and adorable handmade cards from A Step in Time Dance Studio on Grand Island; and chocolate roses, hand lotion, chapstick, nail polish and other goodies from folks who ordered from our Amazon Wish List.
We appreciate the help more than you know.
Walking around the floor and meeting the moms was special. Seeing all of those beautiful babies was a gift. The nurses and staff are so amazing up there – we had some gift bags left and gave them to those amazing folks who work tirelessly to get those babies healthy.
We met one little baby who’d been in the NICU for about a month. Her name is Araya and her middle name is Sunshine. Yes – she certainly was a ray of sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day. Her mom – there by her side – was so thankful for the goodies – but also for the prayers and love and just knowing she and baby Araya are not alone.
So thank you to everyone who helped, who shared the post and who said a little prayer for those little babies.
If you would like to help us continue to do things like this – you can donate at totallybuffalohopefortheholidays.org
We continue to fill the cupboards with snacks and food for patients and parents at Oishei (including oncology, NICU, PICU, surgical and medical floors) – if you would like to help by ordering something from our Amazon Wish List you can CLICK HERE.
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