I am asking for some help with a very important cause. I have already asked some of our close friends and people we go to church with, but now I am also asking people I have not ever met in person, but know that they have been so loving and generous to our family through such a difficult time in our lives. I have seen and felt the generosity and kindness from complete strangers until it absolutely overwhelmed me! I am asking for your generosity to now help benefit a very important cause here locally in the Huntsville area. Let me explain.
When Tori was born, she was 1 lb 9 oz and was lacking the ability to be able to maintain her own body temperature. There were a lot of things that were still underdeveloped and not completely done forming yet. For example, I remember that when she was born, the cartilage in her ears had not formed yet, so her little ears would fold over if she layed on them for too long. Her lungs were not fully developed causing her to be on the vent for the first 5 days of life and after that on a CPAP and nasal canula until she became sick again. She was then put back on the vent in Nashville. Because of her prematurity, she also had to be fed through a line in her belly button for a week or two and then through a tube in her mouth because she did not have a sucking reflex yet.
Probably one of the most important things I mentioned that were very premature, was her inability to keep her body warm on her own. The beds they put them in are VERY warm until we as parents would get hot sitting beside her for hours on end. That is how much help they need to keep their body temp up. I remember being told our first week in the NICU that she was in a Giraffe Omnibed. I thought "Okay, that's great," but didn't truly understand the difference in those and the other beds there. I soon found out, though.
Her bed kept her body temp just where it should be, and with her temp probe, it would alert the bed if she was getting too cold, causing an alarm to sound and the temp would be adjusted. The other neat part about it is that it has two doors on both sides allowing nurses, doctors and parents to be able to get to the baby without having to always take her out and risk her getting cold. That is why it was very rare that I held her and she was 2 weeks old before I ever did. If she did need to be gotten to quicker than that, though, the top electrically comes up and the baby is right there at easy access. There is a foot pedal at the bottom that electrically moved the bed up and down to put the bed at just the right heighth for whoever needed a good view of the baby as they changed a diaper, took her temp, etc.
Because these beds are over $40,000 each, Huntsville is trying to purchase these beds as funds are raised through things like Swim For Melissa. You can go to Amy George's blog and read more about her story in case you haven't heard it. Three years ago, she had twins and they were in the Huntsville NICU. Ann Catherine survived, but Melissa did not. Now in Melissa's memory, she raises money for these lifesaving beds that helped babies as tiny as mine and hers!
My dad had emailed and later met Amy after Tori was born, thanking her for the work she is doing and providing these awesome pieces of lifesaving equipment for babies like ours. We never even knew what a Giraffe Omnibed was, much less did we think we'd ever have to use one!
I desire even more so to see more of these purchased for HH NICU because of the situation I saw while we were there. The tiniest and most critical babies got these beds first, and what if there was another baby a little bigger that needed one just as much? Well, let's work together to alleviate that dilemma.
We have personally set a goal of $1500 and I believe we can reach it. We donated the first $10 and I am asking for another 139 people to donate $10 to reach the rest of our goal. I have had a few people already donate more than that, and that was a great start! We have 44 days left to raise the rest of our goal, will you sacrifice a couple of fast food meals this week and give your $10 to this great cause instead? I understand as well as anyone that money is tight and the cost of gas, food, etc. are rising daily. But I know that I could afford at least $10 to give to this very worthy cause.
I am personally doing this in memory of my sweet baby Tori. She was able to survive as long as she did because of equipment like these beds. I want another baby to have that same opportunity, too. If you will click on the link below and donate on the screen under our goal. When you're done, please forward this link to your family and friends and ask them to donate as well. I thank you in advance for helping us. It means a lot to me!
Tori's "Swim for Melissa" donation page:
https://www.swimformelissa.org/mypage.php?p=13
1 comment:
Melissa,
I read this post with tears in my eyes. I know it would be so easy for you, after losing Tori, to walk away from the NICU experience and not look back. But, you can see the bigger picture that God had a plan for Tori's life. And by helping us raise money to buy these beds, you are honoring Tori's memory. I have always said the best way I can honor Melissa's memory is to keep living and try to use my energy and journey to help others. That's exactly what you are doing - and I know that she is so proud of you.
I am so touched that you started a web page in Tori's name and that you are helping to raise money for Melissa's Fund. Every penny you raise is going to do so much good. Someone's child or grandchild will have a better chance at life - all thanks to Tori. What a beautiful legacy she left behind. Thanks for being true to her memory.
Amy
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