Beatrice's Fund
Donation protected
TL;DR version: We started this to help other families with children in the NICU. We are incredibly fortunate, but we've seen other families who could use help - more help than we can offer. 100% of the money we receive will go to other families.
Full story of why we're doing this...
Before she was born, our daughter, Beatrice, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, and several massive heart defects. We knew that, if she survived all the way to birth, she would spend a lot of time in the neonatal ICU - the NICU.
On October 2nd, she was born. And for the first 6 days of her life, we couldn't even hold her. But we were there, every day, until we could. My wife, especially, has been able to spend most of each day with her, holding her, changing her diapers, comforting her during each X-ray and echo and EKG, and - now that the central lines are out, and she can take food by mouth - teaching her how to eat.
There has been an incredible, awe-inspiring, humbling outpouring of love and support; and definitely more newborn gifts and meals than we ever could have guessed. Beatrice has continued to progress. We may even get to take her home for a few weeks before we have to bring her back for heart surgery.
But while we've been in the NICU in that time, we got to know her "roommates", and their parents. And we've learned how lucky we are that we can spend so much time with our daughter.
One couple can only spend an hour every night with their tiny son, because they have to work.
Another couple was expecting twins, but was surprised with triplets, one of whom hasn't been doing very well.
Or the guy who was deployed in a combat area when his children were born, and their closest family lives in Florida.
Or the woman shows up almost every night to see her baby with her other young children in tow. It's the only time she can spend there, and the nurses all help keep her children entertained so she can spend a few brief moments with their younger sibling.
I got to thinking: what would these people's lives be like, if they had just a little more help? What if they could afford to take a day off work, or hire a babysitter, so that they could spend more time with their children? Clearly, they want to.
And over time, I've noticed that we're the most fortunate people with a child in the NICU. There are LOTS of families who can't afford for a parent to spend time with their children. Maybe, like us, they have other children at home who also need to be taken care of. Maybe they can't afford to take the time off.
And that's where this idea was born, watching the ebb and flow of parents visiting the NICU neighbors of our daughter, Beatrice: a fund to help families with children in the NICU. Nothing glamorous, but at least a little something to make their lives a little easier.
Full story of why we're doing this...
Before she was born, our daughter, Beatrice, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, and several massive heart defects. We knew that, if she survived all the way to birth, she would spend a lot of time in the neonatal ICU - the NICU.
On October 2nd, she was born. And for the first 6 days of her life, we couldn't even hold her. But we were there, every day, until we could. My wife, especially, has been able to spend most of each day with her, holding her, changing her diapers, comforting her during each X-ray and echo and EKG, and - now that the central lines are out, and she can take food by mouth - teaching her how to eat.
There has been an incredible, awe-inspiring, humbling outpouring of love and support; and definitely more newborn gifts and meals than we ever could have guessed. Beatrice has continued to progress. We may even get to take her home for a few weeks before we have to bring her back for heart surgery.
But while we've been in the NICU in that time, we got to know her "roommates", and their parents. And we've learned how lucky we are that we can spend so much time with our daughter.
One couple can only spend an hour every night with their tiny son, because they have to work.
Another couple was expecting twins, but was surprised with triplets, one of whom hasn't been doing very well.
Or the guy who was deployed in a combat area when his children were born, and their closest family lives in Florida.
Or the woman shows up almost every night to see her baby with her other young children in tow. It's the only time she can spend there, and the nurses all help keep her children entertained so she can spend a few brief moments with their younger sibling.
I got to thinking: what would these people's lives be like, if they had just a little more help? What if they could afford to take a day off work, or hire a babysitter, so that they could spend more time with their children? Clearly, they want to.
And over time, I've noticed that we're the most fortunate people with a child in the NICU. There are LOTS of families who can't afford for a parent to spend time with their children. Maybe, like us, they have other children at home who also need to be taken care of. Maybe they can't afford to take the time off.
And that's where this idea was born, watching the ebb and flow of parents visiting the NICU neighbors of our daughter, Beatrice: a fund to help families with children in the NICU. Nothing glamorous, but at least a little something to make their lives a little easier.
Organiser
James Dasher
Organiser
Chapel Hill, NC
