From June 8 through the 25, Jarrett, Noah and I lived most of our lives
inside the walls of the Banner Desert Medical Center. It was the scariest, most difficult and also
the most blessed time in our lives. Everyday presented us with challenges to endure, fears to face, and worries to overcome, and yet those were some of our greatest days.
We
were cared for like we were family, treated like we were the most important
people in the entire hospital and blessed countless times over.
The moment we thought about doing something in honor of Noah on October 3, finding a way to give back to Banner was the first act of kindness we set our sights on. Our final two acts of kindness will be reciprocating some of the kindness we received by paying it forward for Banner staff and community...
11) Staff Thank you: While
the hospital was where all the kindness was given, it was because of the
amazing nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and staff that we were
blessed. And now it is our turn to
return the blessings, to reciprocate some of the gifts we were given, to those hard-working, caring miracle workers that shared their kindness with us. On Saturday, October 3 at 11:30 a.m.
as we gift the Banner community with our kindness. We will present the team in the antepartum
and NICU units with a thank you gift in memory of our son.
12) NICU Care Packages: Additionally, we will gift handmade creations of love to other families in the NICU. Our gifts, thanks to Nana and our friends Trudi and Sonya, will include infant snuggle sacks, crochet blankets, preemie sized knitted
hats, and heart shaped scent cloths. Each item was created from our hands and our love was poured into them. It is our hope that as future NICU families receive them, they feel the love that was shared as it was created.
After delivering our gifts to Banner, we
will write our wishes and messages of love to send to Heaven. Shortly after noon we will release a rainbow collection of balloons with our messages of love into the sky.
If you'd like to contribute items to donate to the NICU and/or even to join us as we thank the Banner community, please let us know, by clicking here.
Sharing blessings with the Banner Community is important for me, as I want them to know how thankful we are they treated us so kindly. And by sharing gifts with other NICU families, it is our hope that their experience is the same as ours... bountiful blessings of love and kindness. I will always feel a connection to that hospital in Mesa. I can't drive on the 101 or the 60 without thinking of our many trips to and from that hospital. It was a place where our miracle baby first experienced life outside me, where he fought so valiantly to stay with us, and also the place where part of my heart left me as my son left me behind in this world. The nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, clergy, and social workers were there to help us through each and every moment and that is a blessing we will never forget.
I look forward to many things about a week from today but one of the acts of kindness I look most forward to is saying thank you to many familiar faces I've missed since we walked out of that hospital over three months ago for the last time. Instead of being sad this time, I hope the feelings are of happiness, of gratitude in being able to pay it forward and then... I look forward to watching as our wishes to Noah are released into the sky with a rainbow of colors floating up to heaven.
Until next time,
Angie
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