These stories have been shared with us by social workers, birthing center medical providers and our volunteers. (The names below have been changed to protect privacy.)
“Brianna had a baby with special needs. The night before she was discharged, I spent an hour talking with her about her needs and concerns. She had only a few baby clothes for her little one and was very excited when I told her that an organization called Babies In Need could help. I took the layette into her room and she said ‘Thank goodness! I didn’t know what I was going to do! This is a real blessing!’ When I saw her again the next day, she had a big smile on her face as she told me how nice the baby items were in the layette. Thank you so much for the help you provide to our moms and babies!”
“Antonia just delivered her sixth child. The children’s father left them and finances are tight. When I brought in a car seat and layette she pointed to the layette and said, ‘When I was here three years ago that helped me name my child!’. Puzzled, I asked her how the layette had helped. Antonia replied that in the layette there was a book about a boy named Billy. The patient smiled and said, ‘Now, he’s my Billy.’ Antonia is very appreciative of the help and support from Babies in Need.”
Mary Ann: “A few weekends ago, one of our CNA’s told me that a five-week-old baby was brought in to the ER not breathing and they were struggling to get a heartbeat. Later, a nurse from the ER came over and asked if we might have a baby quilt or a very special blanket for a baby. She said that the baby had died. They wanted a special warm blanket to wrap the baby in so that the mother could rock him for as long as she wanted. We gave them receiving blankets from the warmer and I looked in a layette bag and found a perfect quilt for the Mom. The ER nurse said that it was just right. They put a rocking chair in the room and wrapped the baby so Mary Ann could hold and love him for as long as she wanted. I checked in with the ER later and they said it was just the right thing. A mother and baby had a very special time together. She’ll take the quilt home and have it forever. What you give from your heart means so much. It meant a lot to the staff, too.”
“Soon Krit delivered a darling baby girl. Soon has been in the USA since she was six years old, and has been with her boyfriend for over five years. He has a minimum-wage job, and they have a beautiful three-year-old boy. Soon Krit and her boyfriend were caught in a gang shooting that resulted in horrible scars on her back, and near-fatal wounds to her boyfriend. When this little family was getting ready to leave the hospital, the mom didn’t ask for anything. ‘We don’t have much, but we’ll manage.’ She is used to doing without. When asked whether she needed blankets or anything, she said, ‘Oh, yes.’ Then her social worker gave her a layette, saying that it was put together by a local group called Babies In Need, for babies just like hers. The mom said to thank all of you!”