All this planning for Cole's birthday has made me think a lot about Braelyn. On October 7, it will be her 2nd birthday. In a way it seems like yesterday I was laying upside down in a hospital bed struggling to keep her alive. But on the other hand, now that I have Cole, it seems like it was a lifetime ago. I hate that I am losing some of the memories of that time of my life, but maybe it's for my own protection. We don't talk about her too much, but she's always in my mind. Every time I'm interacting with Cole or watching him discover something new, I can't help but to think about what it would have been like to experience these times with Braelyn.
Anyways, I promised myself that every year I would do something nice for someone else in honor of Braelyn. I want to be sure that she is remembered and her short life served a purpose here on Earth. Last year we had a big party with both of our families and talked about what each person/family had done in her name. This year, we are not going to do a party, but I do still want to celebrate her.
I have been reading a blog for over a year now of a family who had premature twins (28 weeks) and one of them didn't survive. Her surviving twin has overcome a lot of obstacles due to being severely premature. He is thriving now, but the pain of losing a precious child is never forgotten. The lady who authors this blog decided to do something to remember her son, Dex. She began making tiny diapers out of flannel fabric that she donates to hospitals.
Her organization is called Teeny Tears. She states on her website that approximately 26,000 children are stillborn in the United States every year, about 1 in 160 births. A significant number of these angels are preemie or micropreemie infants. Many of these angels are far too small for even the very smallest commercial diapers. Teeny Tears is a service organization that provides tiny flannel diapers at no charge to hospitals and bereavement support organizations for families that have suffered the loss of a preemie or micropreemie child through stillbirth to NICU loss.
This is an idea I LOVE! I remember standing in Braelyn's NICU room and trying to gather up anything and everything that she had touched. I wanted to bring it all home because I didn't have much in the way of things that belonged to her. Everything I have fits into one tiny box. It would have been nice to receive these diapers that actually would have fit her. One thing I'm passionate about is trying to help those who are currently standing or will stand in the shoes I wore on Thursday, October 7, 2010.
So, this year for Braelyn's birthday I am planning to make several of these diapers to send to The Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria. The same place that Braelyn lived for 12 hours. My friend Kari has agreed to teach me how to sew and my mom is going to let me rev up her sewing machine. I know I need to start this endeavor soon b/c I'm no sewing expert by any means. It'll probably take me a few months to accomplish my goal.
I am writing about this on my blog for a few reasons. First, I want to state my plan in a public forum so I stick to it. I don't want to have a great idea in my head and not carry it out. So, hear me when I say I am going to do this! It may not all be done in October, but my plan is by the end of the year. Cole has a doctor appointment in Peoria for his kidneys in December, so I will plan to make my delivery that day to the NICU. Just in time for Christmas. My second reason for writing this blog entry is to get others involved in this great cause. If you would like to sew diapers, donate fabric (must be flannel), donate safety pins, or even donate money to go towards making these diapers, I would gratefully accept offers.
You can learn more about Teeny Tears here: Teeny Tears Blog Be sure to check out their mission, learn about precious Dex, and look at all of the adorable diapers that have already been made and donated. Also, if you want to sew some diapers yourself to add to my donation you can find the pattern under the Tutorials and Patterns tab at the top. There are a few different size diapers that you can choose from.
Thanks for listening to me ramble on here tonight. It feels good to have decided what I want to do for Braelyn this year. I can't wait until Cole is old enough to learn about his sister and choose something that he wants to do to honor her each year. It'll be so fun to see how his little mind will work when it comes to doing something nice for someone else.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Braelyn and all that she means to me. I think this is a great idea and I am in for whatever you need! Love you!
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