This is where words tend to fail me because they just can't show you how warm and fuzzy and happy and full of joy and love and hope my heart is because we were able to give to others who are in a similar situation that we were in 6 months ago, and they can't show you how excited and grateful and blessed I felt as I put together the bags, loaded them up in the car, and walked them into the hospital. So you will just have to take my word for how I have been feeling all of these wonderful emotions!
This trip to the hospital was our second time back since we were there with Hailey in December. The first trip back was going to see the geneticist which was much less anticipated and less wonderful than this trip. This trip was great. It wasn't difficult for me to be back there at all, and I really attribute that to the fact that the hospital does such a wonderful job at creating a positive, welcoming environment, which in my experience is hard for any hospital or doctor's office to do. But on Friday the place was bright with sunshine, filled with cute colorful pieces of artwork all around, what looked like a group of high school students on a tour of the hospital for field trip or something, and the smiling faces of hospital employees, oh and I can't forget with those adorable little red carts. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
So of course I was looking forward to this trip to the hospital because I am so eager for our bags to get into the hands of families who need them. Josh had permission to leave training early to do the delivery with me, which I was very thankful for. We actually ended up having more time than we needed to get there so I took my time driving and Josh napped.
We pulled in front of the hospital just before 4pm and waited for our contact to meet us in the lobby. We had it arranged that we would drop off the bags in the lobby and the NICU employees would bring the bags up to the NICU since only patients' families are allowed there. I had thought that more than one person with more than one cart was going to be there, but there was only my contact with one little red wagon. But she reassured me that she was more than happy and capable to bring the bags up to the NICUs by herself. So she loaded as many bags as she could into the wagon and on her shoulders while Josh and I carried the remaining bags into the lobby where we were instructed to place the bags behind the information desk with the woman working there - the other woman would then make several trips to bring the rest of the bags up.
As we unloaded the bags from the car into the lobby of the hospital, the women working there told me how happy and thankful they were for our donation. One woman commented that she could tell how much love went into each bag, and another said that so many babies are going to be so blessed to be receiving such wonderful things. Those comments made me so happy because those are my same thoughts and hopes. Then once all of the bags were unloaded, I filled out a simple donation form and that was that! We were in and out in less than 5 minutes.
I knew it would be long drive there and back for only a 5 minute drop off, but it was still somewhat anti-climactic in a way. I think I felt similar to what I imagine a mother feels like on her child's first day of school. All of that work and anticipation leading up to that moment and then she lets go, watches her child walk through the door, and her child is off on his own. She can't do anything but sit back, watch them go, and hope for the best. And that's what I did. I watched our bags go on that little red wagon down the hall as they made their way to the NICU hoping that they would bless the families that receive them.
But the trip was awesome, and I enjoy imagining the wonderful possibilities of what will come because of those bags... :)
To read a post I wrote on the Project Sweet Peas blog about our first set of donations click here.
So what's next for Hailey's Hope?
Well I will be taking the rest of the month off from working on Hailey's Hope for the most part. At the end of this week I'll be traveling back home to IL for almost a week and then my mom is going to drive back down here with me and stay with us for a few days - and that brings us to the beginning of July! My how time flies!
I haven't decided exactly how I want to organize our next set of donations. I'm debating on whether I want to try to do a donation in the fall and then another one on Hailey's birthday or if I just want to focus on a really large donation on Hailey's birthday. I do know that I will be arranging some fun fundraisers this next time around. I will keep you updated on the details as they come, but until then please remember that Hailey's Hope is on-going and we are always welcoming donations!
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10
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