Emery & Elaina

 

February is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Month.
Did you know that there is a child born with CHD every 15 minutes? Here is more info on Congenital Heart Defects.

Emery is our Wubbly® that will be available for the month of February. When you adopt Emery, a portion of the proceeds will go to Elaina, a precious Wubbly who lives nearby. Let me tell you about Elaina....

A few weeks ago, I began reaching out to my friends and acquaintances, trying to locate a local Wubbly with a congenital heart defect, who would benefit from receiving donations from our efforts during February. I had a friend who recommended her cousin. I got in contact with her cousin, Sara. Sara expressed her gratitude, but then told me that, while they did struggle from time to time, both her and her husband are able to work and they manage to get by. She had someone else in mind, a single mama named Hollie, who had a daughter with congenital heart issues and several other conditions, as a consequence. I was touched. This wasn't what I expected to hear. Someone who is offered help, automatically sending that help elsewhere, really increased my testimony that there is a lot of good in the world. Hollie also has a son with Asperger's Syndrome (we can totally relate here) who had recently started having seizures.  Both Sara and Hollie were in the hospital with their daughters around the same time. Sara told me about how Hollie had been her rock, her strength, through one of the most difficult times of her life. And she knew that Hollie was too humble to ask for any more help than what she was receiving. She was right.

 

I called Hollie and spent some time getting to know her and her situation. What a beautiful woman! She shared the story of Elaina being born and everything seeming perfectly normal. But after a few moments, it was obvious she wasn't doing well. They soon learned that her heart was missing a valve and part of it was significantly smaller than it should have been. Because of the lack of oxygen, this led to several different issues that have effected Elaina's growth and development over the past 5 years. Her story broke my heart and listening to Hollie speak, I was very aware of the deep love she has for her wubblies. When I asked what we could do to help out, Hollie stated that they were actually doing okay financially (luckily our medical system helps her to cover her bills and she has been blessed with a part time job from home). I was touched by her honesty and humility (yep! Sara was right), but asked her if there is anything in particular that she might be in need of, that might lighten her burden or make their lives a little sweeter.

It turns out, Elaina is in need of a bed that can keep her safe and have easier access to her feeding tubes. Right now Hollie has her in a crib, on the lowest setting (and anyone who has ever had a child in a crib can tell you how difficult it can be to reach into a crib that is on the lowest setting, especially in the middle of the night....maybe it is just us shorties! LOL). Hollie has a few ideas of how to create a special needs bed for her wubbly princess. So, our donations for Emery will go towards purchasing a bunk bed and the materials needed to make a safe, sturdy, and well-suited structure for little Elaina. And we are also going to try and make it into a castle/princess-theme. Elaina LOVES princesses!

Here is Hollie's blog that shares more about Elaina's story:

Walking The Fine Line

If you would like to donate 100% to Elaina, feel free to click on the Donate button below. If you have any info on creating a bed that would fit Elaina's needs, please get a hold of me (either my cell phone or e-mail). We really want to make this dream a reality for Elaina. Thank you for your support!  

SPREAD THE WUB!

Contact Danni 801-513-7027

gypsyessentials@hotmail.com