There are several families who will be spending their first Christmas with their new little one in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the Children’s Medical Center and one group of volunteers wants to make their Christmas a little more special.
“Many of you all probably know that having a baby in the NICU can be a huge financial strain for families. Since I’ve been there, I have seen parents lose their jobs, their homes, and a lot of what they own in order to continue being near their infant,” Cara Bryan, a social worker in NICU, said. “The travel costs add up and food and lodging gets expensive after a while too. Because of all of these financial strains there are some families that may not be able to give gifts to their other children this year. Toys are obviously not a necessity and I would prefer to meet more of their needs than their wants. However, if it’s possible, it would be great for the little ones to be loved on too.”
The idea was originally designed to be a fundraiser inside Bryan’s local community, which included many members of the Medical College of Georgia Class of 2013. But as emails were sent out and forwarded, soon the entire medical school and the entire University was involved. But still, The community and the Class of 2013 have been instrumental in both raising funds and spreading the word about the event.
If you are interested in “adopting a baby” and their family for Christmas, or donating anything at all, Bryan asks that you contact her at carbryan@georgiahealth.edu or 706-721-0736. The deadline for donations is Dec. 20.
Items that are needed include:
Stockings
- Stocking stuffers
- Preemie clothes (boy or girl)
- New born clothes (boy or girl)
- Candy
- Monetary Donations
Gift Cards
-Grocery
-Restaurants
-Walmart
-Gas
-Target
-Honey Baked Ham
-Buy Buy Baby
-ToysRus
-Any other items valuable to infants or toddlers would be accepted.
-Will also gladly accept any gently used items for babies and toddlers.