book & blanket drive 2016

Next month, we will celebrate Owen's second birthday. I can hardly believe he would be turning two-years-old. Last year we hosted a book & blanket drive for the babies and children in the CICU at Egleston in Atlanta, and it was a huge success. This year we plan to do the same thing. I don't expect it to be as huge as it was last year, but even if we have ten gift bags, it would be special. 

If you are new to our journey, Owen was our first baby who was born with a severe heart defect called Shone's Complex. He lived for 43 days and was the sweetest and strongest little baby. Books and blankets were two of his most favorite things. He loved being read to, and we loved reading to him. It created memories I will never forget. Having our own personal blankets in the hospital instead of the hospital blankets they provided made the unit feel more like home (which is usually the case for a lot of these families- living in the hospital every waking hour).

We invite you to join us again this year in gifting books and blankets to families in the CICU. I loved hearing updates last year when packages were delivered to families.We had enough to last several months! 

We will accept any new or gently used blankets and books. Thicker blankets are great to put under the babies as a "bottom sheet" and thinner muslin or receiving blankets are great to cover them. Larger blankets are great for older children. Everything will be washed and cleaned before packaging in gift bags for each family.

All donations need to be made by February 17th, and will be delivered to the hospital on Owen's birthday, February 23rd. Email us at brianandallisonparker[at]gmail.com if you would like to mail or ship items to our address. If you're shopping online, Amazon Prime is a really easy option! If you're local in Charlotte, I am more than happy to pick up items from you myself. Atlanta friends, I have people who are willing to collect donations. Let me know if you're interested, and I will get you in touch with them. 

As a former parent of a child in the CICU, I can honestly say that any act of kindness, especially from strangers, means the world when you are in such a state of crisis. I felt so much love from people I may never meet face to face, and it's an honor to do the same for others who are now in the same situation. Thanks for joining us! 

To read about last year's drive, click here!