We Did It!

I created our Family Team for the March of Dimes March for Babies in 2006 because I felt I needed to do something after our NICU stay with my daughter Ava. When we completed our first walk with Ava at 9 months old I still hadn't made sense of everything that had happened and she still hadn't made a 100% recovery yet. But walking that year and being with the other NICU families helped get my emotions in check.

We continue to walk each year to give thanks for the chance Ava was given and to give hope for all the babies to come. The March of Dimes also touches every family everywhere, even those whose babies were born healthy. And for that we give thanks. Every dollar we raise, every step we take, we are making progress.

Thank you to all who contributed toward our $1,307 raised for Team Ava Marie in 2009. Every dollar counts! $82.50 was donated from sales at PlumDaisy and another $58.50 from my cousin Tiffany's shop, PrettyHeadsBoutique giving us $141 in donations from the wonderful Etsy community! Again, thank you to everyone who makes it possible for us to give back.

To Honor Babies

This week, Sunday April 19 to Sunday April 26, 25% of all sales at PlumDaisy will be donated to benefit the March of Dimes. We will be walking on Sunday the 26th in the Annual March of Dimes March for Babies. We have walked proudly for the last 3 consecutive years and will continue to raise money & awareness as we fight for all babies.

I walk each year to honor my daughter, my little fighter, to remember all of the babies who didn't survive and to give a fighting chance to all babies to come. Please support me and the March of Dimes. Shop away!

Meeting my daughter for the first time, 1 day after her birth

I am walking (and selling) to get there

There are just about 30 days until the annual March of Dimes March for Babies and I have introduced a few new MOD inspired items to my shop.

As a preemie parent I am very aware of the bittersweet experience of bringing a child into the world too soon. One out of eight babies is born too soon and my daughter Ava just happened to be that one. Sadly, those statistics are rising each year with more and more babies not getting their full 40 weeks.

No parent should ever have to go through what thousands of parents like us have to go through when their baby is born too soon. No mother should be left in her hospital bed with empty arms while her baby is fighting to live in the NICU. No parent should ever have to wait days or even weeks just to hold their newborn baby. But sadly some parents have to and that is why I walk each year.

I walk so that the March of Dimes can continue to make progress in the fight against prematurity. I walk so that all babies will one day be born healthy. I walk for my daughter. And I'm selling with 100% proceeds to make that possible.

See my shop under the "Charity" tab for accessories to support this life-saving fund. Please join me so that we make a difference for all babies to come.

♥ And thank you to all who have supported my fundraising efforts! Your support will not be forgotten!

Building a Playground

I never met the McClenahans but stumbled upon their blog recently. Reading their heart wrenching story made me relive the 11 days I spent in the hospital with my daughter when she was born premature almost 3 years ago. Waiting. Wondering. Praying for a miracle. Just as the McClenahans did. We had the same hope of bringing our baby home healthy. And as they were waiting, and praying for their miracle which seems to be the only thing you can do when your child is in the hospital, they lost their sweet baby girl, Cora Paige. On February 8th, their little angel made the journey to heaven after losing her short battle with cancer.

Three weeks before Cora passed they were a carefree family raising a beautiful daughter with many hopes and dreams for her future. And now they are raising funds to build a playground at their church in honor of Cora who never made it to her 1st birthday. The McClenehans had so much faith through their ordeal and is relying on that faith to get them through such a difficult time.

In honor of Cora and her family's strength, I joined the Cora Paige Etsy Project to help this amazing family raise money to build a playground at their church dedicated to Cora. Check out the hundreds of items on Etsy with proceeds going to benefit the playground.

To date, there are over 120 shops who have come together to honor the short life of a beautiful little girl who has touched so many hearts. Final donations will be accepted on March 5, the day she would have celebrated her first birthday.

♥ If you simply want to make a donation to help build this playground, visit CoraPaige.com.