Today marks one year since Ruby’s open heart surgery. One year! How fast that flew by!
For the record, Intermountain Healing Hearts is an amazing support group on facebook, but not just there. They do so much good! HERE’s a link to them. But the facebook group is a big part of it. And I normally just call it the Heart Group or Heart Board. So if you are every talking to me and I say that, you’ll know now ;). Anyway, in the Heart Group, someone posted a long time ago about bringing gifts to the CICU on the heart surgery anniversary date.
I thought it was a great idea! And especially because it isn’t easy being in the hospital during Christmas. It’s hard. All you want is to be home with your family and enjoy the holidays! Snuggle up with your kids or go make memories. It is hard. So I knew that I wanted to do something similar. I wish I had planned ahead better–I finally had time to think and decided Monday night what I would do. and bought the stuff Tuesday morning and then stayed up till the wee hours of the morning making it all.
But I finished!
What’s super amazing, awesome, and humbling, is that yesterday evening, I thought to myself that I didn’t want to gift just the garland and heart ornament–I wanted to give people some leg warmers to keep their sweet babies warm. I always feel cold in hospitals and feel like my kiddos are cold while they stay there, so something useful was definitely on my radar. I posted on Facebook, just on a whim, wondering if anyone had some to spare and would be willing to donate some pairs of leg warmers. I had 5 pair myself and wanted enough to make 15 boxed gift sets. In no time at all I had many offers to give me some leg warmers! I was so touched by the quick response and generosity of people! This is definitely something that might be an ongoing project–we will see. I’ve been brainstorming. For now, I’m just really happy I actually got them finished and delivered this evening.
My sweet kids were such awesome happy helpers!
Ruby just had to hold a box like her siblings, and she also had to walk herself and did not want me to hold her. So she carried around a box and ran around with her squeaky shoes.
We walked into the hospital and it was so great to see a line of people with donations. I filled out the slip that explained the gift and the story behind the donation, along with who it was intended for. Then the sweet lady took this picture of us and printed it then and there. She was so kind and encouraging. I showed her what was inside the boxes and she was excited to give them to the lady in charge of the gifts in the CICU.
We got a snack in the cafeteria and I got to explain to the kids some of my feelings…point out the table I sat at each evening where I could finally stop being strong for a minute and where I cried and prayed and called family–them included. I talked to them about their own surgeries they’ve had (Devon–appendix, tonsils, and broken elbow–Bailey–craniosynostosis) and how we need to be thankful for each day because we just never know what will happen–and to especially be thankful for our health. And my kids all talked about how happy they were that Ruby was doing so well and I got to sit and ponder how it felt to be there last year. The worries, the stresses, the emotional roller-coaster. I was sure to take note of the people coming in and out of the cafeteria. I thought back to myself walking around the hospital, kind of in a daze. Some of them looked similar. I can’t imagine what some of them must be dealing with.
When we got back to our van we said a prayer for all the children struggling in that hospital, and prayed for their families and for them to feel peace. It was just a neat experience and I’m so excited to add a meaningful Christmas tradition each year! And oh how I love these four kiddos of mine.
I do need to plan ahead better, however ;). I have some ideas! We will see if they come to fruition.
I just wanted to thank you all for your love and support of our sweet Ruby and our family. Thank you. So many of you have really touched our lives with your kindness.