Parent Bags for Children's Mercy Hospital
(A little something special)
The night of Austie's diagnosis, we had no idea we'd be admitted to the hospital.
We had gone to the ER after a couple of weeks of not getting the answers we wanted from our pediatrician based on how Austie was acting and feeling. It was off in a way our guts told us was something more, but we were hopeful this visit would send us home with a "normal" answer of a random virus and a prescription to fill.
That night we were immediately admitted from the ER to the oncology floor, digesting this new, giant word in our lives: leukemia. We were watching our two year old struggle while trying to keep ourselves together and strong - after all, it's our job as parents to be calm and know what to do, right? But we were terrified, and we entered the stark hospital room with nothing but what we'd brought with us.
This experience led us to create Parent Bags to help offer the slightest bit of comfort to new families on their
worst nights. With items like colorful towels, shampoos, toothpaste and other pieces from home we wish we'd had, we're hoping to give strength and hope through a practical bag of a little something special.
Click to download the list as a PDF
“I am not going to lie. I was so angry when you handed me that parent bag. I thought, why is she giving me this? I don’t need this! We aren’t staying here. This is not real. The bag was filled with everything I didn’t know I needed yet. It was a true lifesaver. The bath mat was my space for me. I would head in to the bathroom and lay on that bath mat and cry. It was soft and warm and quiet in that bathroom and that mat became a sacred space of my own. You may never know the true significance of needing a parent bag until you have lived a parent’s worst nightmare. What an amazing display of love from a devoted group who knew what we needed, even before we did. Thank you so much!”
From a parent bag recipient at Children's Mercy Hospital:
Want to join our efforts?
Donate
Donate $50 to fill one bag by clicking on the Donate icon. You can
also share the link PayPal.me/AustieStrong with friends!
Host a Parent Bag Party!
Host a birthday party or happy hour and encourage your guests to
bring one filled bag or donate $50 to fulfill one bag. Nothing like a party for a good cause! Click the Party icon for details to include
with your invitation.
Gather Supplies
Set up a supply drive at your office, school or favorite coffee shop. What a fun way to get together for a great cause! We also have an Austie Strong Amazon list to make it all a little bit easier.