Thank you Nana Nina & Poppa Wally!

A Huge Thank You To

  Peyton's Nana Nina & Poppa Wally, of Kansas City!

Just look at these beautiful handmade hats that came in the mail for the infants at CCMC.

These were made with love by Peyton's Grandmother, Nana Nina!

Aren't they precious!

It's hard to see, but this one has an adorable flower embroidered in it.

So stylish!

A green tag placed on each of these hats reads :

"Each stitch is knit in memory of my granbaby Peyton Elizabeth Binder"

Polka dots with a pom on top.

They also sent along some fabulous little pairs of pants. I don't know if you can tell, but the ones on the right have little frog feet! Too cute!

Thank You So Much Nana Nina & Poppa Wally!

Thank You Cheri Wanek

Just look at this beautiful blanket donated by
Cheri Wanek, of Bethlehem CT.

Cheri crocheted this especially for our collection. It is just beautiful, and will bring such comfort to any baby girl lucky enough to be wrapped in it.

Thank You So Much Cheri!

The Packages Have Been Opened... Come See What Was Inside!

The first was a bag of items donated by
Kristina Jensen and Sarah Montesi of Bristol, CT...

 Look at all those hats!

Such adorable outfits too!

Thank you so much Kristina and Sarah!

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Next, came a Land's End package from
Jenni at DemetersFeet, and her family!

It came to us from Reading, MA.

The onesies had such adorable prints, and check out these cute hat/bootie combos!

Thank you so much Jenni!

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Next, we received 2 Amazon boxes from our dear blog friend,

Jeannette, aka LazySeamstress,
out of the United Kingdom.

These were from the first box...

So neat...

and then this little guy came in the second box...

Thank you so much Jeannette!

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This box came from a High School Classmate of Krissy's,

Veena Thomas, out of San Francisco...

Just Check out these great outfits for boys...

and girls...

too precious...

Thank you so much Veena Thomas!

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A package, without a name, or card, arrived from

 the 911 Drug Store of Brooklyn NY.

Inside we found these two adorable toys!

Thank you so much 911 Drugstore!

(If someone's name was missing here, please contact me at doinggoodinhername(at)gmail(dot)com and let me know, thank you)

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Bobbie, at TeamDoyle sent us these fabulous goodies!

Two beautiful, handmade blankets...

and all of these goodies too!

Thank You so much Bobbie!

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A package arrived from another former classmate of Krissy's,

Melissa (Brown) DePaola, of Jacksonville, NC...

Melissa was kind enough to send along some cribsheets and blankets, clothing, pacifiers...

the list goes on and on...

Thank You So Much Melissa!

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Lastly, in this group, we received a very generous cash donation from Rebecca Stanley, of Smithville, NJ!

Thanks to Rebecca's generosity, we have now raised $530 for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation!!!

Thank You So Much Rebecca!

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All of these donations arrived here in the last four days! Can you believe it? We are planning our first drop off to CCMC for next week, and know that they will be thrilled to see these wonderful donations!

Thank you all for your support, and check back soon to watch this initiative grow!

What a difference a day makes...

Went to the post office on Thursday, and the box was empty...

Returned Friday... and was greeted by all this!

Another shot of this haul in all its glorious magnitude!

Unfortunately, in my excitement at taking pictures of the boxes, the camera battery ran out, so we are waiting for that to charge, and will get the pics of all that is inside up on the site in the next few days.

Also, we received a bag of items which we will display as well.

Thank you to all who have donated so far, and to those who are still planning to. We cannot believe how quickly the word is spreading about this initiative. At last check on Facebook, we had 230 fans. Amazing since we have only been up and running for a month! If you haven't checked us out on Facebook yet, please do so here, and we encourage you to invite your friends to do so too. The more who know about Doing Good In Her Name, the better.

Watching this initiative grow in Peyton's honor, has meant more to us than any words can express. Losing her has been devastating in a way that we never could have imagined possible, and seeing something good coming out of all this pain, is, in its own way, healing.

Thank you to all who have supported us so far through donations, spreading the word, and with prayers and good thoughts. We know that this initiative will make a difference to so many other families, who like us, never imagined walking in the shoes of parents with a critically ill infant.

On their behalf we say Thank You, and invite and encourage you all to check back soon to see what was in all these wonderful boxes!

More Generous Contributions.

These last few days, contributions to Doing Good In Her Name on behalf of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation have been rolling in, and we would like to show our appreciation to the following individuals.

Thank You Marc Heimlich!

 Thank You Lori Orsini! 

Thank You Audrey Therault!

The generosity of these three donors has brought our total collections now to $480!

All funds donated through Doing Good In Her Name, to The Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation, will be used to offer financial assistance to the families of critically ill babies being treated at CCMC. These funds will be used to provide hospital cafeteria and parking vouchers, assistance that means so much when dealing with an unexpected illness of a child, and assistance that lets these warriors' families know that they are not alone.

Thank you again,  Marc, Lori, and Audrey! Your generosity means so much!

Thank You Gauthier's!

We would like to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to SUELLEN & JACK GAUTHIER, for their incredible donation to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation. Their generosity will do so much in allowing us, through the foundation, to provide much needed financial assistance to the families of critically ill babies at CCMC.

THANK YOU SO MUCH SUELLEN & JACK!

With this donation, we have now raised $430 for the CCMC Foundation!

Thank You Carbone Family!

When Peyton was in the hospital, one of her NICU nurses, Heather, tried very hard to make her room feel "homey." She made beautiful signs, took lots of pictures of us together, and even hunted down a "mobile" for us. I say "mobile" with quotations, and a smile, because this particular mobile had really been put through the ringer. What once had been an ocean wonders mobile, had lost most of it's hanging toys, becoming a mishmosh of spinning beanie babies, the remaining ocean wonders animals, and even a stuffed m&m toy held on by a rubberband. When I think of that mobile, it makes me smile and laugh now, just as it did then. Peyton wasn't picky, she enjoyed watching it spin overhead and falling asleep to it's lullabye sounds. Memories of how much having that mobile in the room meant to us, are why this next donation really touched our hearts.

Thank you to the Carbone Family, for donating this new, beautiful, mobile for use by the critically ill infants being treated at CCMC.

We know, without a doubt, that it will be greatly appreciated by the children, and their parents, alike. Thank you!

Another Amazing Donation

Thank you so much to Angie 
for sending these amazing donations!

Just look at all these goodies. Angie really thought of everything. She sent toys, music, and adorable books for parents to read to their babies at CCMC. These will allow for some moments of normalcy, which mean so much in a hospital environment. In addition to the clothing, bottles, books, CD, shoes, bibs, teethers, pacifiers, and toys, Angie also donated Five $5 Dunkin Donuts cards to be used by the parents whose children are staying at CCMC.

These are sure to go to good use as the days spent with a child in the hospital can be very long. A coffee pick-me-up, as well as the short walk in fresh air to get to the Dunkin Donuts nearby, can do wonders for the soul on the most exhausting days.

Thank you so much Angie, for your amazing generosity!

New Donation

A special thanks to Carmen and Magaly Rodriguez for the incredible and generous donation that they have provided to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation.


Their gift makes it possible for food and parking vouchers to be purchased to help a family with a critically ill infant at CCMC. Having had a child in the NICU, and PICU, we know how appreciated your kindness will be.


Thank you so much Carmen and Magaly, for helping this initiative, and for helping us honor Peyton's memory with this amazing gift!

A musical donation!

Thank you so, so much to Catherine W. for her generosity.

We received this lovely CD in the mail yesterday.

Catherine W. had already generously donated two CD's for the children at Connecticut Children's Medical Center through Amazon.com, so to receive a third gift from her, really blew us away. Catherine W., who is from the United Kingdom, smartly ordered through Amazon's American site, and therefore didn't have to pay international shipping! What a wonderful idea.

Anyone who has had a critically ill infant, knows how hectic and out of place life in the hospital can feel. This CD of sweet lullaby's will bring alot of comfort to CCMC's little ones, and the parents who care for them. A comfort that comes from having some sense of "normal" in their room. This wonderful music will help to drown out the background noise (monitors, busy hallways, etc) that is life in a hospital, and allow these little babies the important rest they need to keep up the good fight, as well as bring some peace to the minds of their parents.

THANK YOU CATHERINE W!

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We have been so pleased with the outpouring of donations that have been coming in so far, and hope that we can make this collection for CCMC a real success! Be sure to read above for the many ways that you can help.

Pictures... Finally!

Remember when you went to the circus as a kid, and a tiny car would move to the center ring. In amazement you would watch, one by one, as clown after clown after clown after clown piled out of a car that seemed only big enough to hold maybe one passenger. That is what my experience receiving Margaret's donations was like.

Two small boxes arrived at the post office, roughly the size of shoe boxes, and recognizing the name, I thought how wonderful it was that a fellow babylost parent (and truly amazing woman) who lives all the way in Canada, had thought of our initiative and decided to help. I really have no idea how these things all fit in the boxes. Once I unpacked them, I had to transfer them to large bags, because I couldn't figure out how to make so much fit back in the boxes.

In my last post I spoke of Margaret's incredible generosity despite having just received word of her husband's impending layoff. Today I will show you. Please check out the amazing donations from Margaret below. Her generosity will benefit SO MANY infants being treated at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Just check out all these outfits!

And wonderful hats!

More beautiful clothing for CCMC's infant patients.

Even a few holiday outfits!

Clothes of all different infant sizes!

Pairs of shoes and teethers!

I just can't figure how it all fit!

Thank you so much Margaret!

**Good News. Another donation came in today. I will save that for my next post.

 Thank you so much to Margaret, and to those who have helped us so far, and those who are planning to help. Together, we can make a real difference for these sweet warriors being treated at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and their families.

Wonderful Donation.

We have received another wonderful batch of donated items.

Two boxes arrived just brimming with clothes, teethers and hats. I honestly do not know how so many things fit in those two boxes, it is enough to fill two garbage bags for sure. Thank you so much to Margaret for acting with such an incredible and generous heart, even as her family faces the news of an impending job loss. We are humbled by your kindness.

Be sure to check back for pictures in the coming days of all of these beautiful items. I was having some camera issues which have been resolved, now I just need the battery to charge so I can post them!

DONATION UPDATE

Donations have been rolling in
from far and wide!

It is amazing how quickly the word is spreading.

We have 135 fans on the Doing Good In Her Name facebook page!!!!

So far $220 worth of checks have been donated
to benefit the families of critically ill infants through
the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation.

Monday we received a very generous gift from a Canadian blog friend.
Thank you so much Salma!

And another today from a church organization in Olathe Kansas.
Thank you so much LaShawn!

 Also, these beautiful items arrived.

From a fellow blogger from the UK!
 Thank you Catherine W.

From Peyton's Aunt Kate and Uncle Mike.
Thank you!

From Peyton's Gramma and Grandpa R.
Thank You!

Each one of these items will bring comfort and joy.

Thank you all so much!

Another donation...

I just received word from a very generous bloggy friend from the UK that there is a package waiting for me at the Post Office. I can't wait to check it out, and share with you all what's inside!


**As a side note, I had briefly posted something here earlier today that was meant for my other blog. I apologize if anyone was confused by it.

Keep 'em coming...

A picture is worth a thousand words right? Remember I told you in my last post about the generous donation we received from a local family? Well here, I have decided to post a photo of this great haul. (My apologies that the pics are unclear, I am using my camera phone.)

Thank you so much, Paradise Family!

Then today, on my visit to the post office, I was excited to see another box full of goodies arrive!

These items are actually from the mother of the woman who donated the above items. This family's generosity has touched our hearts, and will mean so much for CCMC's critically ill infants. You have no idea what a difference it makes to have your child dressed in something bright and fun, rather than just a hospital receiving blanket. These outfits do wonders to keep little ones warm, and to warm the hearts of those who care for them.

Thank you so much, Carol Jones!

Additionally, thanks to another generous donation that came today by way of a check, we have now raised $120 for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation.

Thank you so much, Ms. Maria Blatz!

We are off to a good start, but we still have a ways to go. Please prayerfully consider helping out if you can. Any donation, big or small, whether cash, gift card, or item (see list above) are greatly appreciated and go a long way towards assisting these critically ill infants and their families. And remember... these donations are all tax deductible.

Donation Update

We have truly been blessed today. 

A very generous local family
 has made the following donation to the CCMC drive: 

*2 pack of pacifiers 

*teething ring 

* 3 pack of bottles 

* an adorable bunny bib

* 6 infant outfits
*fitted crib sheet set

Between this great haul, 

and the incredibly generous $100 check received earlier this week,

we are off to a really great start!

Don't forget- all gifts collected in this drive are tax deductible.

FIRST DONATION!

Just a little update....This is just the beginning, and we are off to a great start. This site has had over 500 views in it's first few days. We are up to 21 followers and the word is spreading. Best of all, today we received our first donation! We know that the critically ill infants at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and their families will truly appreciate the food and parking vouchers that today's donation will provide, and look forward to seeing this initiative grow. Together, we know it can be a huge success for these little warriors and their families.

Thank you so much, Dolzadelli Family, 

for being the first to donate!

Off To A Great Start

This site been up only a few days, and already we have begun receiving messages of support for The Connecticut Children's Medical Center initiative. What better way to enter the holiday season, than by embracing the spirit of giving? Parenting a critically ill child can leave you feeling helpless and isolated. Together, through these donations, we can make a real difference by sending the message that these little ones, and their families, are not alone, and that there are people striving to make their stay in the hospital a little easier. Even the smallest of gestures can leave a huge imprint on someone's heart.

The holidays are here, and with them so many ways to help:

As we are now approaching a new set of Holidays without Peyton, we have decided to take up a collection in her honor to benefit the critically ill infants and their families at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, the hospital where Peyton spent her entire life.

During our time with Peyton, both in the NICU, and on the oncology floor, we were the recipients of many random acts of kindness. These acts made a very difficult situation bearable, and made it possible for us to be at our child's side day after day. It is for these reasons that we would like to pay the kindness forward with this collection. Every gesture, no matter how grand or small, makes a big difference in the life of a family with a critically ill baby.

ITEMS:

If you would like to donate items, (new and/or unused), the following are those which would be of the greatest help...

* Pacifiers

* Teethers

* Soft blocks

* Baby Einstein toys

* Rattles

* Bottles

* Bibs

* Crib/bed mobiles

* Ocean Wonders Crib Aquarium or any with soothing sounds

* Fitted crib sheets

* CDs of lullabies and classical music

* Board books (English & Spanish)

* New infant clothes for boys and girls

* Diapers

The children currently being treated in the NICU will put these items to great use. If you have items that are not necessarily brand new, but just like new, and clean, they too would be appreciated. Please remember that because these children are compromised, it is crucial that the items are clean. We are sorry but we will not be able to accept any used stuffed animals as they cannot be properly sterilized.

Homemade (knitted/quilts/fleece etc) blankets and hats are welcome too, as long as they have been washed and placed into a ziploc type sealed bag.

Knit hats of any size are also greatly appreciated as the smaller ones can be used on babies in the NICU, and those of other sizes can be used by children undergoing chemotherapy. The zanier the hat design... the better. These kids love style! :)

Please mail any items to be donated to:

Peyton's Pals

Attn: Doing Good In Her Name

P.O. Box 1281

Burlington CT, 06013

GIFT CARDS:

 Every gift card donated, will be distributed to the parents/family of a critically ill infant being treated at CCMC. Gift Cards in any amount are greatly appreciated from the following establishments.

*Dunkin Donuts
*Friendly's
*J Restaurant & Bar (located directly across from the hospital. Gift cards can be ordered online here.)
*Gas Cards (Sunoco, Shell, Valero, Getty, Gulf, Mobil)

These can be mailed to:

Peyton's Pals

Attn: Doing Good In Her Name

P.O. Box 1281

Burlington CT, 06013

DONATIONS:

Tax Deductible cash donations can also be made. These donations will be used to provide the families of critically ill infants with parking passes and food vouchers that can be used in the hospital cafeteria. Parking at the hospital can grow quite costly, and we know from personal experience what a great help these vouchers offer in helping to alleviate some of the financial burden that families with very sick babies are under.

Many times, it is very difficult for the parents and family of critically ill infants to get away for a meal. Your donations will also go to providing vouchers for the cafeteria, making the prospect of grabbing a quick bite much easier for NICU families.

If you would like to make a monetary donation,
please make your checks payable to

The Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation.

Please reference "Doing Good In Her Name" in the memo line.

Monetary donations can be mailed to:

Peyton's Pals

Attn: Doing Good In Her Name

P.O. Box 1281

Burlington CT, 06013

Any contribution to this collection effort,
large or small,
 will have a huge impact on
 these little warriors and their families.

Thank you in advance for your help,
 and God Bless!

Questions can be left here in the comments form, or emailed to doinggoodinhername@gmail.com

Still A Work In Progress...

Please check back soon for info on the drive we will be doing for Connecticut Children's Medical Center. If you would like info right away on which items we are collecting, or how you can donate to the fund that has been established in Peyton's Honor to assist NICU families at CCMC, please leave a comment below.