A Better NICU Christmas

It has been a crazy 9 months since Mia was born. She was in the NICU for 2 weeks and we've been in and out of the hospital ever since. (If you just joined us and want to know why click here).

This Christmas season I have found myself deeply reflecting back on all the kind words, service, and prayers we have received from friends, family and complete strangers on behalf of our family. The care we have received at the hospital has been amazing. There have been some pretty stressful and emotionally draining days and we have felt loved and supported all year. Thank you!

Every time we go to Primary Children's I think of all the families that are there. The ones that I see at the cafeteria and the ones I don't get to see.  This holiday season, there are going to be families at the NICU experiencing grief, worry and emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. I know we can't take that away and we can't take away what their babies have. But we can help them feel loved and supported and that their babies are being thought of, loved and well taken care of.
I was thinking of helping the hospital with things that they need in order to help these families feel less stressed and like their babies are being thought of.  When I called them they gave me a list of the things that they need. Here is the list:
-Newborn sleepers with snaps
-New board books
-New Rattles
-New non-latex teethers

We personally have been able to receive some of these things. For example, Mia didn't have any clothes at the hospital because we didn't know how long she was going to be there and she couldn't lay on her back. She was covered in I.Vs and cables, we didn't even know if we could touch her let alone what she could wear. One day, I came in to see my baby girl and the nurse had dressed her up for me. Mia was wearing a headband and a onesie. ALL donated items and she looked beautiful. Seeing her in clothes made me forget for an instant that Mia was in the hospital.

I know they give the parents board books so they can read to their babies and their babies can hear their voice. I loved that. It made me feel better to know that even though I couldn't hold my baby to comfort her, I could read to her and she could hear my voice and know I was there.

The rattles and teethers are used for either pain control or distraction. As Mia has become more aware of the world around her, C.T scans and X-rays, and getting blood drawn gets more difficult to do. They have these buckets with toys to distract your baby. Mia loves this rattle that lights up when she's getting a C.T scan.

These are just a few of  the many ways we have benefited from donations at the hospital. These donations have completely changed our hospital experience. We can do that for other parents during the holidays!
Please donate!
Join our page on Facebook called, A Better NICU Christmas.

Send donations to:
A Better NICU Christmas
Lizbeth Camarillo
P.O. Box 1332
Bountiful, Utah 84011

If you wish to send money instead, please donate to our GoFundMe account:
www.gofundme.com/32uvt28


We will be collecting these items up until the 22nd of December. We want to have everything ready to be delivered by December 23rd so they can hand it out on the 24th.

Thank you for helping us make these families' Christmas more bearable!