an incredible act of kindness

There's a family that's near and dear to our hearts that used to go to our church. They're near and dear to our hearts not necessarily because we get to spend a ton of time with them (wish we could more often actually), but because the kids are wonderful and the parents are wonderful...and they share incredibly closely in our values. There may also be an unspoken bond because they moved here from Tennessee, oh-so-close to my Bluegrass roots. Sweet tea and Southern draws connect people. Just sayin'. :)

So, long story short, I get a Facebook message from their sweet, sweet, sweet 16-year-old daughter last night that she has something very special to give me. She's quite crafty so I'm thinking maybe something cute she made for Baby Girl, about which I would be totally happy. Anyway, we exchanged texts and arranged to meet up this morning.

Come to find out, my sweet teenage friend aspired for a long time to be a NICU nurse. Given that, she has spent some time following babies' stories who have been/are in a NICU environment due to various conditions. Specifically, she's followed babies with HLHS, the very condition our sweet baby girl has. So, she handed me this cute bag of goodies and explained what it's all about. Wow! I was absolutely blown away. Still am really. Turns out there's this incredible organization called Sisters by Heart. Anyone can contact them to "nominate" a family who has a child that has been diagnosed with HLHS to receive a care package. My sweet friend did just that, had it delivered to her address and hand delivered it to me today. The bag/care package included what you see in the picture...swaddling blankets, a baby hospital gown, leg warmers, a Onesie, a handmade hat, hand sanitizer and cream, a journal for me, a deck of cards for John, a book for Abby and Emily, an encouraging note from said teenager's mom (that meant so much) as well as a few other things. Every item in the bag had a personalized label that explained the what and why of each item.

I cannot begin to tell you how much this care package means to us, a family in the beginning stages of navigating these choppy waters of an HLHS diagnosis. And I cannot begin to tell you how much the act of kindness means to us...such a thoughtful, God-honoring act of kindness...from one of the sweetest, most amazing teenagers I know. Talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU, A.G. You know who you are. ;)