One of the beautiful children who was murdered at the Sandy Hook tragedy was due for heart surgery at Boston Children’s.
As a “heart mom” (my daughter had open heart surgery at three months old), I can only imagine the roller coaster of emotion they went through to have so much hope and then to lose their baby to such random, awful violence.
If, like us, you had been planning to make snowflakes for Sandy Hook and then found that they had already had a giant snowstorm of love, you might want to consider making and sending hearts for Ana, instead.
My friend, Kristine Brite McCormick of Cora’s Story, is organizing this. In case you cannot access the facebook note:
Ana Márquez-Greene was one of the 20 children murdered at Sandy Hook Elemtary School. Last week, her parents posted on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/RememberingAna) that Ana was also a “heart baby,” due to have surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital this month. This project was created by other heart moms to honor Ana.
We’ve gotten approval from both the family and the hospital to send hearts to decorate the cardiac unit. We’d love for you to participate!
However, there are some specific guidelines to this project by the hospital.
1. All hearts must be laminated before you mail them (to the address provided below). Laminating with contact paper isn’t acceptable, because with the flu scare these will most likely have to be bleached first.
2. Do not write the name of the person that created the heart on the heart.
3. Do not make hearts with any sort of religious theme (again this is a guideline from the hospital and not the family).
You are welcome to use your creativity in making the hearts however you’d wish to brighten up the lives of families on the cardiac floor.
We’d like the hearts postmarked no later than January 25, 2013 because we’d like to give the hospital time to hang them up before CHD Awareness Week (Feb 7 to 14) and Valentine’s Day.
They will be delivered all at once, so do not mail them directly to the hospital.
Helping Hands, Healing Hearts, (http://www.riheartgroup.com/) a Mended Little Hearts support group has generously offered to deliver the hearts, all at once, to the hospital. You may mail hearts there:
Helping Hands, Healing Hearts
ATTN: Hearts for Ana Project
P.O. Box 2664
Pawtucket, RI 02861Remember to laminate them. If they aren’t laminated, they will be thrown out, or possibly used for another project.
If you have questions, please leave them below or email kbrite@gmail.com
Thank you for showing support for Ana’s family and cheering up heart kids and their families at this hospital.
