Thursday, February 21, 2013

Gideon's Gift

I had a thought as I was being rolled out of Labor & Delivery on June 2 that hasn't left my mind since that day. Kate (my wonderful nurse & now amazing friend!) had given me a little blue box. This box had some sweet mementos & pamphlets of things that would help me with the grieving process and other things like that. At that moment, in that wheelchair, I thought (out loud actually), "Man this really sucks, leaving here with a box instead of a baby." and it did. It was terrible. But that box & that thought has never left me.

I am a Thirty-One Consultant. I sell awesome bags for an awesome company that I love. They have these little bags called a Littles Carry All Caddy. These little totes are the perfect size for a square box of kleenex. The square tissues fit down in there perfectly actually. And I use them at work also, for my pens & scissors & things like that.

Well... Shortly after I got home from Gideon's birth, I realized that I wanted to do something. I had to do something to help other moms that become "Mommy's to baby's in Heaven." So I came up with this concept entitled, "Gideon's Gift." I want Gideon's story to live on. I want his legacy to make a difference in this world. A difference in the lives of families that have to go through the same thing that we went through. I want Gideon's legacy to give a "Gift" to a hurting mom, dad, & family.

So... What is my vision for "Gideon's Gift?"

My vision is:
-- Littles Carry All Caddy with "Gideons Gift" embroidered on it from Thirty-One
-- a little 'Gideon' Teddy Bear (which, as of right now, is just a small stuffed animal that will fit into the caddy)
-- brochure that has different information (a note from me, pictures of Gideon, a list of things not to forget to do, etc...)
-- a couple bucks for dad (& siblings when applicable) to get candy from vending machines
-- a hat made by Gideon's Mugga (my mom is Mugga & is an AMAZING knitter . She is going to make a special hat for each sweet baby)
-- a gift card to Red Robin (see previous blogs to understand the importance of Red Robin itself)



All these things were important to me during the aftermath of my journey with Gideon for different reasons & I just want to pass them on to another mom that needs some love from someone that's been there.

Jesus loved me enough to see me through the entire journey from January to June. I want to show that love to another mommy, in a way that (I think & I hope) will be meaningful to her. And this is what I feel like has been laid on my heart to facilitate that goal.

But there's one problem.... I do not have the financial means to fully facilitate this dream. I have (as you can see) purchased some of the things I have needed to get started. All of this has been purchased (minus the candy bar) from money that was generously & lovingly donated to Gideon's Gift (and thank you so so much to those of you reading this that HAVE donated. Your generosity means more to me than you know!). Now I am at a stand still & have no where to go from here...

This is where maybe you can come in...

I need help. I need help getting this ball rolling again. I really have only been able to ask for donations at my Thirty-One parties (which is fine, I enjoy telling Gideon's story to people that don't know & giving them the opportunity to give if they want to), but I need to get this thing going more than that. I need some ideas, some thoughts on how to get people involved financially. I know times are tough, and they're tough for me too, but.... just a couple bucks could help tell Gideon's story to a family that desperately needs that sort of encouragement. Something that says, "We know how you feel. We love you."

I already have a separate account set up under my name as "Gideon's Memorial Fund" that I was using when people wanted to donate to us for his final costs. Now that all that is taken care of, that account is strictly used for Gideon's Gift. All money given to me to go toward Gideon's Gift is put in that account & all money is used strictly for Gideon's Gift purposes. This practice is very important to me.

The problem remains... I need help.

Whether that be to help me think of ideas as to where to find more donations...

Whether that be a donation from you personally...

I'm not sure... But I am sure that those 4 gifts in that picture up there are going to stay on my counter & not in the hands of a grieving mommy until I can get everything I need to complete one.

I hope that I'm not being too forward, but this is a big project & a long term one, that I want to do right. I have spoken with my nurse, my photographer, other mothers that have been there & we all seem to be on the same page that this could make an impact. So I'm reaching for the stars here...

If you have any thoughts about how to get my sweet Gideon's project off the ground, please let me know.
If you know of someone that has done something like this before & would be willing to give me some wise advise, please give them my email (jennymcginnis31@gmail.com)
If you would like to make a monetary donation to Gideon's Gift, please, I would be delighted, thrilled & honored for you to become a part of this legacy.

I promise to do my very best to honor the memory of my son, to tell his story in such a way that will show people the peace, comfort & love I felt during that time in my life. I want nothing more than for his legacy to be one of love, hope, and peace in a time that feels nothing like that.

God Bless you all for your love & prayers. Please pray for Gideon's Gift. Pray that it would be a blessing to families that really need it & that it would grow in such a way that would glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He is the reason I'm the person I am today. He is the reason that Gideon's story has made any impact at all on anyone. He is the reason for it all. Without Him I am nothing. Without Him I am helpless. Without Him nothing is possible.

With Him.... It is all possible.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth.
Phillippians 4:13




Jenny's Contact Information:
jennymcginnis31@gmail.com

1 comment:

  1. They really need our help and they are proud hard-working people. "SO WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" you may be asking yourself. I will tell you as simply as I can. When I was about to lose MY SON, HUNDREDS of people I didn't even know, and never met thereafter, donated close to $4,000 dollars to Gavin's father and I ...all in small personal checks and cash. We were given cards of encouragement and we would have never wanted this for ourselves, but it was given to us (God Bless you Lisa and Troy for raising the funds for us). It changed a LOT for us, durring the most difficult time of our lives. We knew we had people praying for our family and we knew we were not alone. Because of the donations made to us we were able to give our son a beautiful funeral. Without the generosity of others we wouldn't have been able to afford it. Guys this family deserves to memorialize their child as well. And now is OUR time to PAY IT FORWARD. Please join me and spread this link to anyone and everyone you know. I APPRECIATE YOUR GENEROUS SOULS...remember every dollar helps
    If you have any questions about the fund raiser please ask me or visit the web site
    https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/5hh2/christenson-elizondo-family?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_stream.share&utm_campaign=receipt_t1&og_action=hug&t=3&fb_ref=1073335

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