Lilly Memorial Project - Project #1 is finished!

Last Sunday, I FINALLY finished putting together our hospital donation of 17 angel boxes (for Lilly's 17 months).  It took much much longer than I initially had planned, thanks to a new baby and a surprise move and other life happenings.  I hope to get in touch with my contact at UNC Hospital this week to set up a donation time.  Probably for next week because I am still sick.  (Solomon is doing so much better.  Hunter still is coughing and has a runny nose.)


Here are the contents of one of the donations for an angel family:

1. Journal & pen - journals are composition books that Tabby took and covered both the front and  backs with pretty scrapbooking paper
2.Model magic - clay for hand and footprints (donated by Jordan's mom)
3. Angel ornament - also by Jordan's mom (see her Trisomy Tea page here)
4. Disposable camera - donated by my sister-ln-law Nikki
5. Envelope for Wisp-of-Hair
6. Small Kleenex pack
7. Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep business card - from Lilly's photographer
8. Far Flutterby - beautiful comforting book by Karen Kingsbury
9. Lilly & Jesus notecard - with a handwritten sympathy message from me
10. Outfit for burial - this was VERY important to me as I was so thankful we had a beautiful dress already that I was able to use for Lilly - I can not imagine shopping for a burial outfit while mourning.  I have a number of outfits I bought off Ebay, a bunch of crocheted dresses (made and donated by a young woman and her mom who I met through the purchase of one on Ebay), and several burial pouches made by me and some by G.C.
11. Package of Forget-Me-Not seeds
12. Memory box - I used letter, angel, and butterfly stickers to decorate the lid of a photo box
13. Drawstring bag - I made a bag for each donation to put everything in.  I used Lilly-colored ribbon to tie them.

Here are a few photos of Tabby and Hunter helping me fill the boxes:

Everything fit inside the memory boxes (except the book) and I wrapped the outfits in tissue paper and carefully placed in the top of each box:

Here is the big heap of packed bags ready to go.  Pink bags for girls, blue for boys, green for either:

Besides the project tag on each bag, I also made a tag that shows the outfit inside each bag.  On the back I wrote the size and measurements of the outfit.  I figured that would make a nurse's job much easier. 

Now the biggest question is, how to transport all these from the parking lot to inside the hospital?!  Perhaps Hunter's red wagon would be allowed inside ....

The kids and I prayed for the families that would receive these bags.  I know that everyone copes with death in their own way.  But I do pray that there are some things in each bag that will provide some comfort and hope for these families.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." - 1 Corinthians 1:3-4