Welcome to Mikayla's Grace

Mikayla's Grace Inc. is a public charity organized and operated exclusively for charitable purpose. Specifically, it was formed to support families with a baby in the NICU and those who experience the death of an infant at hospitals in the Madison, Wisconsin area by providing NICU care packages and angel memory boxes that offer both practical and emotional support for the parents. It was founded by Mike and Melissa Terrill in February, 2011. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and all donations after March 11, 2011 are tax-deductible.

We have two angels in Heaven, Mikayla Grace (6/13/10-6/15/10) and Chase Gabriel (4/22/11). This organization was initially inspired by the loss of our second child Mikayla Grace after she was born prematurely June 13, 2010. She was born at 24 weeks, 6 days at a tiny 1 lb 5.5 oz, and we were blessed to have a short 36 hours with her before she went to her Heavenly home on June 15, 2010 {you can read all about us and our story here}.

We want to reach out to those who have recently been affected by the trauma of having a sick baby in the NICU or infant loss in local hospitals. We know first-hand how intense this heartache is, and wish none of us had to endure this, but we are so grateful for those who have helped us and know how crucial this initial support in the hospital is.

Our first donation was in memory of Mikayla's first Heavenly birthday on June 24, 2011 to St. Mary's Hospital where Mikayla was born. Our second donation was made in October to recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Our first donation to Meriter Hospital in March of 2012 is in honor of Chase's first Heavenly birthday.We have donated a total of  107 Angel memory boxes, 100 NICU care packages, 100 books, 115 baby blankets, 24 preemie clothes and 115 gowns   with matching booties and hats to St. Mary's Hospital and Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. 

To find out how you can help go here. We will be using this blog to keep track of our progress and keep our supporters updated. We send out monthly newsletters and you can sign up for updates via email at the right hand column of this page.



We are hoping that we can gain enough support to make this an ongoing project for many years to come. There are over 100 infants that die at these two Madison area hospitals alone each year, and another 100 infants admitted to the NICU after being born before 29 weeks. Our goal is to meet these needs and then hopefully expand to offering support for women who experience earlier losses as well. Thanks for any support you can give us in helping these families and keeping Mikayla' and Chase's memory alive.

Mother's Day: Advice for bereaved parents and those that love them

Everyone knows that Mother's Day is in May, but did you know that Sunday May 6th 2012 is International Bereaved Mother’s Day?   

This special day was created by Carly Marie to honor and celebrate mothers who carry some, if not all, of their children in their hearts rather than their arms.  In our modern day society, mothers who are grieving the death of their babies and children are usually forgotten. The traditional Mother’s Day has proven to be an emotionally difficult day for so many mothers around the world.  Mother's Day is usually a day of celebration, but for many parents who have lost a child it is a day of heartache, pain, and tears thinking about our sweet angels.

To help raise awareness for this beautiful day take some flowers from the flower gallery on Carly Marie’s page.  Post them as your profile image on your favorite social network.  Post them on your friends’ walls on Facebook and let them know they are beautiful mothers.  You can also visit this facebook page to join the community honoring this day.

Anticipating and facing Mother’s Day after the loss of your baby can be challenging.  A time when you should be celebrating, becomes a time of remembering and thinking about all the “what ifs” and “should have beens” instead.  Not only is your precious baby not here with you, but witnessing the celebration and joy in other families can make it even more heartbreaking.

Many parents have found that the lead up to certain special dates is worse than on the actual day.  We almost fear that day, not knowing how we will cope; not wanting to feel more pain than we already are.  Through planning the day though, Mother’s Day can also be a beautiful one. Planning ways to get through these special dates may provide comfort and healing to your hurting soul, by giving you some tangible purpose in your day.  Whether you are on your own, or are surrounded by family & friends, this is a time for you and your baby.  Here are some ideas taken from the Bears of Hope Newsletter that  you might like to think about to help you get through Mother’s Day.

• Release a balloon – perhaps inscribe a message on it before doing so
• Light a candle throughout the day
• Write a poem or a letter to your baby
• Visit the cemetery – place fresh flowers
• Have a special place to go to for breakfast, lunch or dinner each year
• Go for a walk – drawing on the beauty of nature to soothe your soul
• Plant a special flower or plant
• Buy or create a special piece of jewelry to wear
• Create a scrapbook page
• Listen to some music that will offer comfort and hope

If you have not experienced the loss of a baby yourself, but know someone close who has, you may be wondering how you can acknowledge that woman on Mother’s Day.  Here are some ideas:

• Recognize that they are a mother:  Offer a hug and a "Happy Mother's Day".
• Acknowledge that even if the mother has other living children, she may still be missing the one who's not with her to celebrate Mother's Day.
• Send a card to let them know you remember they are a mother even though their child is not with them physically.
• Acknowledge they have had a loss by saying, "I know this might be a difficult day for you. I want you to know that I am thinking about you.” 
• Use their child's name in conversation.
• Plant a living memorial, like a tree or flower in memory of their baby.
• Light a candle and let the mother know you will light a candle in memory of their child on Mother's Day. 
• Share a memory or pictures of the child.
• Send a gift of remembrance:  Suggestions include an angel statue, jewelry, a picture frame, a library book or toy donation in the child’s name or anything personalized.
• Don't try to minimize the loss: Avoid using any clichés that attempt to explain the death of a child. ("God needed another angel.") Secondly, don't try to find anything positive about the loss ("You still have two healthy children").
• Encourage self-care by encouraging the mother to take care of herself. Give her a gift certificate to a day spa or any place where she can be pampered.

You Knit Me Together in My Mother's Womb ~ Psalm 139:13

By Dawn Siegrist Waltman. taken from her book, A Rose in Heaven

{Mother's Day.  A day of so many mixed emotions.  A day that takes so much effort to hang onto the hope of heaven, lest I become swallowed in the emptiness of the present.  The emptiness of the day is so consuming I can't get away from it. It's everywhere!  Women with newborns in their arms on TV, pictured in store flyers, strolling into church-everywhere!  And whose arms are aching and empty?  Mine.  I should have been one of those women, with an infant in my arms today.  Somehow though, I feel as if the reality of having a baby slipped right through my arms, almost like a vapor.  One day she was a part of me, the next day she was gone.  I want to cuddle that little life, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing to cuddle.  There is a feeling of desperateness in my heart, but it is at this point that I realize I must focus on what I do have.  And I do have something! I may not be strolling into church or appearing in a family picture with a newborn in my arms, but, nevertheless, I do have a child.  I am a mother. The moment conception took place, I was blessed with the gift of a child and the title, “Mommy."  As Psalm 139 clearly states: "You knit me together in my mother's womb."  I am a mother of a "little rose in heaven", and nothing-absolutely nothing will change that. And although I don't have "my little rose" in my arms today, I do have the comfort of knowing that a glorious day is coming when I will meet her and together as a family, we will spend eternity with Jesus."

Dear Friend, This is one of the hardest days to face with empty arms and an aching heart. It is normal to feel overwhelming grief and sorrow on Mother's Day.  My prayer, though, is that you will not become swallowed in emptiness to the extent that you miss the hope of spending eternity with your child and the honor of being a Mother today.}

Do Not Be Afraid of Our Tears

I was reminded today of a post that I'd written as a guest blogger last year for Half-Pint Resale as a way to reach out to those who may not have experienced pregnancy or infant loss to help them understand what to do in those situations and I wanted to include it on this website as well.

I wrote this about 9 months after our daughter Mikayla died, and just a month before we found out that our third child, Chase, had joined his sister in Heaven after just 10 weeks of carrying him.   We had just barely begun planning for our first donation with Mikayla's Grace.  One our our goals with Mikayla's Grace has always been to serve not only the families who have a baby in the NICU or are going through the loss of a child, but also those family and friends that support those parents.  You can see the most recently updated list of resources on our Resource Page.

Melissa Terrill is our guest blogger, taking on a topic that often fills so many of us with anxiety.  Melissa and her husband  lost their daughter nearly 9 months ago after she was born at the tender age of 24 weeks.  Melissa is a dear friend of ours and of Half-Pint Resale, and offered to write this post to give us all the tools – the words – the permission some of us may feel we need – to be there for our friends and family who are going through such a tragedy.  She speaks with compassionate but straightforward truth, and we encourage you all to read and to share this important information, so that we can be community and family for one another.

Melissa and Mike and their son Jonathan have also begun a truly wonderful non-profit in honor of their daughter, called Mikayla’s Grace, which seeks to support families with a baby in the NICU and those who experience the death of an infant at Madison area hospitals.  The non-profit provides provides  NICU care packages and angel memory boxes, offering both practical and emotional support for the parents.  There are many ways you can get involved – read on.

-EC and LS

Source: Honoring Our Angels

 According to 2004 statistics issued by the CDC 15.6% of pregnancies in the United States ended in either a miscarriage or stillbirth.  Which means that most of us have either been directly affected or  know someone who has been affected by the loss of an infant.

My family has experienced this heartache first hand, when our second child Mikayla Grace was born prematurely for unknown reasons at only 24 weeks and 5 days last June.  In one day, our dreams as we knew them came crashing down, when we learned that our daughter would not survive after being alive for only 36 hours.  You can read more of our story here. The world suddenly became a very lonely place, one in which our “new normal” was so unexpected that even those closest to us were at a loss of what to do.

I have learned a great deal through this experience, and I hope that I can share a few things that might help you if someone in your life experiences the death of their child.  It is hard to know what to say to a grieving parent, and I’m almost certain that before Mikayla died I wouldn’t have had a clue either. Our own fear of loss can render us immobile.  One of the most difficult things that a bereaved parent deals with is when people say nothing about the the child that is on their minds every moment of the day.  I remember thinking that it seemed like others had returned to their lives so quickly, leaving us to deal with our grief on our own in many ways.

It was as if people felt like they had to think of the “perfect” thing to say, and if they couldn’t, they just said nothing. There is no “perfect” thing to say. There is nothing you can say to heal the grief of losing a child. But acknowledging and supporting grief is a way to help healing. Please know that the effort of talking about the baby, the loss, and the sadness will be appreciated, even if it’s not “perfect.”  I love this quote by Elizabeth Edwards, whose firstborn child died at age 16,

‘If you know someone who has lost a child or lost anybody who’s important to them, and you’re afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad by reminding them that they died, they didn’t forget they died. You’re not reminding them. What you’re reminding them of is that you remember that they lived, and that’s a great, great gift.”

Bereaved parents need your loving support more than ever. Please do not stay away or ignore the loss.  Not speaking about it does not lessen its reality. Bring up the subject, and be prepared for tears. Nothing you say will ever make the bereaved parent sadder than the reality of losing a child. Simply allowing a safe space for them to grieve without denying that grief is all that’s required of you. Remember, it is usually the simple things you say or do that mean so much.

There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief…and unspeakable love. ~ Washington Irving

It is important to remember, as a friend or family of bereaved parents, that the parents only grieve because they loved so deeply.  Their tears speak this unspeakable love, do not be afraid of their tears.  Do not be afraid to speak the name of the baby that they still love even though the baby is no longer with us.

In discussing this topic with a friend of mine who has not experienced the death of her child, she said ”the two things I would have LOVED to have known immediately are:

1.  The most important thing to ANY bereaved mom is to know that you remember and care about her baby.2.  The right thing to do or say is SOMETHING.  The only real mistake you can make is saying or doing NOTHING.”

Contrary to the widespread notion that “getting over” loss depends on “letting go” of the person who died, many people find that successfully going on with their lives includes finding a new way to feel connected to the person who died.  When I found this on the Sweet Dreams Our Angels website I really connected with it.  I knew that I wanted Mikayla and Chase to have a legacy that would carry on to help other families that have also experienced the loss of a child, and that is why I started our non-profit, Mikayla’s Grace.  To find out how you can help, go here.

Resources for Bereaved Parents and those who want to support them:

Thankfully there are many resources available for bereaved parents and their family members today, and we are fortunate to have a lot of local support groups in Madison and even a doula service especially for families who experience a loss in Madison:

• Mikayla's Grace Resource Page has a specific area of links to other online resources for family members of bereaved parents.  
• This site has a very good explanation of grief if you’d like to understand a little better what bereaved parents face.  If you would like to get something for a bereaved parent but not sure what to do this article gives good ideas for appropriate sympathy gifts.  There is a local company  called Tender Tears that offers Babyloss Comfort Boxes and 10% of all sales goes to support families through Mikayla's Grace.
• Carly Marie, has written articles on How You Can Help Ease the Pain and How Friends and Family Can Help that are worth reading.

Keep in mind that although most parents will grieve differently, most bereaved parents would appreciate you doing something.  The only wrong thing to do is nothing.  I hope that by sharing my story it will help others that are going through this journey as well.

March Work Day

Saturday we had over 30 people come to our house to help assemble the donations for this month.  We were so touched at all of the family, friends, and Mikayla's Grace supporters who came to help assemble these donations.  So many of the individuals who came to help out are fellow bereaved parents who are happy to help and do something in memory of their babies as well.  We feel so fortunate to have met so many amazing people that are honored to help us carry out our mission to help these other families in our community.  The mission of Mikayla's Grace, and all that we have accomplished this year, would simply not be possible without the help of all these people.  Here is a video from WKOW from that day.


We put together 75 angel memory boxes and 60 NICU care packages which is our biggest donation yet.  There were also around 70 gowns with matching hats and booties and 65 baby blankets donated as well.



Something new we are doing this year is donating sibling teddy bears to St. Mary's that will be given to siblings of the NICU babies.  Often these children cannot visit the NICU so this gives them something to cuddle and play with while they wait for their baby sister or brother to come home, which for many of these babies can be several months.  We also donated books especially for the NICU siblings as well.

We were also fortunate to have some money left over from the Pepsi Refresh Project grant money to purchase several sets of The Zaky, a positioner specifically designed for NICU babies to help the baby feel like they are being held in their isolette and to help with their healing process.

One addition to the Angel Memory boxes for this donation includes a brochure created by the Mother's Milk Alliance.  This organization is run locally in Madison and supports women who want to donate breast milk and those who need this precious breastmilk for their babies.  The pamphlet is geared specifically towards bereaved mothers who may wish to donate their breastmilk, and I think it's such an important resource for families to have if they desire to do this.  It was put together by a fellow babyloss momma, Traci, who donated her breast milk after the death of her daughter Leticia several years ago.

 

We also added these tins for the lock of hair keepsakes for each memory box.  We've always included keepsake cards with a small ziploc type envelope for the lock of hair but this allows parents to open the  tin easier than the bags do.  We still include both, so that parents can choose which they'd prefer or  use both if baby has lots of hair.

There were several local babyloss families that donated special items in memory of their angels.  Dannah Kilborn donated 30 of these "Always remembered, always in our hearts" ornaments in memory of her daughter Emily.  Jesse and Stefanie Spohn made these healing bracelets especially for other bereaved parents in memory of their son Jameson.

We will be making the donation to St. Mary's Hospital this Friday.  It is our third donation to this hospital and over the course of the last 9 months we have managed to supply a year's supply of these donations needed for the number of babies that need these services for memory boxes or NICU care packages to babies <30 weeks.

We will be making our first donation to Meriter Hospital next Friday.  They will receive 50 angel memory bags, which is almost a year supply for the number of infant losses seen at this hospital.  Meriter already has very nice boxes, so we donate items that they do not include in their current memory boxes.  These additional items include our pamphlets "What we wish someone would have told us before leaving the hospital: Advice from bereaved parents for spending last moments with your baby" and "Advice on making Burial or Cremation arrangements", Strong and Tender Father's grief booklet, Journal, Little Footprints Memory book, 3 D Casting kit for baby's feet and hands, Baby Record keepsake, and our Resource envelope.  Meriter will also be receiving 30 NICU care packages.

Flower Fundraiser

In our first year we'll have donated  107 Angel memory boxes, 110 NICU care packages, 77 books, 100 baby blankets,  and over over 75 gowns with matching booties and hats and preemie clothes to St. Mary's and Meriter Hospitasl in Madison.  Without the donations of our supporters we would simply be unable to do this, so the need for fundraising continues!  

This spring we are holding an online Flower Fundraiser!  You can purchase flower bulbs to plant in your garden this spring and 50% of your purchase will go directly back to Mikayla's Grace to provide more NICU care packages and Angel memory boxes.  

In order to continue to meet the needs of both Madison area hospitals we are hoping to raise at least $3000!  

You can order anytime now through April 27th when the fundraiser ends.  All orders will be shipped in April or May (based on the right time for planting in your area).  The bulbs are very high quality, well priced, and have a 100% money back guarantee as well!  Shipping is a flat rate of $5, no matter how much you purchase.  If you purchase more than $40 worth of flower bulbs you will get these beautiful gladiolas for FREE!

Visit this link to order your flowers NOW!

Please help us spread the word about our flower fundraiser but passing this link onto family and friends who might like to purchase some beautiful flowers to plant in their gardens while supporting our charity.  

EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS! $5 donates a camera that parents can use to take their first photos of their baby.  $15 covers the cost of one casting kit that nurses will use to make hand and foot keepsakes of the baby.  $50 provides one memory box with all the items a parent will use to create memories of their baby.

These pictures below are just a few examples of bulbs you can purchase.  

Handmade Gowns, Booties, Hats, and Blankets

We are always in need of hand made donations for baby gowns, hats, booties, and blankets.   These can be sewn, knitted, or crocheted (see below for patterns).  We hope to be able to donate two gown sets (gown with matching hats and booties) and two matching blankets for every baby.  We do this so that the baby can wear one before burial, that the parents keep as a memento, and another for the baby to be buried in if parents make that choice.  We will still take donations of incomplete sets if you are only able to make one type of item however, and we will gladly find a volunteer willing to make matching booties and hats. 

All donations can be sent to: 

Mikayla's Grace, PO Box 145, McFarland, WI 53558

Knit/Crochet patterns (find many free patterns on www.ravelry.com):
Knit gown: (various sizes)
Knit Angel wrap
Knit Angel Wrap (~16 weeks gestation on page 13 of booklet)
Knit Tiny Hats (Different sizes for 16, 18, 20 weeks gestation on page 15 and 16)
Knit Booties

Easy knit booties

Knit Hats
Knit hat (Multiple sizes from extra small preemie to newborn)
Knit hat (Multiple sizes from extra small preemie to newborn)
Knit hat
Knit spiral hat
Knit booties and hat

Crochet gown: (~3-4 lbs)
Crochet gown
Crochet gown and bonnet
Crochet gown
Crochet gown
Crochet princess gown with bonnet/booties
Crochet boy's gown with hat/booties
Crochet boy's pantsuit
Crochet bunting
Burial wrap
Crochet Burial wrap
Crochet hat

Crochet hat

Crochet Santa hat
Crochet Pumpkin hat (4-5 lb size)
Crochet Candy corn hat/booties
Crochet Santa hat
Crochet baby booties
Crochet baby booties
Crochet baby booties
Crochet Heart Baby Blanket (18"x20")
Crochet Baby Blanket (18"x18")
Crochet Dragonfly
Crochet Butterfly

  
Sewn Gown Patterns:

Sewn Gown: This is a great gown for boys 1-2 lbs, although this same pattern could be used for a girl too with different details, like a bow or more ribbon.  (View Photo)  

Sewn Gown: This is a girl 2-3 lbs and the sleeves look like little angel wings. (View Photo)  
Sewn Gown::  This is a really versatile pattern and depending on details can be made for a boy or girl. It has three different sizes.  Size A: 1-3 lbs Size B: 3-6 lbs Size C: 6-8 lbs 
Sewn Bootie pattern
Sewn burial pouch: This is for the tiniest of babies who are too small for the gowns.
Sewn Lily wrap: (the tighter version is probably better)
Sewn Precious Pockets: for earlier losses.
Sewn NICU eye mask
Sewn Baby Diapers: pattern from Teeny Tears that donates flannel bereavement diapers

Other resources: 

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bereavement-gowns.html
http://www.newbornsinneed.org/volunteer/pattern-central/
http://www.carewear.org/index.cfm?pid=patterns/_patterns.cfm
http://www.touchinglittlelives.org/sewing.html

http://www.thepreemieproject.com/volunteer/patterns/P2/

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mcshelpsite/sewingstuff/freepatterns.html/#charity
http://www.crochetnmore.com/baby.htm
http://home.inreach.com/marthac/preem.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2007/10/16/babywear_patterns_feature.shtml (knit patterns)

If you know of other resources that can be added here, please email Melissa at mikaylasgrace@gmail.com to add them.

The most universal size of blankets are 20-24" but donations of all sizes will be accepted. 

Micro-preemies – 6” – 15” square

Small preemies - 18” – 20” square

Medium preemies - 20” – 22” square

Large preemies - 22”- 30” square 

These are the Preemie sizes to use for the Gowns, Hats, and Booties: 

1 -2 lbs:

Head Circumference : 8-10" (so hat circumference should be about 6.5"-8") 
Height of hat: 3.5-4"

Neck to feet: 9-10 1/2"

Chest:  7.5– 8.5”

Abdomen:  7-9”

Feet:  1.5 - 2"  
   

2 - 3 lbs:

Head Circumference:  10-11” (so hat circumference should be about 8.5"-10)

Hat height:  4"
Neck to feet:  12"
Chest:  9 – 10”
Abdomen:  9.50-10.5”
Feet:  2"     

4 - 5 lb:

Head Circumference:  11.5-12.5” (so hat circumference should be about 9"-11.5)

Hat height:  4-4.5"
Neck to feet:  14"
Chest:  11”
Abdomen:  11-12.25”
Feet:  2.5"

5 1/2 - 6 lbs:

Head Circumference:  12 .5 – 13” (so hat circumference should be about 11"-12)

Hat height: up to 5.5"
Neck to feet:  >15
Chest:  >11.5”
Abdomen:  13”
Feet: 3"

Micropreemie size chart:

Special ways to remember babies at the Holidays

There are some really great things going on to support bereaved parents during what can be a difficult time at the Holidays.  If you are a bereaved parent yourself I encourage you do to something in memory of your baby during this time, and Fran's 12 days of Christmas has some amazing ideas!

http://smallbirdstudios.com/category/12-days-of-christmas-with-you-in-heaven/

If you are not a bereaved parent yourself but have someone in your life who has experienced the loss of a child this is an important time to let them know that you remember their child.  Most parents are still grieving the loss of their children who are no longer here at the holidays, even if it has been several years since they've been gone.  Carly Marie's Seashore of Remembrance has some images that can be purchased, but the 12 days of Christmas ideas can easily be incorporated as gifts as well.  The smallest gesture can make the biggest difference, and acknowledgement that you remember is often enough to help that bereaved parent.

http://theseashoreofremembrance.blogspot.com/2011/10/christmas-remembrance-images.html

http://theseashoreofremembrance.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-tree-collages.html

http://theseashoreofremembrance.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-sand-trees.html

There are also several giveaways going on throughout the month that are especially for bereaved parents.  You can check them out on Tina's blog and the Sufficient Grace blog.

Holiday donations: Blankets and Books for Babies!

Every year our family considers how we can give back to our community during the holidays, and I'm sure many of you are doing the same.  This year, as Mikayla’s Grace prepares for a large donation to St. Mary’s and Meriter Hospitals in the spring, we are in need of many items for our boxes.  Some of the items we have found suppliers that we can order at a discount and get bulk prices but there are certain items we are still in need of. 

We hope you will join us this Holiday season in collecting items needed to help fill our Angel memory boxes and NICU care packages. 

The most needed items are: 

• 110 Journals: These are given in both the NICU care packages and Angel memory boxes.  We hope that these journals will provide a place for the parents to record their thoughts of each day while their baby is in the hospital, or if the baby has died a place where they can process their grief. 
• 60 Baby books: We prefer sweet storybook titles such as “You are My I Love You” or “Guess How Much I Love You.”  These books will be read to the babies while in the NICU and will become a special memory for the parents to remind them of that time with their baby.  Reading to the NICU babies helps parents feel closer to their children.  We will take donations of new or gently used baby books.  
• 60 sets of matching blankets:  Each family who gets an Angel memory box will get a set of two matching blankets, one for the baby and another as a memento if they choose a burial for their baby.  The ideal size is 20-24” and they can be any material (knit, crochet, sewn).

You can donate new or gently used baby books, new journals, and new baby blankets.  It could be as easy as going through your own bookshelf to see if you have any baby books to donate, or maybe you have a journal that you haven’t used yet.  Maybe you knit or sew and have been looking for a new project or a way to use this skill to give back to our community. 

You can also organize a Holiday Gift Drive among your family, friends, or coworkers to help us get as many donations as possible this Holiday season! 

Here are some helpful tips that we borrowed from our friends at Ella’s Halo for helping you get started in collected items.  If you are looking for another organization to spread your love to this season they are also doing a Book Drive and serve families with a baby in the NICU as well.

• During your holiday party this year, instead of doing an ornament exchanges or having guests bring an appetizer to share, have them bring a book, journal, or baby blankets they could donate.  What a fun way for people to get together around the holiday season, spending time with family and friends, and donating items that can help other families going through a difficult time.
• Set up a box at work and have your co-workers join in on the fun.  Getting others involved and organizing your own mini donation drive is half the fun of giving back.  Check with your employer and start collecting items this holiday season.
• Check with organizations your kids are involved in. Mother's Day Out programs, after school programs and Boy and Girl Scouts are always looking for service projects to get kids involved. 

It is easy to donate!  Just contact us by email at mikaylasgrace@gmail.com and we will arrange for you to ship or for pick up of the baby books, journals and baby blankets you donated.   

The continued success of Mikayla’s Grace depends on donations from the community and we appreciate any donations that are received!  

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world 

in a conspiracy of love! 

~Hamilton Wright Mabie