A Common Bond
Our story is centered around the name of our guild, A Common Bond. Each of our journeys started at a slightly different time, but with a common event — the birth of our precious babies. Our babies – Maia, Anna, Samuel and Charlotte — were born between May 2003 and January 2004. While many people share the common bond of having children, most people don’t experience the events that brought our guild together.
Maia, Anna, Samuel and Charlotte each lived only a matter of weeks but left a lasting impression on this world. Each was cared for at Children’s Hospital and spent most, if not their entire lives, in the Infant Intensive Care Unit (IICU). The fighting spirit of our babies, together with the world-class medical care of Children’s Hospital, inspired us to find a unique way to give back. Together, we’ve learned that four moms can make a difference.
The four of us were introduced through a memorial service hosted by Children’s in May of 2004. Having experienced what it is like to “live” at Children’s while your child is being cared for, we had a shared desire to make the hospital stays of families with ill babies being cared for in the IICU a little more comfortable. Our common goal and strong desire to pay tribute to our babies was all we needed to get our guild started.
A Common Bond’s mission is to provide comfort, support, and hope to families with critically ill babies in the IICU. These babies have been diagnosed with life-threatening or terminal illnesses and face extended, unexpected hospital stays. Our guild reaches out to families by providing comforting care bags. Our tote bags contain soft blankets and slippers for parents, luxury toiletries, peaceful lullaby CDs, disposable cameras, prepaid calling cards, blank journals, postage stamps and stationery, travel Kleenex, IV- and respirator-friendly baby outfits, gift certificates to restaurants near the hospital, and much more. As of December of 2005, we have provided care bags to more than 175 families.
In the process of forming and building our guild, we have also cultivated a “sisterhood” that is not easily described by words. We have walked the path that most people would portray as the darkest, most challenging experience a parent could face — the loss of a child. Together we’ve been able to grieve openly and honestly, celebrate the lives of our babies, laugh and cry. And, amazingly, we have even begun to heal.
We have been fortunate to receive gracious thanks from many of the families we have touched. We have also received positive feedback from the hospital’s staff regarding our program. With the ongoing support of our community, we hope to be able to continue to provide this service for many years to come. It is rewarding to be able to give back to the hospital that was there for our families during our darkest of days, and it is an honor to be able to celebrate the lives of our amazing babies through A Common Bond.
To learn more about A Common Bond, please visit our Web site at www.acommonbond.org.