Ayda's Blessing is a gift that keeps on giving

Posted: 3:34 pm PST November 1, 2009Updated: 7:09 pm PST November 1, 2009

POST FALLS -- Ayda Rose entered this world at Kootenai Medical Center with a 50/50 shot at life. Now her mother is turning a very scary moment in her life into hope for other parents.Shanell Browand will tell you just how alone and scared she felt back in 2007 when her daughter was born and placed immediately in the NICU."She was born with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia where there's a hole in the diaphragm and her stomach and her intestines went up through the hold and put her heart over where her lungs were supposed to be," Shanell explained. She and her husband Sam, so young and at the time, had no one to turn to during this very scary period in their lives."With her birth defect 50 percent of babies that get it... die," Shanell said.Ayda hit rock bottom a few weeks into her time in the NICU. Shanell and Sam were faced with placing their baby in a machine that would breath for her. Miraculously though, Ayda's health made a turn around.She spent 70 days in the NICU and underwent two surgeries during that time. In the end Ayda beat the odds and went home with her parents."The fact that she survived what she went through it really inspired me to help other parents," Shanell said.With the help of the Project Sweet Pea organization Shanell started her own group called Ayda's Blessing.With Ayda now 2-years-old and as active as ever, Shanell spends her days collecting donated items and putting together gift bags for parents of babies in the NICU."We have a baby blanket that we put in there, a little teddy bear, a sudoku puzzle for the parents...," Shanell said.She'll take just about anything that would help parents that are basically living at a hospital, spending every waking moment worrying about their child.When she stuffs the white bags with enough goodies she hand delivers them to the parents, and offers them not just the gift bags but also her heart."Sometimes you hear things you don't want to hear and it's just nice to have somebody there to hold your hand through it," Shanell said.She does it because that's what she wanted when her daughter had a 50/50 shot at life."She's our little miracle baby we keep calling her, so that's why we named it Ayda's blessing," Shanell said.Her group is small and Shanell is always looking for more help or donations for the gift bags.

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Benefit will support families in difficult times

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December 17, 2009

By JOHN ROSZKOWSKI jroszkowski@pioneerlocal.com

MJ Skaggs lived only 35 days but his memory goes on, thanks to those who loved him the most.

MJ, or Michael Joseph Skaggs, the son of former Mundelein resident Megan Skaggs, was born on July 25 in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. He died on Aug. 29 of congenital ciaphragmatic hernia, a birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm does not fully form. MJ's twin brother, Will, was not born with CDH and remains healthy.

For Megan Skaggs, the pain of the loss of her son, MJ, will never go completely away but she hopes to help others who are going through similar experiences.

Offering support

"We received a lot of support when our son was in the hospital and I don't think I could have gotten through it without all the support we received," she said. "We hope to offer that same support to people who are going through what we went through."

Skaggs parents, Kathy and Michael McEvilly of Mundelein, and their daughter have organized a fund-raiser on Dec. 27, from 3 to 8 p.m., at Kaiser's Pizza and Pub, 700 S. Butterfield Road, in Mundelein. The purpose of the fundraiser is to collect items for Project Sweet Pea, a non-profit organization that provides comfort items to parents who have children in intensive care units.

Kathy McEvilly said the loss of MJ was a devastating thing for their family and they hope to help other families who have children who are sick or dying.

"It's a very trying time, emotionally, financially, all of it," she said. "We're hoping to do anything we can to make it a little easier for parents at this difficult time."

McEvilly said she hopes the fund-raiser also will raise awareness about research for a cure for CDH, one of the most common birth defects that cause death among children.

Donations needed

Some of the items that are sought at the fund-raiser include baby blankets, disposable cameras, hand sanitizer, stuffed animals, children's books, mittens, booties, baby brushes, gift cards, and toiletry items such as shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste. Monetary donations also will be accepted. Raffle tickets will also be sold for chances to win prizes including an autographed University of Kansas basketball jersey, a Walter Payton Chicago Bears jersey, DePaul basketball and Chicago Wolves hockey tickets, and gift certificates to area restaurants.

Megan, a former Mundelein High School graduate, currently lives in Topeka, Kan., with her husband, Willie, and five-month old son, Will. They will be coming in to town for the fundraiser. The McEvillys' have posted fliers about the event throughout the community and have sent out mass mailings to friends and family members.

Megan will deliver the care packages to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, where they will be distributed to families in the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital.

People who would like more information can visit www.projectsweetpeas.com, or http.//mjmemories.blogspot.com or can call (847) 949-6420.

 

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