An Innocent Heart – DIGITAL FREEBIE
At the beginning of January, Mye DeLeon posted on her blog about the birth of her son and the struggles her family will be facing in the upcoming weeks and months. Having a baby should be the happiest moment in your life, but her happiness soon turned to tears as her son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. Alphonse�has a defect called�Tetralogy of Fallot, where there is a hole in his lower heart chambers causing him to not have enough oxygenated blood in his lungs and body.
This struck close to home for me as my cousin’s baby was born this past October with a life threatening heart defect too.
Matthew was born with two holes in his heart, Ventricular Septum Defect and Patent Foramen Ovale. As a result, he was being treated for congestive heart failure. Just saying that is overwhelming to me. Baby and congestive heart failure should never be said in the same sentence. Broke my heart.
After several doctor visits, hospital stays, x rays, EKGs and echocardiograms, they were told their newborn would absolutely need open heart surgery and the ideal time would be around 6-8 months.
They decided to get a second opinion.
After meeting with the doctor’s from Lurie Children Memorial Hospital, it was quickly determined that Matthew didn’t have months to wait. He was not thriving and was now in the 15% range for weight for his age. He needed surgery as soon as possible or he wouldn’t make it.
His surgery was scheduled for the following week – the day after Christmas.
I met Matthew for the first time on Christmas Eve at our family holiday party. He is so adorably cute! He looked like a little elf in his Christmas outfit.
The surgery went well and Matthew came home several days later and is recovering nicely. He is still adorably cute.
Taken 5 Days After Open Heart Surgery
So when I heard about Mye’s situation, I wanted to help.
Charity Collaboration Kit
Over 100 digital scrapbook designers have gotten together to donate to a group charity collection called An Innocent Heart to raise money for Mye’s family. Her family lives in the Philippines and there is no medical insurance to cover the cost of the surgery. They were advised to have the surgery at a public hospital. They need to raise $12500 in order to get on the surgery schedule by Feb 1st. According to the doctor, the surgery must be done at 6 weeks old (the earliest) or 3months old (the latest). If not, the baby will not make it.
It’s a great feeling to be part of a community of women who jump right in when something like this happens to one of their own. There was such an outpouring of designer support in the digital scrapbook community, the charity kit quickly became unmanageable in size and designers were asked to cut their contributions. I didn’t want to do that.
Instead I decided to give away my contribution to help raise awareness (everyone loves a freebie, right?) and hopefully by giving you a direct link to Mye’s donation page along with a link to the charity kit, it would help Mye’s family.
So please, if you download my contribution, consider donating directly – even if only a few dollars.
You can donate directly on the�donation page or purchase the charity kit with all proceeds going directly to Mye’s family.
My Contribution
LINK EXPIRED
(This freebie will only be available through Jan 31st)
MORE FREEBIES!
I couldn’t help but scrap a few layouts of Matthew. �He is so cute! �This first photo was posted on Facebook the night before his surgery asking for prayers. “Pray for my Heart”
And you can’t just have a before layout… you need an after layout too with that precious smile just 3 DAYS AFTER OPEN HEART SURGERY!
If you like my layouts, you can grab the quickpages for free from�my Facebook page.
Thank you for sharing his story – Mye is one of my favorite designers, and i certainly want to support this cause in honor of her and her son. i worked in a children’s hospital when i was in college, caring for very disabled infants and children, and later worked in pediatrics after college, then operating room, and finally managed the office for a major university hospital’s MRI scanner. In between all of that, i’ve taught school, wrote curriculum for education of small children, so my love for children is deep and strong.
Thank you for giving away your part, and be assured i will purchase the remainder of this charity kit!
Thanks so much for this wonderful kit and prayers for Mye’s son. For those who would like to help out Mye, there is also a kit for her at Scrap Art Studio, under the For Charity tab. Link: http://www.scrapartstudio.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=152&products_id=1381
Jen, thank you for raising the awareness about little Alphonse Deluca’s need for a fund to pay for his heart surgery. Thanks for sharing your designs, your time and your caring concern to promote this worthy goal. I’m glad your cousin’s son did so well following his open heart surgery. Praise the Lord!
I’ve already donated to Mye once, and plan to do so again when my next payday rolls around. I think this is so awesome, to see everyone come together to help “one of us.”
Thank you Jen. And thanks for sharing the adorable Matthew.
Thank you so much for the freebie, and for promoting Mye’s donation site. It is so wonderful of the digi community to pull together for this great cause.
Digital designers are the most wonderful, giving people. Thanks for the beautiful freebie, Jen, for your warm and loving heart. Prayers for Mye and her family!
Thanks for this wonderful kit – I love these papers! Your nephew Matthew is a cutie! Isn’t it marvelous what can be done these days to help these tiny patients? I’m off to donate now. 🙂
Hi Jen, thanks for the beautiful kit. I also bought the charity kit. Thanks for spreading the word.
Jen, it is so charitable for you to spread the word about little Alphonse Deluca’s need for emergency heart surgery. I really appreciate your wonderful designed contribution that is given so freely from your heart. I also want to say that little Matthew is just so lovable and huggable with his bright inquiring eyes. I understand fully where you’re coming from in regards to both of these little ones. Blessings and prayers to Matthew and little Alphonso. Thank you for this adorable kit. Love, prayers, and funds will be given to little Alphonso. 😉
I am always amazed how the digi-world works together to help raise money for great causes and I LOVE that I am part of this community. Hopefully they will get the money on time to help Alphonse and he can be as happy as Matthew!
Thank you for your freebies too.
Thanks for sharing the story of Alphonse and Matthew and thank you for the freebie and the links to the sites to purchase An Innocent Heart and make a contribution.
Beautiful story and beautiful kit. Thank you so much for sharing both.
Thanks so much! 🙂
What a Miracle that this Beautiful Little Guy made it through the surgery. Have Matthew and his Family in my Prayers. what a Beautiful Kit You all have made to help Matthew’s Family. Thanks.
Thank you so much for your beautiful kit and quickpages! I am off to purchase the kit now. I think digital designers are some of the nicest people. It’s wonderful to see everyone coming together to help this little guy! And Matthew is adorable!