The previous post in this series relayed the story of Baby Sam Owens’ short life and described the gift bag ministry his family started in his memory. It even gave you a sneak peak at the custom-made bags they’ve chosen to use.

What’s in Each Bag?

Each bag will contain the following:

• A Pottery Barn Sleep Sheep
• A Swaddleme infant wrap with openings for tubes
• An isolette-sized fleece blanket
• A gas card
• A copy of A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children
• A lullaby CD
• A 4HisHeart Ministry card in the heart pocket on the front of the bag

Why Those Items?

Joy explained why each item is in the bag.

• One day, Joy spied a Sleep Sheep at the main desk of the Cardiac ICU. Whey Joy discovered it played soothing “white noise” she asked if Sam could use it. From then on it was his constant companion, drowning out the harsh sounds of the intensive care unit.
• Like most babies, Sam loved to be swaddled tightly in his SwaddleMe wrap. The wrap was so effective in calming Sam, the Owens want other parents to have the same tool available to them.
• One day, Kurt and Joy found a fleece blanket in their mailbox at the Ronald McDonald House. Joy says it was smaller than most and fit perfectly in Sam’s isolette. And it wasn’t knotted like conventional fleece blankets, so it didn’t have hard bumps to irritate his tender skin. The members of the Cheerful Hearts in Christ’s Service (CHICS) group at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church in Waterloo, Iowa are making the blankets.
• Gas Card – Most babies with serious heart defects are far from home and travel costs mount up quickly for parents.
• A Different Dream for My Child – One of Joy’s friends gave her the book, and she said it was her constant companion and source of hope during Sam’s hospital stay. She wants to pass hope on to other families.
• Lullaby CD – Another way to cut out hospital noise and soothe newborns.

How Much Do They Cost?

The Owens family has twenty bags filled and ready to deliver to the Mayo Clinic Cardiac ICU. Eventually, they would like to expand the ministry to other hospitals where newborns with heart issues are cared for in Cardiac ICUs instead of in neonatal intensive care units. But to do that, they will need donations since ach bag and its contents costs about $100.

Kurt and Joy are developing a 4HisHeart website which will tell about the ministry. As soon as it’s up and running, I’ll add a link to this post so you can get there. Until then, you can read about the ministry and contact Kurt and Joy at Sam’s CaringBridge website. Or you can leave a comment here, and I will pass it on to Sam’s mom and dad.

Thank you, Kurt and Joy for reaching out to parents while you are grieving over the loss of your son. May your tears and thoughtfulness bring comfort to many hurting families.

4HisHeart-Snuggles from Sam, Part 1

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