A friend of mine asked me to post about this new and very worthy cause. As noted in an earlier post, I’m still drunk from last night, so I’m just going to copy and paste.
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I am writing to let you know about a foundation that my wife and I have set up this year and to invite you to our launch (see attached). The launch party will be hosted by The MED Foundation’s Young Leadership Council for our Small Beginnings Fund, on this coming Tuesday July 27 on The Madison Hotel’s rooftop, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The event includes a Jazz band, light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The Madison and others have generously donated the room, food and band. Tickets are $10 and available at the door with all proceeds going to Small Beginnings.
What is ‘Small Beginnings’?
Sometime ago my wife Georgia and I read, independently, an article describing the great problem of prematurity and infant mortality in Memphis. We both felt a great need to do something to help the teenagers, young adults and families with premature infants that are among the poorest in Memphis. The causes of prematurity and infant mortality are complex and honestly overwhelming! Over the last few months we have been able to meet and talk with the medical, social work and administrative staff at The Med Newborn Center who have helped us to understand more about the great need there is in this city to care for and support the most at risk pregnancies. We are writing to invite you to the official launch of Small Beginnings that will take place on the 27th of July in Memphis (see the attached). The focus of the foundation is very practical support.
Small Beginnings is a new initiative within The Med Foundation (the formal charitable arm of The MED hospital) that is focused on supporting the babies and families cared for by the Newborn Center at The Med. Our goal is to support the families affected by prematurity in close collaboration with the professionals at The Med. Together we have developed the following two main programs.
(a) The Best start in life program: This program provides essential infant necessities, including clothing, diapers and bottles for at risk babies that are ready to go home, but lack the basic resources for a healthy start in life. This program also provides assistance to mothers of babies in the Newborn Center to cover the cost of transport to and from the hospital and for basic needs while their babies are inpatients. This program is also seeking to develop comprehensive pre-natal and post-natal care for the most at risk pregnancies.
(b) The Garden of Angels program: Despite the best efforts of the staff in the New Born Center, a number of premature infants die at a very early age. The families of these babies often lack the means to provide a dignified burial for their child. At present these children are buried ‘en masse’ by a backhoe loader in large unmarked graves without a funeral or memorial. In collaboration with the Memphis Funeral Home and the Memphis Memorial Gardens we have established a Garden of Angels that will support the funeral costs and provide a specific ‘set aside’ garden where these children can be buried.
Why Small Beginnings?
Prematurity is a one of the greatest threats to child health in the Memphis area. A 2002 federal report placed Memphis at the top of the list for infant deaths in American cities: 692 dead babies over a four-year span, a rate of more than 15 deaths for every 1,000 births, more than twice the U.S. average. Premature birth and low birth weight are by far the biggest causes of infant death in Memphis. In 2002 they accounted for about a quarter of infant deaths in Shelby County; in 2006 the figure was more than 31%. In 2006 Shelby County lost 209 babies according to state Health Department data. No other Tennessee County lost more than 93. While the problem seems overwhelming, Small Beginnings is working hard to support all children and families affected by prematurity by providing the medical, nursing and social work staff of the Newborn Center with the critical tools necessary to provide the best care possible for premature babies and their families.
The Small Beginnings team.
Founders
Richard and Georgia Gilbertson moved with their three children from England to Memphis where Richard works as a research pediatrician at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Touched by the plight of premature babies in the Memphis area they founded Small Beginnings in 2010 in close collaboration with the staff of the Newborn Center and leaders in The Med Foundation.
NICU Staff
Dr. Ramasubbareddy Dhanireddy is the Sheldon B. Korones Professor and Chief of Neonatology at the Newborn Center in the Med.
Linda DeBaer is coordinator of perinatal social services at The Med Newborn Center.
The Med Foundation
Tammie Ritchey is the Executive Director of The Med Foundation.
Patrick Hendricks is the Project Specialist with The Med Foundation assigned specifically to work with on the Small Beginnings project.
The official launch!
Small Beginnings will be launched officially at a reception at the Madison Hotel downtown on the evening of July 27th. The Hotel is generously providing the room and food for the event that is being coordinated jointly by the Med Foundation, Young Citizens of Memphis and Small Beginnings. There will be a modest fundraising entrance ticket cost of ~$10 (proceeds going directly to Small Beginnings). We will send more details out soon. We would love for you to join us to learn more about this exciting venture!
Cheers! and we hope you can come!