LaunchHER Loves :: Ella’s Halo
In honor of :: Ella Jo Krumwiede, as written by her mother, Taryn
LaunchHER says :: We are honored to have the priviledge of sharing Ella’s Halo with you today. As moms, with 5 small children between us, we were touched with the story of Ella Jo Krumwiede and wanted to help spread the world about this home-town foundation. Please take a moment to read about Ella’s Halo, and to think of those who have (or had) children in NICUs around the world. Thank you, Taryn, for your work to help other parents, in Ella’s memory.
In HER words ::
Ella’s Halo was created in memory of Ella Jo Krumwiede, who was born premature and lived in the NICU at a Minneapolis hospital for 83 days, before she passed away. As her parents we saw a need to make the hospital unit more like home during our stay with our daughter. Life in the NICU can be confusing, frustrating, and at times unbearable. It’s a time when babies, parents, and families all need extra comfort and care. And that’s what Ella’s Halo is all about.
Ella’s Halo is a non-profit organization that was developed to help improve the quality of extended stays in Twin Cities Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Our mission is carried out by providing a variety of items to NICUs, babies, and their families to help impart a better sense of home while in the hospital. Ella’s Halo accomplishes this through fundraising efforts, community events and educating the public about life in the NICU.
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Each year, about 10 to 15 percent of babies born in the U.S. are treated in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The reasons for treatment include premature birth, breathing problems, infections, and birth defects. Babies often spend months in the hospital, while parents and families stand a difficult, heart-wrenching vigil. Ella’s Halo provides blankets for hospital beds, books and music for babies, and some sense of home to these families. We provide comfort, as well: toys, books and movies for brothers and sisters, comfortable chairs for parents, and any other items the unit feels necessary. These are often small things, but they can make a hospital stay so much more comfortable for everyone.
When Ella passed away in 2009, we as her parents promised her that her memory would not be forgotten. After starting Ella’s Halo in 2010 we have since donated more than 500 blankets, 250 books and given over $5,000 to hospital NICUs to help babies just like our daughter. I know that Ella’s memory is living on and helping other babies and families find comfort in the NICUs.
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