Isabella's Umbrella NICU Support Foundation was created in the memory of a very special little girl, Isabella Rose. Isabella was born with a heart defect and unexpectedly spent her short six weeks here with us in the NICU’s of the Foothills Hospital, the Alberta’s Children Hospital, and finally the Stollery Hospital where she was waiting to have a heart surgery. We are Isabella's family and friend
s and we have united together to give comfort to families and their little ones who find themselves on a similar journey as we were. It is our wish that these families know there are people who care about them and especially their precious one. The experience of staying with your little one in a NICU brings a sense of uncertainty and fear which can be very challenging at times. In that spirit, we have created "Isabella's Comfort Bags" for those who find themselves in this unknown environment. In our comfort bags, we are providing some daily necessity items for the parents such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion etc. We are also providing some very special items for the babies. These include a clothing item (hat, mitten, or bo**ie), a homemade blanket, and a story book that can be shared between the baby and their parents. Another program we offer is "Isabella's Umbrella Unity Bears" which is aimed at providing support for siblings of infants who are in the NICU. Our Unity Bears provide an unique opportunity for children to feel close to their sibling or parent(s) during their time apart. Each sibling will be provided with an identical Unity Bear that will allow the children to feel a sense of inclusion and connection to their family while separated. We will provide Unity Bears to families on a per request basis, at no cost to the family. The bears will also be available to families who are faced with the loss of their little one. Isabella's Umbrella also supports the Red Deer Chapter of H.E.A.R.T.S (Helping Empty Arms Recover Through Sharing) infant loss support group. H.E.A.R.T.S provides peer support to families as they grieve the loss of their baby. Their "Sharing & Caring" baby loss support group plays a vital role for families through their grief process. Their focus is to provide peer support and education (non-counseling) for anyone who has been touched by the loss of a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth. Isabella's Umbrella NICU Support Foundation has chosen to support this much needed program by supplying them with requested infant loss literature that is then provided to families at no charge. We have learned from our personal experience, that "the little things" we can do for one another are not that little at all.
