Butterfly Kisses Care Baskets

02/17/2019

A message to our supporters:

After nearly ten years of service, we (Lindsay and Holly) have made the difficult decision to end Butterfly Kisses Care Baskets.

In 2010, we started Butterfly Kisses as high school students. Since then, we have met hundreds of children in Charlotte, NC area and sent packages to hundreds more throughout the United States and Canada. We have held hands during chemotherapy treatments, and hugged parents at funerals. We have met teenagers with the wisdom of adults and infants with old souls.

Today, we are young adults living in Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC. Holly is a first-grade teacher and Lindsay works as a Labor and Delivery nurse. We have struggled to balance working full time and living hours apart with running Butterfly Kisses. We have decided that the most responsible decision is to formally end the organization we poured so much love into.

We have donated the remainder of the funds in our account to The Isabella Santos Foundation, to honor Isabella, the first child we met under the name of Butterfly Kisses Care Baskets. All donations of toys and items that we still have will be donated to Levine Children’s Hospital and Hemby Children’s Hospital.

We are saddened to share this news with you but feel that this is the best decision to remain transparent to our supporters and donors. We have made many lifelong friendships through Butterfly Kisses, and we will continue to keep your children and families in our thoughts. We plan to keep this page up as a digital scrapbook of our time with Butterfly Kisses.

We are so thankful for the support, donations, and well-wishes from all of you over the years. You helped us make a difference!

Sincerely,
Lindsay Kunik and Holly Walsh

06/13/2017

Please join us in sending thoughts, prayers, and comfort to the family, friends, and loved ones of Butterfly Kisses Kid, Madison Owens. Madison passed away this week: "Madison passed away in her sleep early this morning. She was peaceful and comfortable just like we prayed for. She went on her time and I imagine the Angels were smiling brightly as she walked into Heaven this morning."

06/04/2017

Today, June 4th, is . On this day, we are thinking of all of those who have survived cancer, including many Butterfly Kisses Kids. They know all too well the many challenges that come with survivorship, and we stand with them to honor their courage and bravery in spite of their challenges. Happy National Cancer Survivors Day!

06/04/2017

Please join us in sending thoughts, prayers, and comfort to Butterfly Kisses Kid, Madison Owens, and her family, friends, and loved ones. Madison was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma in 2012. She recently entered hospice care: "Tuesday will be 5 weeks since our family was hit with Madison's news. Looking back at these last 5 weeks, we have been surrounded with tons of support and love which has been ongoing for not only these last 5 weeks, but 5 years strong. For that, we have always been, and will continue to be grateful.

Our family's goal is to make Madison as comfortable as possible. She hasn't been eating for 5 days now, and she sleeps probably 90% of the day. One day at a time until we reach the end of this journey with our Madison, somedays are harder than others, but everyday is truly a gift. "

04/11/2017

Please join us in sending thoughts, prayers, and comfort to the family, friends, and loved ones of Butterfly Kisses Kid, Kaydyn Smith. Kaydyn was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2008 at the age of nine months old and passed away this week: "God please give us strength because without you we cannot make it through today. I have no idea how to say goodbye to our special little angel. We are so lost. Thank you for choosing us to be his Papa and Nana for 9 1/2 years, you truly blessed us. Fly high baby we love ya extra."

03/21/2017

Please join us in sending thoughts, prayers, and comfort to the family, friends, and loved ones of Butterfly Kisses Kid, Savannah Swandal, on the anniversary of her death: "It's a gorgeous sunny day, but I feel like I'm in a bit of a fog at the moment. As I sit in the quiet of my car waiting for Lexie to finish her speech appointment, my mind feels like it's stuck inside a broken recording of an abundance of memories. The little snippets racing through my brain & heart all include my sweet Savannah Hope, span her entire life from her birth to her death & are jumping around in no specific or chronological order. At 12:18 p.m. six years ago, I sat in our home in my sweet Savannah's bedroom & as I tended to her needs, I watched her take her last breath & leave this Earth. She may have only lived for 11 years, but boy did she live life to the fullest & pack a ton of amazing moments into a short amount of time. There are no adequate words to describe how grateful I am to God for giving me the privilege of being her Mom especially when her Dad & I had such difficulty getting pregnant. What a miraculous gift she was to all of her family then & all those whom she touched & impacted over the course of her life. Time does not heal the wounds of my grieving heart, but it has given me the strength & courage to learn how to cope better with the loss of my precious & amazing little girl. I would not be where I am today without my faith in God, the loving support of my family & friends & a daily conscious effort to try to live life as positively & optimistically as possible & LOTS & LOTS of fabulous memories of & with my daughter. I love you forever, Savannah & miss you always! You are thought of, talked about & remembered EVERY day."

03/15/2017

Do you shop Amazon Smile? Amazon is celebrating its #1 ranking in customer satisfaction by the ACSI! Tomorrow, March 16, Amazon will donate 5% (10 times the usual donation rate) of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Butterfly Kisses Care Baskets. Get started at smile.amazon.com/ch/27-5001713.

01/06/2017

12/25/2016

We love this video of Butterfly Kisses Kid, Conner Goldhammer. Conner has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, and has worked very hard to be able to walk. Happy Holidays, friends!

12/25/2016

It is with sadness that we share that Butterfly Kisses Kid, four-year-old Kaiyanna Victoria, passed away this week. Please join us in sending thoughts, prayers, and comfort to Kaiyanna's family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time: "All I have ever wanted was for Kai to be able to pass at home. She spent her life in hospitals. She spent her life forfeiting her dignity and privacy to medical staff. All I wanted was Kai to feel safe and loved at home, and for her passing to be her decision. It has taken so much work for that. One of Kai's nurse practitioners told me that I am Kai's home, I'm the only constant Kai has ever known. Kai passed away in my arms on Monday, December 19th, peacefully and stoic. Full of love and understanding and a knowledge that I will never know, just as she was when she came into this world. She was ready. She has fought her whole life for her life in a body that never served her. Kai was never meant for this world. She is needed elsewhere and she will return when it is her time. Her fight will continue through me, but right now I am creating space for myself to heal and self care- Something I have not been able to do for many years as I have celebrated Kai while mourning her simultaneously as her dx was such a serious and frightening dx and the damage done from proton radiation was so devastating. I lived in constant fear that the day would come that Kai wouldn't make it through the night. Though, know, her passing does not only bring heart break and immense sadness- There is equal amounts of relief and solace with knowing that She is Free." (via Kai Can Move Mountains)

12/14/2016

We are so saddened to hear of the loss of Butterfly Kisses Kid, Winter Gilland, this morning. We had the pleasure of meeting Winter and her family a few years ago. Please join us in sending thoughts, prayers, and comfort to her family, friends, and loved ones during this painful time: "I don't know how to say this. I am so lost right now. Winter went to be with her Lord and Savior in the we hours of this morning. I am still trying to process it and Sara; poor Sara... I can't say that I didn't think this day would come eventually but I didn't think it would be this soon. I am absolutely heartbroken right now. The doctors think that she went into cardiac arrest in her sleep. I woke up to check on her at 4 am (I went to bed at 1) and she was gone. I did CPR, EMS and the hospital did CPR but it wasn't meant to be. Our girl is with Jesus now.

I pray God welcomes her to the heavens with open arms and thank Him endlessly for allowing me to be her mom. Daddy, please take care of my girl. I am so unsure of the future now. My life has revolved around caring for her full-time. I have so much to figure out now.

Mommy loves you baby girl and you will remain in my heart forever.

Winter Blair Gilland January 6, 2000 -- December 14, 2016

Forever Sweet 16"

12/05/2016

Friends, we encourage you to take a look at this video featuring Butterfly Kisses Kid, Giovanni Algarin. It shows Giovanni, who has a form of dwarfism called Schwartz Jampel Syndrome, taking his first steps after a recent hip surgery. Guaranteed to make you smile!