Twelve hours after being born, Austin became very fussy and had trouble breathing. Nurses evaluated him and immediately he was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). After lots of testing, Austin was diagnosed with gram-negative bacterial sepsis and meningitis. The NICU doctors and nurses worked around the clock to do everything they could for Austin, but after two days of fighting with all his might, Austin passed away. In our brief time in the NICU we unfortunately experienced the helplessness that many parents there also felt. Having a sick child meant we could not do ānormalā parenting things: hold, feed, bathe and take Austin home. In Austinās short time on earth he has touched many lives. It is our goal for his legacy to continue on through the power of literature. Since we are both teachers, we very much enjoyed reading to Austin and during his 36 weeks in-utero, he made sure to let us know which books were his favorites through all his punches and kicks. This is why we want each of the 48 rooms in The Toledo Hospital NICU to have books available for parents to read to their children because that is the most normal thing a parent can do for their sick child. In addition, upon release from the hospital when children are well enough to go home, we want them to be able to take a book home with them. To reach our goal we need your help. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information about how you can make a cash or book donation. With great appreciation,
Brittany and Heather Robbins
