05/17/2026
🦋❤️ 🦋
Yesterday, our hearts were overflowing as we hosted our very first annual memorial blood drive in honor of our sweet Etta Mae… and because of our incredible community, it was more beautiful and meaningful than we could have ever imagined.
Over 50 amazing people donated blood, and several more came willing to donate. Every single person who walked through those doors helped honor Etta Mae’s legacy and the countless blood donors who helped her over the years. If you were unable to donate yesterday, you can still donate for the next two weeks at The Blood Center in Ocean Springs and tell them you want to donate to "Julietta Gautreaux's Memorial Replacement Drive" that was held on 5/16/26 and it will count towards our event.
The day was filled with so many emotions. We listened to playlists from Etta Mae’s favorite movies, shared stories about her, laughed together, cried together, and felt her presence in so many little moments throughout the day.
One moment I will never forget was watching Etta Mae’s daddy donate blood for the very first time. As he sat in the chair, “Butterfly Fly Away” began playing. This was the last song played at Etta Mae's funeral. It felt like one of those moments where Etta Mae and Heaven are very close.
Seeing some of Etta Mae’s nurses and daycare family there meant so much to me. Those women became such a huge part of our lives during her journey, and I truly miss seeing them every day. Their love has never stopped. Even bringing me a Mother’s Day plant touched my heart more than they know.
A HUGE thank you to the incredible team at the The Blood Center, especially Ms. Julie for believing in our vision and helping make our first annual drive such a success. Your compassion, patience, and support meant everything to us.
Thank you to Jubilee Catering for the amazing food donation that kept everyone fed and happy throughout the day! The red beans and rice were a huge hit - so delicious!!!
And thank you to &M Pest Management (Angel) for donating the VERY popular Yeti ice chest raffle prize that everyone was excited about winning!
Thank you KarriMade for getting all the shirts ready in a short amount of time! They turned out beautiful!
Thank you to all the raffle donors and congratulations to all of the raffle winners!! Samantha and Solid Muscle - thank you for donating a month gym membership and one-on-one training package - (I'm jealous that Anastasia won that one!)
I also want to recognize the people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event happen. Butterfly Kisses from Etta Mae would not be possible without the love and dedication of these amazing board members and friends/family:
🦋Austin and Savanna
🦋Samantha
🦋Gayle
🦋Angel
🦋Vicki
🦋Trisha and Lee
🦋Katherine
And a very special shoutout to Brooklynn for doing such an amazing job at the "Kids Corner." The kids (and the adults) absolutely loved your face painting skills, and you helped make the day even more special.
Most importantly… thank you, Etta Mae. Yesterday was all about YOU.
Your bravery.
Your light.
Your love.
Your legacy.
Even in your absence, you still bring people together. You still inspire love and kindness. You still make people want to help others.
It was a beautiful day celebrating our precious girl on the anniversary of the day she became a forever hero in 2024, and I already cannot wait to do it all again next year. All proceeds from the event will help fund the 2027 Legacy of Love Scholarships!
🦋 Small Wings. Big Impact.
🦋 May 16th — The Day Heroes Are Made.
