Care Packs for Starship

Phoebe's Tribute started six months after the death of my beloved baby girl. She suffered from a severe congenital heart defect that was passed on by myself through a genetic mutated gene. My almost two year old also carries this gene, and has undergone multiple open heart surgeries and procedures. Spending a week on life support at Starship, our life has never been the same.

I wanted Phoebe's short life to mean something, a way for me to find the strength to carry on. A cause that will touch people's lives who are going through a rough journey. I wanted Phoebe's life to carry on after death and help as many people as I can to lessen their burden, to make life just a little easier.

One of the project that I am working on is creating a care pack for Starship children's hospital. Parents are often admitted without notice. Having just heard that their child is sick enough that they had to be admitted. I am speaking from experience here.

My son Xavier got admitted into the Heart Ward at just 3 weeks old. We were going for a check up on his heart, and the next thing I hear is that you have to stay in the hospital. If Xavier were to go home, he might have a catastrophic event at home and die.

It threw our world into a tail spin, there were questions, and more questions and trying to wrap the enormity of what is happening in your head. I, like many other parents did not think about what I needed during my stay.

Phoebe's Tribute wants to take this simple, everyday tasks that we do automatically without thinking and put it into our care pack.

I am talking about toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving kits, lip balm, hand cream, shampoo and conditioner and body soap.

These are not provided by the hospital.

I have stayed in Starship for weeks on end and these simple things that we just do automatically don't come into your mind when you are functioning on fumes. You almost never get to leave your child's sight unless they are asleep, just to shower.

This is the reason behind our care packs. To take that small thing that we do everyday without thinking but makes such a difference in our lives when we are under stress.