For Yasminah

I can't always do it all. I think that I do my very best and always try to do my best to juggle everything that life has to offer me. My dad always taught me to do my best. It didn't matter if I failed, or I made a mistake, as long as I had tried my best that was all that mattered. It isn't always easy, it isn't always magical, amongst the joy and laughter there are tears and sadness too, but I always push on trying to make the best of this life that I have been blessed to be given. Living each day with joy and gratitude. I give back in memory of my daughter, in the hope that it helps ease the pain of another family and that a little piece of Yasminah is remembered and her spirit lives on. Each breath I take, I take knowing my little girl didn't take one. Not one single breath. However she did her very best to stay with us. She did her best. Yasminah has taught me more in her lifetime than I would of ever learned in mine without losing her. I continue to do my best and try to make a difference when I can. I don't always get it right, but I always try.......

The tears have fallen tonight, they haven't stopped. I felt this wave of grief coming after visiting Yasminah yesterday. I just wish I never had to feel like this :( I wish I could tell you all that everything will be OK, but sometimes I don't even believe that myself. Dealing with grief, loss, sadness day in day out takes it toll and I need to often cleanse my own soul, and release the tears to keep doing my very best.

Then tonight I received a message and I wanted to share something a very dear friend is doing for Yasminah. She is doing her best. My friend has remembered Yasminah and has chosen to honour her life, by giving back to the community and an organisation called Heartkids. She is doing something in Yasminah's memory, for Yasminah that makes my heart sing, my eyes overflow with tears and made me more of a blubbering mess than I already was tonight!

Em helped me start Yasminah's Gift Of Hope. She was there for me during my loss, during my rainbow pregnancy, through the weeks that my girls spent in NICU and is still there for me today. She was going through and is still going through her own journey. She is still trying to do her very best despite all the difficulty life as thrown at her. Amongst all of her own struggles she is doing this for Yasminah. How seriously lucky am I to have such beautiful, supportive people in my life! A friend who isn't scared to say her name or talk about her and helps share her story. She is still there for me almost 4 years on. Words can't ever truly explain the gift of having someone you can share your innermost thoughts with or just cry and they don't question any of it. They don't judge you, they are simply there for you, offering a shoulder to lean on, a tissue for when you cry. This is Em. She is a beautiful, young, inspiring young woman and a wonderful role model for her daughter Kenzie. I'm so lucky to call her my friend :)

This is what Em wrote on her fundraising page tonight......

Over the last 4 years I have had the absolute honour to call the Aziz family my friends. I remember the first time I met Rebecca was when Kenzie had just been born and she travelled out to see me whilst glowingly pregnant with her beautiful twins Aisha and Aaliyah. We spoke of our losses, our joys and our daily struggles. Sitting in front of me was a woman of warmth, grace and above all courage. A woman who had farewelled her beautiful angel daughter Yasminah only months before and was already finding ways to help others.

So in the last week I decided upon reflection about congenital heart anomalies..Kenzie and I are not just doing this run for the fun of it. We are not just doing this run to take photos. We are not doing it for ourselves.

We are running "For Yasminah".  

Whether we raise $2.00 or $2,000000 to contribute to research into childhood heart conditions we do not care. All that matters now is that we will do it for her. We cannot bring her back, nor brighten the sadness at her loss...but we can run, skip, jump and dance for her alone.

We will honour you Yasminah.

Our love
E&K

Not many people are aware but during Yasminah's pregnancy at one stage it was thought that she may have a CHD, but further tests came back with the all clear. Heartkids is a very deserving organisation. I know that they have helped some of the families we also support so understand the valuable work they are doing and the drive to find a cure for CHD.

I made a donation a few weeks ago on my birthday, but will be donating again and would love to see Em and Kenzie reach their goal of $250 before the Swiss Color Run on February 10, 2013. So please get behind E&K and do it 'For Yasminah'!

To make a donation please visit Em and Kenzie's fundraising page http://www.everydayhero.com.au/hero_pages/view_posts/emily_eyles

Thank you Em from the bottom of my heart. Words can never truly express the depth of my gratitude and how grateful Iam to have you as my friend. Love you always xx

Harrisons Little Wings

Melanie is a mother of 4 beautiful boys, one who is an Angel. Her son Harrison Alexandar McKenzie was born on the 14th of September 2010 and passed away on the 15th of September 2010. In Harrisons memory she started Harrisons Little Wings.

Harrison lived for only a short 28 hours due to an incurable condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. His 28 hours of life was 28 hours of pure fight and courage from him. Melanie watched her baby boy fight so hard, struggle to live, and then watched as he lost that battle.

Instead of taking Harrison home from the hospital, she took a box of memories that the Mater Mothers Hospital in Queensland had kindly made up. This contained Harrisons monitor wiring, foot prints, sunnies and ear muffs, amongst other treasured items.


As an avid scrapbooker, Melanie found scrapbooking Harrisons photos a form of therapy, and a wonderful way to preserve their very special photos and memories of their time together. Harrisons Little Wings is a registered non profit charity that create special photo frames and 6 x 6 scrapbook albums for families that suffer the loss of their baby through perinatal death. They currently service the Mater Mothers Brisbane, Logan, Redcliffe and Caboolture Hospitals in Queensland and hope to service all hospitals across Australia in the future.



Harrisons 'Gift Of Hope Journal'

 I first met Mel online around April last year. We have formed a wonderful friendship, even though we have never met in person. We talk on the phone a lot, we have cried together and laughed too. Mel is an amazing woman and I'm very lucky to call her a friend. Mel has similar values and beliefs  to me. We know that together we are going to make a difference to newly bereaved families journey and help them capture their precious memories. Melanie is strongly advocating to change and educate the support midwives provide following the loss of a child in Queensland Hospitals. I admire her courage and strength, through what has been a very difficult time for her family.

On Yasminah's second birthday, Mel made the most gorgeous scrapbook for me to put Yasminah's photos and keepsakes into. It is something I treasure. I placed all her special photos and memento's into the album from the original purple book the hospital placed Yasminah's things into.

I will share the layouts inside Yasminah's Scrapbook another time. Later this month Yasminah would of turned 3 and to mark her birthday I'm giving back where I can and sharing other organisations that have helped me, in her memory. I have been fortunate enough to have a little bit of spare time to create a few layouts for Harrisons Little Wings. Mel doesn't know about these yet and I have a few more that I am working on. I have to say that it is quite a challenge to create 6 x 6 layouts without having a photo to work around, also doing a similar style. Decorating a journal is challenging but I take my hat off to Mel and her volunteers for the beauty in each of their pages.

 

If you can scrap and would like to help Mel with Harrisons Little Wings contact her via email  

Have a fun day!

This post is inspired by Jessica over at Four Plus An Angel. Last week her blog was "Did I say that?" which inspired me to think about the things my 3 year old son says to me.


These are a few of the lines my son has recently come out with


I can't want it

Come on mum!

Mum I'm stuck

That's disgusting

Be Quiet

I love you first and more

I'm so proud of you mum. You are very special - followed by a great big squeezy hug


and one that is used everyday by my family and friends, started by my son - who continually gives me hope and makes me the person I am today


Have a fun day! - such wonderful wisdom from a 3 year old :)



What are some of the favourite things your children say to you?

Erin Carmody New Vice President YGOH

We are delighted to share that Erin Carmody is the New Vice President of Yasminah's Gift Of Hope Incorporated.

Erin and her husband Michael recently experienced the devastating, neonatal loss of their son Aiden. Erin and myself connected through a mutual friend. I personally offered Erin my support and understanding, as well as a Gift Of Hope. Erin and her family and friends have donated Gifts of Hope in memory of Aiden for other families to receive but she wanted to do more.

This is Aiden's Custom Made Gift Of Hope

Erin knows personally what a difference A Gift Of Hope can make to a family and the support YGOH can provide from one parent to another who knows exactly what they are going through following the premature birth or loss of their child.

Erin graciously accepted the challenging role of Vice President, even after I bombarded her with the responsibilities of the Vice President role and our current projects. Erin has drive and passion, with a kind, caring nature and the commitment required to fulfill this role. She is the perfect addition to our family.

Please welcome Erin to YGOH's family. We will be updating our website to reflect these changes over the coming weeks. Erin will also be adding her own personal touch to our Gift Of Hope and sharing her story of Aiden.

I would like to personally thank her from the bottom of my heart for her passion and commitment to helping provide families with support, understanding and a Gift Of Hope.

Sending you Hope, Light, Love and Happiness