Special Video

Basket Delivery Made

Just wanted to give an update - I was able to take a gift basket to a child's parents at the hospital yesterday! This was possible by an accumulation of donations of others. Thank you for the support I have received in this ministry!

THANK YOU Michael & Rebecca from Texas

I really wanted to share the Thank you note I received after doing the Christmas project for 2011 for the PICU parents of children in the hospital. This note touched my heart a great deal since I really never know how things are perceived when a parent or child receives something from Leah's Hope and this ministry. Just wanna give a Huge Thank you and Virtual Hug to Micheal & Rebecca from Texas!

Giving Thanks...

There are so many people that I need to give thanks to for helping me and my mission with Leah's Hope this past Christmas Season of 2011! If I fail to mention you - please forgive me - you were just as important to the outcome!

THANK YOU!!!!!

GOD - First and foremost for sending the funds and the people needed to help make this Christmas a little more special for some!

Pam & Judy for making all those awesome activity totes for the kids.
Santa Fe Cattle Company - for all the generous gift certificates they provided.
Texas Road House - for all the generous gift certificates that they provided as well.
Zio's Italian Restaurant  - for the generous gift certificates they provided too.
Sonic Drive-In - for the free drink tokens.
Sandra Valentine - Thank you for helping raise money for the Wal-mart Gift Cards
To my K-Mart Angel - who paid for my layaway - In return I was able to provide a McDonalds Gift Card for all.
Denise - for helping me raise money with Celebration Home
Janie - for donating handmade card holders and apron.
Molly & Joan - The Santa Market - in Edmond for giving Leah's Hope a free booth to help raise funds as well as the monetary donations.
Liz  - who sent us a Dollar Tree Gift Card for all the stockings.
Pam from AVON in PA  - who sent us all those lotions and lip balms.
Redeemer Church - in Shawnee for all the beautiful Handmade Christmas Cards.
Charlie and Marvine Nix - for all the Christmas Ornaments and the Almonds.
My Daughter-in-law, Kailee - for helping me sort and put all these stockings together!
OU Children's Medical Center - for allowing Leah's Hope to provide for these families!


I would also like to thank the many people who helped contribute and made a monetary donation - Everyone made a difference in the success of full-filling this goal!

Looking forward to start the planning for next year! Believe it or not - I started planning this in July of 2011 -

It just dawned on me why the Holiday Season is the most important and sentimental time for me and having the "want" to give back during the Christmas Season! Opening my heart a bit now - Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2009 was the one and only Holiday Season that my family and I got to spend with our little angel, Leah! You never know what tomorrow will bring - life is short - Embrace it!

Many Blessings to all!

Giving Thanks to Texas Road House & Sonic Drive-In!

Along with Santa Fe Cattle Co., which I mentioned in an earlier post - Additionally, I wanted to give my sincerest "Thanks" to a couple more retailers that helped to make this a Special Christmas!

These restaurants have helped to make the Christmas Season of 2011 a little bit brighter for a few parents who may have/had a child in the PICU at OU Children's Medical Center - You have helped make this Christmas Goal a huge success and helped to be a blessing to these families!

Thank you so much for your support!

Christmas Gifts for the PICU Kids!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO JUDY & PAM FOR MAKING THESE ADORABLE, TIME CONSUMING, CREATIVE ACTIVITY TRAVEL TOTES FOR THE CHILDREN IN THE HOSPITAL!

Judy and Pam went way beyond what I expected for the kiddos at the hospital! We are hoping these travel activity totes are loved by all the children they are given too! A HUGE Blessing from these two ladies! I can't Thank you enough!!!!

Thank you - More Donations to Share!

I received a box full of lotions and lip balms from Judy in Pennsylvania, to help fill our Christmas Socks for our Hospital Christmas Project. Thank you so so much for your generosity!

Fundraiser Results with Celebrating Home!

Thank you for all the support we have received from generous donations and the ones who have participated in our fundraiser with Celebrating Home! This will help tremendously fill stockings for Christmas for the parents who have a child in the hospital this Christmas. I know it won't be easy having to be at the hospital during the holidays but I hope this small gesture of a filled stocking of goodies will help a tiny bit to these parents!

Basket Delivery to the Hospital Tomorrow

I have another Blessing Basket to deliver to the hospital tomorrow! Hoping this family can use all the contents!

ANGRY BIRDS Cozy Hat *Fundraiser*

Very Warm and Cozy Angry Birds Hats - Fundraiser for Leah's Hope!! $20 per Hat!!

THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 6 COLORS. BLACK, RED, LIGHT BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW AND WHITE WHICH IS NOT SHOWN.

**Please Note Shipment Will Arrive in 3 Weeks Minimum** These are being Special Ordered and Payment Due at time of Order! One Size Fits Most – Paypal Accepted - just send money to my email address: shellyadams@leahshope.us. Shipping available for $3 extra, Please provide shipping address. Will deliver or meet locally around Shawnee.

Santa Market Craft Show in Edmond - All Proceeds from my Booth will help to fund our Christmas Project!

Santa Market coming soon - just a couple short weeks - been trying to put some crafts together for my booth. All proceeds within my booth from this craft show will go directly to benefit our Christmas Stocking project. Please make plans to attend and stop by my booth!

ONLINE - Fundraiser for Leah's Hope with "Celebrating Home"

Fundraiser for Leah’s Hope – www.leahshope.us

(http://www.celebratinghome.com/fundraiser/LeahsHope/participant/4320)

I am trying to do an online fundraiser in order to help fund my Christmas Project for parents of hospitalized children, Leah’s Hope Ministries. Here is a basic description of what I am trying to accomplish - - Below is a letter with a link to the online fundraiser – will you please help me make this fundraiser a success and forward to all your friends and even post a link on your social media sites – 

I am trying to provide several blessings to families of a hospitalized child this Christmas Season. Although this time of year can be harder for others, several families end up in the hospital, in the ICU fighting for their child's life, etc... my mission for this ministry is to shed a little "light" & “encouragement” to these families by way of being an experienced parent of a child that had extended stays in the hospital. My daughter was in the hospital for a total of 14 months. It is not easy financially, emotionally, or physically to watch your child suffer in a hospital bed, much less during the Holidays. We take things for granted, being able to be with our own families this time of year but “many” are not able to do so and even end up losing a loved one! Can you please help me?

I am trying to provide a “Special Christmas” to some of these parents with a child in the ICU this Christmas Season. I am in need of a total of 12 more dinner gift cards to be able to feed both parents in addition to finding the funds for 24 – “$20 Gas Cards” to place inside a Christmas Stocking.  In this regard, I need your help in pulling the funds together to purchase these gift cards. 

Our ministry runs solely on the financial assistance provided by various generous people which is very little. All our financial aid comes from people who voluntarily donate the amounts they think proper to our ministry. This fund is then utilized by us to cater to parents in order to be able to provide food, handmade items such as blankets for the children, gas cards, books, magazines, puzzles, etc. This is why I am looking to you for help as far as helping Leah’s Hope to give a “Gift of Hope” this Christmas Season to some Parents of Critically ill Children. With your help, I will be able to accommodate and fill 2 dozen (24) stockings filled with a dinner card, gas card, personal items and snacks.

Your Help Would Be Extremely Helpful! Thank you for considering in helping provide a better Christmas for these families.

http://www.celebratinghome.com/fundraiser/LeahsHope/participant/4320

A Great BIG Thank you to Santa Fe Cattle Company!

Santa Fe Steak House has graciously donated lots of goodies to add to our Christmas Stocking Project for many parents this Holiday Season who has a child in the ICU. A Great BIG Thank you for helping us get closer to our goal of 24 Christmas Stockings to fill! We received 8 Gift Certificates for dinner for 2, valued at $25 each as well as MANY FREE Appetizer coupons plus the Kiddos get to Eat FREE with a coupon as well! Santa Fe in Midwest City, OK - Thank You!

Donation Flyer

I created this flyer for a donation box to collect donations for all the gas cards needed for my Christmas project for all the Stockings we plan to fill for Christmas to give out to the Families that have a Child in the ICU this Christmas. Please feel free to let me know if you know of any establishment that would be willing to put one in there store. I received a call from a local restaurant recently and am excited to share all of this with you in a few days!

One Step Closer to Christmas Goal

Thank You! Thank you Liz!

Liz from "Wish Upon a Hero" - graciously donated to Leah's Hope, a gift card to the Dollar Tree in order to purchase 24 Christmas Stockings - This is a huge help and gets us one step closer to reaching my goal to give every parent of a child in the ICU this Christmas Season a stocking full of goodies which hopefully will contain a restaurant gift card for lunch or dinner as well as a gas card. I have a huge challenge ahead of me - Thank you again Liz - 

Halloween and Christmas 2011

Oh, the holidays are on the horizon! Love, Love this time of year. Although this time of year can be harder for others. Several families end up in the hospital, in the ICU fighting for their child's life, etc... my mission for this ministry is to shed a little "light" and encouragement to these families, as a parent of a child that had extended stays in the hospital.

I am working on 2 dozen Halloween treat bags for the children at the hospital to put a smile on a child's face this Halloween. Christmas will soon follow - 

I am truly needing some help here to achieve my goal. I need 24 gas cards, 24 dinner cards as well as the 24 stockings which I will have embroidered to read "mom & dad". 

I have some friends working on the items for the kiddo's for Christmas as well - these are going to be so cool!

Donations of any of the above mentioned would be such a great blessing!

Meet Mikah - 4 Month Old - Has never been home!

Meet Mikah she is 4 months old. She is, and has been in Columbus Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio since she was a week old. She has never been home.

She has a medical condition that causes a deformity where her spine and neck meet. She wears a collar (as you can see in the picture) to stabilize her neck. If she were to turn her neck, she could be paralyzed or worse, break her fragile little neck and earn her angel wings.

Because of this medical condition, she has trouble breathing and eating. She has a feeding tube (which you can also see in the picture) and is on constant oxygen (again, you can see it in the picture too).

She has had a few seizures and she is starting to fail hearing her tests. She's growing and gaining weight like a normal baby, so looks can be deceiving.

The doctors are not giving a firm date as to when she will be released from the hospital.

They are holding an auction in hopes of raising some money for mom, dad, and little Mikah to help with any medical and living costs also to help bring this little lady home to be with her family. You never know what they might require in order to bring her home.

ANY donation, prayer, kind word, or thought is greatly appreciated. If you don't see anything in this auction that you could use or need please feel free to send donations as a gift (this way no PP fees are taken out and 100% of your donation is available for this family) to

ALIBALLEY@HOTMAIL.COM

100% of all donations or costs of items are going straight to Mikah and her Family! 

 

Special Christmas 2011 in the ICU!

I just mailed out a Christmas campaign to several Restaurants near Children's Hospital as well as to Gas Station corporations in hopes of receiving donated Gift Cards for these parents that have a child in the hospital at Christmas. Already received a few rejections but am hopeful that I can be able to get some support from a few. My idea for these 24 families is to provide a "Nicely" filled sock for Christmas that I will have embroidered "Mom & Dad" - Filled with a dinner gift card and hopefully a gas card as well. It will also contain items of need, some snacks, maybe something personal or personalized just for them. I am wanting and "my goal" for each sock to be valued at around $100 each - That means, for 24 socks to be done like I would like, I would need $2400. This is why I am posting this ahead of time and not keeping this a secret until done - I need your help in making this campaign an awesome success and want to make a difference in the lives of these families.

I have something special also planned for these children as well for Christmas but right now I am focusing on the bigger challenge in looking for help.

Parents with critically ill children may not have too many Christmas's with their child - I only had one special holiday season with Leah and it was such a memorable Christmas - we actually had her home in 2009 - that was the only Christmas or holiday for that matter that we were able to be a real family and all be together. Leah's first and only birthday was in the hospital - so this is my motivation behind trying to bring families closer together and enjoy what time they have together while they have it and trying to make it a bit more special. 

I am certainly not saying that all children won't "make it" - I am a very positive person and truly believe God creates miracles each and every day - What I am saying - God has a plan with every child and if He wants that child with Him on certain situations, I want to make every day count for these special parents and their time together with their child while they have it!

If you know of anyone in the restaurant field or have connections to help get wal-mart cards, gas cards, groceries, gift certificates of any kind, etc ... I could sure use the help! I have contacted Dollar Tree Corporation to help fill the stockings. Not sure where that will lead - but never hurts to ask!

Here are some of the rejections I have gotten so far and I know there were more but these are the ones off the top of my head....so if you know of anyone that could possibly help get through some of the red tape and being rejected over and over - I would appreciate any help you could provide!

Wal-Mart
Target

Hobby Lobby
Michael's
Conoco

________________________________________________

Here is the letter I have mailed out to the restaurants looking for help and have customized it to each individual company as well as looking for gas cards, etc ... so, I thought someone might like to copy my words in order to show and say what I am trying to accomplish.

________________________________________________

Hello, My name is Shelly Adams, founder of a small ministry for parents of hospitalized children, Leah’s Hope Ministries. We provide encouragement to families with critically ill children that are in and out of the hospital. Our ministry supports these families by providing care packages of items needed during their stay at the hospital. While many parents have to take off work and lose income in order to help their child get well, theses parents’ well-being is at risk. My mission with this ministry is to try and relieve some burden that can become emotionally and financially chaotic for these parents during this trying time in their lives. 

Our ministry runs on the financial assistance provided by various generous people and all our financial aid comes from people who voluntarily donate the amounts they think proper to our ministry. This fund is utilized by us to cater to parents in order to be able to provide food, handmade items such as blankets for the children, gas cards, books, magazines, puzzles, etc

.

I am trying to provide a “Special Christmas 2011” to some of these parents with a child in the ICU this Christmas Season. I am in need of a total of 24 Restaurant Gift Cards to be able to feed both of the parents and to be able to place those in these packages I am putting together for Christmas.  In this regard, I would like to request to see if your restaurant or establishment could help me out with some gift cards for this project from your restaurant. Thank you for considering to help provide a better Christmas for these families.

Regards,


Shelly Adams
Founder, Leah’s Hope
http://www.leahshope.us

Newborn Recovering After Heart Surgery! Help Needed!

Taken from News 9's website - 

An Oklahoma City newborn is recovering after heart surgery Tuesday at a hospital in Little Rock, AR.

According to family, Nicholas Jordan is out of surgery but there were complications.

Little Nicholas was born eight weeks early and was diagnosed with Down's syndrome and several heart problems. He had to be flown to a hospital in Little Rock for open heart surgery. And now he's dealing with a collapsed lung.

But this little guy is a fighter, and Angela Lancaster, his grandmother, is doing everything she can to raise money for medical related expenses. Several of her coworkers at the Oklahoma City police department have helped out, hosting a car wash fundraiser, even a bake sale. 

"Oh my gosh it is so humbling," says Lancaster. "I am so thankful for working here they have just been awesome I can't say enough about the police department."

Donations for Nicholas Jordan can be made at:  Hope for Nicholas

Behind the Scenes!

I wanted to send an update out there to what I am working on. I am going to be focusing on trying to learn to sew for the next month or so. So, there may not be very many posts made by me due to trying to master this challenge I have set for myself.

I am about to purchase, thanks to a few donations, an embroidery machine that I have found that I like and will suite my needs for this ministry, so I am pulling double duty on trying to learn all the ends and outs to this sewing craft, all learning from scratch.

I really want to be able to provide some really nice "Homemade" Gifts for these children, the mothers, the dads, even for the medical staff for giving all they do for all of us! Giving the "Gift of Life" through God's Wisdom!

I have such high dreams and challenges set for myself and really hope I can accomplish what I have in my head. Please be praying for me as I embark on this mission! I really want to have this mastered for this Christmas season!

I will try and keep you updated - I would embrace any donations such as fabric, thread, just whatever extras you have lying around that you don't actually need, for me to be able to practice on and would so appreciate anything you can do to help me out!

My intent is to make some cute onsie's for the NICU or for the older kiddo's - shirts and outfits too - so if you have any clean "hand me downs" to practice on that I could forward on to the hospitals when finished, that would be greatly appreciated! Just go over to the "donate" area or the "contact" area for mailing information! Thank you again for all the generosity and for helping this ministry!