Family donates to support families with children in the ICU
Julie, Kory, and Kiernan Leonard of Gilbert recently donated Project Sweet Pea bags to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.
The Leonards spent time at St. Joseph’s when their son, Kiernan, was born on August 20, 2008 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and a chromosomal defect. Kiernan spent nearly a month in intensive care at St. Joseph’s, with his family by his side. The Leonards said despite the trying situation, their experience with the staff at St. Joseph’s during this difficult time was great. After leaving the hospital, they wanted to find a way to support other families going through similar situations.
Project Sweet Pea is geared toward helping the families of children in intensive care units by providing bags of comfort items such as tissues, notepads, toys and more—items you may not consider or may not have time to gather when your child is admitted to the hospital. The Leonards’ effort is part of a larger national effort, Project Sweet Pea, which has delivered hundreds of gift bags to families at hospitals across the country since beginning in 2009. To learn more about the Leonards’ efforts, visit http://projectsweetpeas.com/KiernansKindness.aspx.
The national Project Sweet Peas recently was awarded $25,000 by the Pepsi Refresh Project to deliver care packages to families. The Pepsi Refresh Project is awarding funding each month to individuals, businesses, and nonprofits with ideas they think will have a positive impact on the community. You can learn more about the project at www.refresheverything.com.
