Join The 'A' Team - Team Abby That Is!

'A' Team? Team Abby that is. The Team Abby Foundation is a group who provide comfort and support to parents with babies in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia PA. Team Abby gives 'care bags' to families with babies in the NICU who are facing the stressors of having an infant who was delivered prematurely or with special medical needs.

Most of us have never had an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. But imagine what it's like to have a seriously ill infant, often a preemie, with multiple medical problems. And then imagine how hard it is to sit there day after day, unable to do much to help them.  But a few things parents can do is read to them, record their voices so when they aren't there the infant hears their voices, and provide a 'lovie' or mobile for over their tiny isolette. The founder of Team Abby had her daughter in Jefferson's NICU and understands the stressors and needs of families with infants in the NICU, so she decided to make and deliver 'care packages' or bags filled with some things to make the time these parents and their infants spend in the NICU a little bit less stressful.

The bags are delivered filled with some necessities that help ease the strain of having your newborn in the NICU. The bags have receiving blankets, board books, or 'lovies' to cheer up an isolette. Other items Team Abby puts in their bags are listed here.   Board books can be new or 'gently used.' Blankets can also be very gently used.

With your help, Team Abby can deliver Care Bags to families facing the unknowns of NICU life, give them in the comfort and hope they need so they can maintain a positive outlook for their babies.

Visit their website to find out where to make cash donations.  Visit Team Abby's blog to read more about ways to help. You can also purchase items through the Amazon.com link on the Team Abby website. This way Team Abby not only gets the book or item you donate but receive affiliate $$ from Amazon.

If you're asking yourself how you can help others this year, donate to Team Abby. Or if you are cleaning out the bookcases of board books your children are too old for, look and see if some of them are still in great condition and donate them to Team Abby.

The Thomas Jefferson University Hospital NICU serves both Philadelphia and the surrounding counties as well as patients from New Jersey and Delaware. They are part of the AI duPont/Nemours healthcare family.

**Team Abby is a parent organized foundation and is not run by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital or Nemours/duPont.