Stockpile Donations to Isabella's Umbrella for the Stollery Hospital

[Nicole82]

Hi Everyone,

Isabella’s Umbrella is an organization that strives to provide comfort items for babies and their families during their stay at the NICU. The organization started after my sister spent six weeks with her youngest daughter in the Foothills Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We do this to honour the memory of Isabella and to help other families who find themselves on this similar and very difficult journey. Our objective is to provide the babies and their families who are in the NICU’s with some comfort. My sister learned from her experience that the “little” things we can do for one another, are not that “little” at all. These actions have the power to make a hard day just a little easier. Our way of supporting these families is through the creation of “Isabella’s Umbrella Comfort Bags”. We will be donating these bags to the hospital throughout the year.

Our comfort bags will be given to a family and will include the following items: a drawstring tote bag, a notebook with pen, chapstick, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrushes, a homemade blanket for their baby, a children’s story book that the parents can read to their baby, and one new clothing item for their baby such as mittens, hats, or booties.

You can imagine that this task in a very large task to complete and our first goal of 50 bags for September 30 is rapidly approaching. This is where I thought I would put a call out to the local SC community to see if anyone is willing or able to donate any items.

Remember, these babies are very fragile and we are asking for items to be new due to the risk of bacteria and infection. Presently we are seeking donations of the following (listed in order of demand):


1. Chapstick
2. Lotion (St. Ives Trial Size ones are FREE with the Coupon)
3. Story Books (Storybooks Mom’s can ready to their child, for example “Guess How Much I Love You”)
4. Toothbrushes
5. Baby Mitts
6. Baby Hats
7. Baby Booties

Please do not feel as though this is intended to put pressure on you or that we expect any sort of donation or help, but if you are willing, able and searching for a cause, we would love to be the cause that you choose. Isabella was a very special little girl who touched a countless lives and will continue to touch many more. Please view our Facebook page www.facebook.com/isabellasumbrella (and like it too)!!

We know that with the support of our community, we can achieve our goal to help as many families and their babies as possible.

Thanks Again,

Nicole Wright
(P.S – I have plenty of coupons I would be happy to TRADE in exchange for a donation of any of the items required)

[Mrs. Valentine]

When school starts up again, I will bring this to the attention of our active social justice group. Hopefully we can help you out
Thanks for posting!

[Alevry78]

Great job Nicole82!

For those of you that don't know me, I am a couponer and active in the Edmonton community and Smart Canucks forum. I am also Director of Fund Raising in Northern Alberta for Isabella's Umbrella....I have also been best friends with Nicole's sister for 19 years.

The impact Isabella has had on those who knew her (and even those who didnt) was monumental.

To help raise funds to purchase additional items needed for Isabella's Umbrella we are also selling Isabella's Babies which are completely handcrafted from polymer clay and are personalized to your specifications. You can also specify the colours as well. Isabella's Babies come boxed with a small poem and cost $20. The proceeds go to making our goals come to reality. We received our first donation of merchandise and products which are currently being sorted and getting ready for our first 50 bags!

I have posted pictures of Isabella's Babies and if you are interested in getting one please feel free to pm me. Also, if you have ANY St. Ives $1.00 off coupons between Nicole's coupon stash and my own coupon stash, we can definitely work out a fair trade!!!

Thanks again!

[nicmcgoo]

Would home knit baby hats, mitts, and booties be ok or do they need to be bought?

[Nicole82]

Would home knit baby hats, mitts, and booties be ok or do they need to be bought?

Hello nicmcgoo,

The hospital cannot accept knit articles of clothing or blankets as it is very easy for I.V's and wires to get tangled up in the knitted fabric. We are accepting the knitted donations that we will use towards the creation gift baskets that we can raffle off and use the proceeds to purchase some of the other items in our comfort packages. Items that are not used in gift baskets or in the comfort packages will be donated to the Ronald McDonald Houses in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer (when it opens).

Thanks for the feedback, please let me know if there are other questions I can answer for you.

Nicole Wright
Isabella's Umbrella
www.facebook.com/isabellasumbrella

[MelanieG]

I noticed in one of the other posts on SC about this that you are also looking for ideas of how to obtain items from your wish list for low cost so I thought I would mention blistex is on sale at superstore $5 for 5.

[Nicole82]

I noticed in one of the other posts on SC about this that you are also looking for ideas of how to obtain items from your wish list for low cost so I thought I would mention blistex is on sale at superstore $5 for 5.

Thanks so much MelanieG. I never knew of the sale and I just goy my Pepsi/RCSS Gift Cards, so I think I will have to buy a bunch!!

[Alevry78]

AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for the tip!

[MelanieG]

There is a save 0.50$ coupon on blistex when you walk in the doors as well.