My friend Terrah saw the diapering possibilities in leftover flannel fabric that she had purchased for another project. She dropped her stash off on my doorstep and I was able to turn them into 16 diapers (8 tiny ones and 8 "big" ones) for Utah Share of Davis County. A little fabric goes a long way! Thank you, Terrah!
Night of Service - Provo Utah
My friend Stacie invited me to speak to the women of her church congregation for a Relief Society Night of Service. We enjoyed a dinner of fake Cafe Rio deliciousness, I spoke for about 20 minutes, and then the ladies fired up their sewing machines to make 108 diapers for families serviced by the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah! They were able to finish 75 onsite; volunteers collected the rest to finish at home during the week.
Several women donated flannel; aren't they so adorable? A little fabric goes a long way! Did you know that (if you are very very extremely careful) you can make 8 "big" diapers and 8 tiny diapers with just one yard of fabric??? That's what my sister was able to pull off, though I can't claim to have had the same success...
One of the evening's Super Sewers works as a nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit at IMC. She delivered all the diapers to IMC herself and knows just how needful they are for the tiny angels and their families. I am so glad we could be a part of Service Night! Thank you, Stacie, for the kind invitation, amazing food, and wonderful evening with your neighbors!
Sisters
I do believe that I have been blessed with the three most amazing sisters a girl could ever desire. I could say that for many reasons, but for the purpose of this post, I'll stay focused...
My sisters have embraced Teeny Tears with love and enthusiasm. My sister Heather organized her family and her neighbors for a sewing fest to crank out diapers for the cause. My sister Courtney donated her digital design services to give our diaper blog a brand new look. (Isn't it beautiful?)
My sister Lyndsey really wanted to participate too, so she traced and cut out about a bazillion beautiful little diapers for Teeny Tears all by her determined little self! She then borrowed a sewing machine, but after stitching her finger to a diaper, I was able to convince her to mail the unsewn pieces to me. 'Cause I'm super grateful that way. Having the diapers already cut saved me so much time!
I was able to finish sewing them all up this weekend. The final count: 76 diapers!
We were able to give Utah Share this batch of diapers. They will distribute the diapers in their bereavement packages to grieving families in Davis County. A few of the diapers are being reserved for the photogs of NILMDTS of Salt Lake.
Thank you, Lyndsey, for your magnificent contribution! Your calloused scissor-hand will bless the lives of 38 families. Thank you to all of my wonderful sisters for embracing our project with more enthusiasm than I had any reason to expect or hope.
Prematurity Awareness
Did you know that more newborns die of prematurity than any other cause? Did you know that the effects of an early birth can last a lifetime?
One of my fellow twin-loss TTTS and micropreemie mommy friends made some Teeny Tears diapers for a Prematurity Awareness display in Washington D.C.! These diapers helped passersby visualize the actual size of the tiny little NICU patients that fight for their lives every day in hospitals all over the world. They turned out beautiful! Lisa and her group of volunteers hosted this event to raise awareness about prematurity as well as money for their NICU family support program. I'm so happy that Teeny Tears diapers were able to make an impact at their event!
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS)
There is a beautiful organization called the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to give diapers to the volunteer bereavement photographers who participate in this touching service project.
We gave our first full set of 40 diapers to the Salt Lake chapter of NILMDTS!
20 little boy diapers for 10 little boy angels and 20 little girl diapers for 10 little angel girl angels.
Diapers From Washington
My awesome sister Heather is where all this diaper business began. She originally introduced me to her friends Emily and Arah; since then, she has been all kinds of supportive as this idea has simmered in my heart and mind. In honor of Dex's birthday, she and her daughters made a whopping 96 diapers! 48 complete sets of diapers for 48 little angels gone too soon. Heather's two beautiful daughters heavily assisted in this great effort. Also, several ladies in their congregation enthusiastically offered their services when they learned what they were doing...
...even taking home stacks and stacks of diapers to turn and prep for finishing.
I am so touched by their love for our son and their enthusiasm for Teeny Tears and the families that will benefit from their sacrifice.
Thank you so much to the entire Beauchamp Family!
Utah Valley Regional Medical Center (UVRMC)
Our boys were born at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in November of 2008. Heather Walker, tender grief specialist extraordinaire, arrived at the hospital before the sun rose to care for our family in our time of shock and grief. She dressed our beautiful Dex in a handmade itsy bitsy blue gown and took photographs for us. To our great pleasure and surprise, she managed to get a few pictures of Dex in an isolette with his twin brother, Crew. They are the only photos we will ever have of them together in this life. We count these precious pictures and the gown he wore among our greatest family treasures.
Because of our experience that morning and throughout our 3-month NICU adventure, we have always wanted to donate to UVRMC. Today we make that personal promise a reality.
We sewed 28 tiny little boy diapers, 20 tiny little girl diapers, 14 large boy diapers and 14 large girl diapers
Teeny Tears Origin - In Honor of Dex
In November of 2008, our darling son Dex passed away unexpectedly just before his birth at 28 weeks, due to complications of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. He is survived by his parents, two older siblings, and his identical twin brother.
When someone experiences a life-altering challenge or tragedy, it is not uncommon for them to seek solace in a personal cause. Some are lucky enough to find their inspiration quickly. For others, it may take much longer.
It was three years for me.
I have long searched for a project that spoke to my soul. I wanted something that would honor Dex's memoryand give purpose to my grief. I needed a service project that would be as useful to others as it would be cathartic for our family. I preferred something kinda "different" and it had to be something within my skills and abilities.
When my sister's friend Emily showed us tiny little diapers that their friend Arah had created for angel families in Spokane, I knew immediately that I had found my answer. My heart told me that there was no turning back.
Micropreemie stillbirth diapers it would be. Gratefully, Arah has been incredibly supportive of our project and we are so thankful for her original inspiration.
I reached out to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation of Salt Lake, sent them pictures of my plans and asked them if they could use these little diapers. They enthusiastically responded, "we want them YESTERDAY. And could you make us some micropreemie blankets and mats too?"
So in summer of 2011, we began another chapter in our healing. At Girls Camp, our Young Women cut and pinned 78 stillbirth micropreemie diapers for local hospitals and my friend Jennie helped me sew them up. Neighbors started dropping off fabric. My sisters and their families rolled up their sleeves in Washington, Florida and New Mexico to make diapers. My friend Tracy sewed with her family and YW in Canada. As a family, we traced, cut, ironed, turned, and sewed on vacations, weekends, and slow evenings. Kinley's friends started asking for diaper-making playdates. I sewed and worked on this blog, deciding what exactly I wanted Teeny Tears to be.
Justin never raised an eyebrow when I suddenly transformed our formal sitting area into my sewing headquarters. Anyone who knows my husband understands what a profound declaration of approval that is. He has seen how this project has carried me through the autumn. I have long believed that the phrase "Time Heals All Wounds" is a load of garbage. Time itself heals very little; it's what you do with the time that makes all the difference. When the autumn anxiety nipped at my heartstrings this year, I cranked up all of my "Dex Songs" and immersed myself in cutting, tracing, ironing, pinning, and sewing. I have felt so close to my son as I have worked on this very special birthday present for him. I've enjoyed a peace and stability that has eluded me for three Novembers. When my daughter Kinley gets hit by the November blues, she grabs a stack of diapers to work on; this effort has been very healing for our entire family.
So, happy birthday to my darling Dex! Teeny Tears has been created in your memory and your honor. When a grieving family receives a T.T. diaper set for their little one, we want them to know that someone understands that their son or daughter was special, loved, and that they mattered. Because "a person's a person, no matter how small."
We introduce to you: Teeny Tears.
For more about Dex and his surviving brother, Crew, click here.
Megan Bradshaw
Founder and President
Teeny Tears