B4SMA
This year I started an organization for newly diagnosed children with SMA, Spinal Muscular Atrophy. I started it in April of 2004. I started my organization because Brenda, my caregiver, had made me too many quilts. Brenda learned to quilt a few years ago and by April she had made me more quilts than I needed.
So that she could continue to enjoy quilting we had decided that we were going to help a friend who had an organization that gave blankets and toys to children with SMA. Brenda told her mom about this organization and her mom decided to help too. When Brenda came home from Easter vacation she had several quilts that she and her mom had made. When we contacted our friend she informed us that she was no longer going to be doing her organization. We were unsure what we were going to do with so many blankets, so I decided that we should start our own organization, B4SMA (Brenda came up with the name). B4SMA stands for Blankets for Spinal Muscular Atrophy kids.
Our first blanket was sent to a little girl in Vermont. Her mom e-mailed us the day they received the blanket, which was a Monday. She also sent us a picture of her daughter with the blanket. When we woke up Tuesday morning there was an e-mail from the little girl's mom saying she had passed away. Her mom, in honor of her daughter, made me a photo album so I can keep all the pictures of the kids that are sent blankets in a safe place.
We have now sent out about 20 blankets to kids with SMA. With each blanket we send two or three beanie babies. Besides Brenda and I, we now have Brenda's mom, Aunt, and Grandma crocheting, knitting, and quilting blankets for B4SMA. We also have a few others who want to volunteer. We hope to have more volunteers help us, as B4SMA grows. Once families receive their blanket all we ask of them is that they take a picture of their child with the blanket. I hope one day, when there is a cure for SMA, there will not be a need for anymore kids to receive blankets from us, but until that day I will continue to send blankets.
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