Let Your Child Be A Hero

Amy George

As a mom, I want my kids to know it’s not all about them. I want them to realize that there’s a world outside our safe little home that isn’t picture perfect. I want them to know that there are people who are in need of help and that our desire should be to make sure they get the help they need.
Do you agree?

If so, let me tell you about an event that gives your child a hands-on way to help others. It’s the 4th annual Swim for Melissa!

Swim for Melissa benefits the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund at Huntsville Hospital Foundation. My husband, Chris, and I established this fund in 2006 in memory of our daughter, Melissa Suzanne, who passed away in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. Melissa and her twin sister, Ann Catherine, were born an alarming 14 weeks early in June 2005, and both weighed less than two pounds. Ann Catherine went on to spend 68 days in the NICU before coming home.

Each year, more than 1,000 babies are admitted to this NICU. As the only Level III intensive care unit for critically ill babies in the North Alabama region, the NICU at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children treats babies from all over northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Some are born incredibly premature, like my daughters. Others are full-term babies who are born with certain difficulties. Each of these babies receives the best medical attention from a team of four neonatologists and 100 nurses.

A hospital is only as good as the people inside. When Chris and I established Melissa’s Fund, we knew the right team of physicians and nurses were already in place at Huntsville Hospital’s NICU. What we wanted to do is give those highly skilled physicians and nurses the best medical technology available. I believe we’ve been able to do that. In just two and a half years, we’ve raised more than half a million dollars for the NICU – money that has been used to provide cutting-edge medical equipment. Through last year’s Swim for Melissa, we raised $145,000 and provided the NICU with Giraffe OmniBeds and Giraffe Incubators for our tiniest, most vulnerable patients. We plan to use money from this year’s event to purchase more Giraffe Incubators, along with Giraffe Warmers, to be used by premature infants.

So, back to my original point. How can this event help your children learn the importance of giving back? The answer is simple. When Chris and I established Melissa’s Fund, we knew that we wanted our annual fundraiser to involve kids. After all, Swim for Melissa helps tiny babies! It only made sense for kids to be the ones who were making a difference.

We would love for your children to take part in this year’s Swim for Melissa! We need kids ages 5-14 years old to serve as team captains. It’s so easy! They choose seven friends to join their team, create their team page, and send the link to family and friends asking them to donate online. Raising money has never been easier! On Saturday, August 15, these swimmers will hit the water at Hampton Cove Pool to swim laps for the cause. To sign up your child, or for more information, contact Susan Ready with Huntsville Hospital Foundation at 256-265-8077 or email.

Swim for Melissa teaches kids that it’s not all about them. It teaches them to put down their iPods and video games for a day and reach out to infants who can’t help themselves. And best of all, these young boys and girls become heroes in the eyes of some very special babies.

Amy George is a former news anchor for WHNT NewsChannel 19. She and her husband, Chris, founded the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund in memory of their daughter, Melissa Suzanne. The fund raises money for the Neonatal ICU at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. They have two other daughters: Ann Catherine (3) and Lily Baker (2). Follow her blog.