Need Project Name Suggestions! :)

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Hi everyone!

I've been out of town but am back and trying to catch up... please bear with me!! : )

Corin has her hands full with the new business and she's also started a new project with Stephanie and Kate, creating gift bags for their local NICUs. Because she's using the title "Gabe's Gifts" on her new project, she's asked that we don't use that at CHERUBS any longer. Sooooo... we need a new name! : )

This project is gift bags for new and expectant CDH families. It includes totebags, baby blankets, baby books, CDH information and much more. All items donated to CHERUBS for this project have stayed at CHERUBS and we definitely do not want new and expectant parents to lose out on this service so many, many of you have worked hard at knitting / crocheting / donating for over the past year so this project will continue but we do need a new name!

"Gabe's Gifts" was the first time we've ever incorporated a specific's cherubs' name into a project. We never do this because CHERUBS isn't about 1 child, it's about helping ALL CDH families... but Corin started the project and wanted this name so we were ok with that. But now with having to change the name.... this is also why we don't use specific names. So we need to come up with something that represents the project and isn't about 1 cherub. Using the terms "cherub" or "angel" are fine because they describe all of these babies. It would be great to have a lot of suggestions and take a vote.... this is OUR project... all of us.... to help other CDH families. So let's think of a name together. : )

[DanielleGolding]

"Heaven sent" - as in representing gifts from our angel cherubs

[KarlaHolt]

Angel Kisses

Still thinking...I'll get back when I think of something better!

[DanielleKessner]

I am HOPELESS at this sort of thing but happy to vote when everyone else has suggested names :-)

I will have a think...

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Love the suggestions so far!!!

I have had a hard time too coming up with something. The only one I can come up with is "Cherub Care Package" or "CHERUBS Cares". I'm still thinking on it too! : )

Also, do any of you have suggestions on how to make the project more about CDH? We have the new baby books with tons of CDH info, ribbons and the coloring books (LOVE it Paige!!!). The baby books include the Parent Reference Guide with info and advice for parents, our info and journals. But is there anything else specifically for CDH parents that we should include? We have a ton of baby stuff now and it will be great for the new parents but I really don't want to send them a hodgepodge of baby shower stuff, we want to be able to help them deal with CDH specifically so I want to gear as much towards that as possible. Can any of you think of anything that would've helped you?

Our new wish list for the bags.... what we really need most right now...

- disposable cameras
- gas cards
- 1.5" white 3 ring binders
- photo pages for the binders (aka baby books)
- dividers for the binders
- white cotton tote bags
- plaster hand / foot print kits

I'm going to do inventory on everything else we have, including blankets, hats, booties, etc and will post that too.

The baby book will be posted next week for you all to review and help us make sure we remembered everything! :)

I'd really like to make this all happen by August! We have A LOT of expectant members right now! :)

[NicolleColvin]

CHERUB package, CHERUB basket... I am not much help either!

[KarlaHolt]

Dawn,

I'm assuming all of these packages are for parents that know their child will be born with CDH. I' guessing it's hard to find parents in the NICU who were undiagnosed who really need all that CDH information. I knew nothing and nobody offered me any information about CDH.

Heck, I would have loved it if you sent me the reference guide and stuff when I became a member after Braden was home as I still knew nothing about CDH. Is something like this possible to reach out the those parents who were not diagnosed? Sometimes I feel a bit cheated because I was not able to do my homework and prepare myself for Braden's journey.

Just a thought...I hope you got the blankets I gave to Corin as my sister in law worked really hard on them!

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Karla, new member packets are going out to every new member starting in August - they are folders full of CDH and CHERUBS info.

Expectant and newborn cherubs will get the baby bags.

I understand about feeling cheated. To be honest, I wasn't 100% on board with this totebag idea at first. I felt like it was showing partiality to the new parents and wasn't fair to all the members. And I was afraid that it would be considered "bribing" new parents to like CHERUBS.... after all, other groups have followed our Parent Reference Guides and New Member Packets and started sending things to new parents. Some have completely dismissed the trademark and attacking parents because a group sent them free stuff and that's all that mattered to them. It really, really did not set well with me at all at first...

But I know Corin's heart was in the right place. I know that Gabe's Gifts was about helping families in Gabe's memory and Corin didn't care what group did what to whatever parents.... it was about Gabe and wanting to keep his memory alive and do something good in his memory. I get that. We all want to do something good to honor or remember our children. So we all talked about it out and it was all good. : )

Plus... there are so many CDH parents and most hospitals and doctors refer new families to CHERUBS. We're working with so many hospitals within the CDH Study Group and we have the Adopt A Hospital program too, plus we're at the conferences - we're involved, we're invested in research and the hospitals and surgeons know us and work with us. So more and more CDH families are being referred to us. We've had a lot since we went to the APSA conference and we'll have even more soon. So hopefully soon, every CDH parent will be referred to CHERUBS either before birth and soon after birth - and all expectant and new parents will have the information they need.

I wish we could somehow make sure that 100% of cases are diagnosed at birth... I hear ya on the not being diagnosed! I was in the same boat as you... without the internet, without CHERUBS, without any info at all. The whole reason CHERUBS was founded was so that no family went through CDH alone again. We're getting there! : )

Let me know what the blankets look like and I'll make sure you know 100% that we got them! : )

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Typo... I wish that 100% cases are diagnosed BEFORE birth.... I so need to hire a proofreader full-time! LOL

I love all the name suggestions so far! It's going to be hard to vote!

Dawn,

I was thinking along the same lines as you for the name. Best to keep it simple and descriptive of what it is. Care pack or package describes it, and I think it's good to have the name Cherubs as it doubles up as the name of the organisation and the name we affectionately call our kids.

[DanielleGolding]

Yeah I agree with you Karla, Lily was undiagnosed so I would have loved to get some info. I did ask at the hospital and they were going to but it never happened and I didn't push it. It took me a few hours to be able to remember CDH, it's such a mouthful!!!

I agree with you too Margaret! Have cherubs in the name. Keep it short and to the point:)

[karahess]

What about using the word "project" in the name? Like instead of CHERUBS Care package do "Project CHERUBS" or "Project CHERUBS Cares"?

[LynneB]

Baer was undiagnosed until birth and our hospital offered us NO information on CDH. That for me was a blessing. MY OCD would have driven me crazy with the "what if's". I would not allow anyone to mention what could happen until he came home. So many parents really need the info so the packets may be the only source of info for them if their baby is born at a hospital like mine who does not keep these babies.

[claireevans]

How about Cherubs checklist???Im not too good either but think it has a certain ring to it.x.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

I'm not too keen on using the word project since that's what the new group is using.

Any more suggestions everyone? I can put up a poll tonight with all the suggestions and voting can begin! :)

We need a new committee for this, any volunteers???? :)

I'll be posting photos of all the items we have so far... that way all of you asking about your blankets can see what we have received so far.

[Chris and TracyMeats]

I was on the old totebag committee, but never was given much direction. Will still like to be on this committee. I have been working on my knitting...it is a work in progress.

[Chris and TracyMeats]

Okay name suggestions, how about:

Precious Memories
Precious Moments
CHERUBS' Gifts
Gifts of Hope
CHERUBS - From the Heart

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Loving all the ideas!!!

A few more I came up with:

Gift Clouds
Bags from Heaven
CHERUBS H.O.P.E. (Helping Other Parents Expecting)
CDH Care Package
Newborn Cherub Care Package
Newborn Cherub Bag

[claireevans]

Dawn i think your suggestion of Cherubs H.O.P.E. Is perfect anyone else think its great?

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Thanks, Claire. :)

Any more suggestions? I'm going to post the poll soon.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

These are photos of the items that we received that were donated to CHERUBS before July, 2009. I took a lot of photos at different angles to try to get it all clearly. : )

With Corin moving and starting her new company and new project, some things have gotten lost in the shuffle. If you donated anything and it's not in these photos, please let me know. Corin has a couple more boxes to send of items donated to CHERUBS or bought with donation money so it's possible that your donation isn't in the photos but is on it's way to us - please let us know! : )


http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7716.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7725.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7731.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7719.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7720.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7728.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7717.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7721.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7729.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7718.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7722.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7730.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7723.JPG

http://cdhsupport.org/graphics/totebags/IMG_7726.JPG

[KarlaHolt]

I see mine in there. I gave Corin 6 or 7 at the PA picnic in June.

[TaniaSmythe]

That was really nice of Corin to send you all the pamphlets that she had printed off herself and made up :)

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Do you mean the CHERUBS pamphlets? I sent her those. She sent them back with all the other stuff. : )

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Oh you mean the folders? Yes, it was nice of her. We're still going to use them, we just have to print all the stuff and add that to them and they will go to new parents.

But yes, it was nice of her to send us those packets that she donated to CHERUBS. It is nice of her to send all the stuff that everyone had donated to CHERUBS before July. It's important that donations made to our charity reach our charity, and stay at our charity and we appreciate her mailing it to us. : )

[ChristieBrooks]

I don't see the three blankets I donated. They were crocheted--one was light blue (possibly with white trim), one was pink (possibly with white trim) and the other one I don't recall the color. But I think it was a gender neutral color (yellow, purple or green?). They were each about 24-28 inches and each was in a separate ziploc bag.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

When did you donate them, Christie? I'll look through them and see if I find any that make those descriptions. They aren't the ones in the 2nd photo?

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Christie, I see you listed on the list of donors as sending 3 blankets in June, but no, I don't see those blankets.

[ChristieBrooks]

The blue one might be one of mine. It's hard to tell since it's a little squished. The pink one definitely isn't. I mailed them to her between June 3rd and June 6th. Corin let me know that she had received them on June 8th.

[TaniaSmythe]

Dawn do you not think that your witch hunt is child like behaviour. What has Corin done to you other than vote against you in the decision to ban Steph & Kate?
Gabe's gift bags was something that Corin put alot of effort into in memory of her son which she lost to CDH and you are making her upset and wishing that she had never started the gift bags in the first place. Did you ever stop to think that maybe if something is not included that it was sent off to a CDH baby?
Project sweet pea is not in competition with you, they send out to all NICU babies not just CDH affected, i really think that it is time you left them all alone!
You say you want drama free but all i see is you feeding it!
Oh and FYI i have not been asked to post this for anyone, i will happily take all the credit for it. So ban me if you wish but at least have the balls to tell me not like Melissa who was never told!

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

To all the rest of you... I am so sorry you reading all of this - this is NOT what CHERUBS is about. I don't know what Tania's motives are for repeatedly posting drama on the forums but I'm afraid any responses in private will be twisted so since you asked these questions in public, I am responding in public... (please feel free to skip over this childishness and get back to the tote bag stuff!)...

Tania......

#1 Your facts are wrong

#2 Why do you think we are in competition with Project Sweet Pea???? We are NOT. CDH Parents donated items for gift bags for almost 2 years, they have been told about gift bags coming for almost 2 years. We had a lot of items donated. Why would we take away that service from members? Especially if Corin is working with her local NICU - how is that competing?

#3 Project Sweet Pea is a great idea and not once has anyone said or thought a negative thing about it. If anything, it seems to have kicked Gabe's Gifts in high gear - 25 totebags sent out in 3 weeks is great. Not that many were sent out in the 2 years it was at CHERUBS. It's great they are doing so much for NICU babies. Why would anyone have a problem with that????

#3 We have to report for EVERYTHING to the IRS. Gabe's Gifts was created off of CHERUBS IRS number so that donations were tax-deductible. People donated items thinking they were going to CDH families at CHERUBS. We have to report every single item and every single penny. Plus, if someone spends days or weeks knitting or crocheting a blanket for a cherub - they have every right to want to make sure that their donation goes where they intended it to.

#4 Left who alone? I have not heard from or talked to Kate or Steph in weeks. I have talked to Corin to get all the stuff donated. I don't recall you participating in that???

#5 Mel quit. Loudly. Here on the board. On facebook. And then used her CHERUBS e-mail account to e-mail Texas members rude e-mails. There was no need to tell her she's banned because she quit.

Not to be rude or cold to you - but what business is this of yours? You do not have your facts straight and your only goal, once again, is drama on CHERUBS CDH support group forum. Why??? You could e-mail privately, you could have respect for the new parents who don't need to deal with drama - like I have asked you to do before.

The witch hunt comment is wrong, Tania. What has anyone said about Corin that was rude or attacking her? FYI - never have I posted anything to personally attack anyone. We never would've publicly posted about Steph and Kate if YOU and a few others didn't insist on bringing drama to the forums. And none of that was anything other than the facts behind why they were banned. No one at CHERUBS wishes anything bad to Steph, Kate or Corin or anyone else. There is no mud-slinging here... so why do you keep picking up handfuls of mud?

If you are banned, you are publicly showing all the members WHY you should be banned. Challenging me to ban you is very childish and rude. Bringing this drama here for the 4th time... we have been more than patient with you. Parents don't need to read this drama.

This was a very positive thread about gift bags for CDH parents - it was wrong of you to stir up drama and detract for the reason this thread was started and try to turn something positive into something negative - helping CDH parents.

[BrendaSlavin]

OK I had to re-read this about 4 times to understand why you are so upset Tania. I did not see any bashing at Corin or for Project Sweet Pea (which I too support 100%). I am unsure why emotions are running so high and why you are so angry. I know there has been alot of drama lately with banning members from Cherubs, however, this has absolutely nothing to do with that. I encourage you to re-read this email...I think it was a mere misunderstanding of words and intentions.

[DarleneSilverman]

Tania: ENOUGH!!!!!!!! Are you freaking kidding me? This is a forum about gift bags- take your nonsense somewhere else or keep it to yourself.
Darlene

[karahess]

I've read and re-read this topic and I simply don't understand your post, Tania. I'm not sure why you're so upset. There is nothing at all wrong with Dawn asking members if their items are accounted for. Members have put time, money, energy, and their hearts into donating to CHERUBS and the gift bags. Things could have very easily gotten lost in the shuffle/transition and we want to make sure that everything is accounted for.