Warmth: Blankets say thanks
Erik, Kayla and Jackson “Jax” Giddens have brought warmth, in more ways than one, to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).
After Jax and his parents, Erik and Kayla, spent the first two months of Jax’s life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Kayla said she felt like the nurses at CHOA became her closest friends.
Then, for his first birthday in April, Kayla felt she needed to do something to pay it forward, which was when she came up with the idea of a blanket drive.
Hoping to get around 25 blankets, she said they ended up being able to donate over 150.
“It’s the family’s way of giving back to the care team that gave their son a fighting chance, while also comforting other families walking similar paths,” Erika Harris, senior public relations coordinator for CHOA, said.
Jax was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia while in the womb. This is a life-threatening condition that pushed his small intestines, large intestines and spleen up into his chest, his mother said.
Upon birth, Jax was immediately placed on a ventilator, and at four days old, he underwent surgery.
“It’s been a long journey,” Kayla said.
At four months old, Jax’s hernia made a comeback, and they found out he suffers a rare type of heart condition called pulmonary vein stenosis. The condition causes the veins that carry oxygen-rich blood to narrow or get blocked.
Kayla said they spent exactly 100 days in the hospital during Jax’s first year of life.
“We basically lived there,” she recalled of the hospital. “We felt at home in the NICU.”
Kayla added that the family still keeps in touch with his nurses.
“It’s a success story,” Kayla said while telling that the nurses were delighted to see Jax again.
The family lives in the Blue Ridge area, and Erik and Kayla work in Union and Gilmer counties, respectively. They both expressed thanks for the support they have received from their employers.
“Our whole community came together for us,” Kayla said. “We’re so thankful.”
Although they “still go to a lot of doctor’s appointments,” Kayla said they have a happy and sweet baby.
“He’s just delighted by life,” she said of Jax. “We’re so blessed by him.”