how project brotherly love was born
When I found out that my mother was pregnant with my brother, I was extremely excited. However, we never imagined what the pregnancy would entail and the impacts it would have on our lives. My mother had a very complicated pregnancy and at one point, both her life and my brother’s life were on the line. My younger brother Josiah was born 3 months premature on January 5, 2008. He only weighed around 3 pounds. My family was faced with a very difficult situation, but with the support of each other and the hospital staff we remained strong. Thankfully, after 63 days in the NICU at Forsyth Hospital my brother got to come home.
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As a 12-year-old, I spent a lot of time sitting in the NICU with my brother during his 63-day fight. While in the NICU, I noticed many things. The main thing I noticed was that many families were not prepared to take their child home. For some families it was financial barriers. While for others it was because an unexpected premature birth makes it difficult to prepare to bring a child home. As a child, I noticed an issue and decided to do something about it. I spoke with the NICU chief and got approval to collect care packages for families to receive upon discharge. I had a goal of forming 50 care packages and spent many days going door to door in the community. I put my brother in a wagon and pulled him around telling our story and how a donation of money or goods could make a difference right here in Winston-Salem. I reached my goal and was able deliver 50 care packages to families in need. My goal was to continue this project for the rest of my life and also to grow the project.
What started out as a door-to-door operation turned into a community wide initiative. Many schools in the WSFCS school system got involved including Glenn High School and Southeast Middle School. The Crosby Scholar Program got involved as well and allowed students to participate in PBL to collect community service hours. Many community members, businesses and programs have donated to PBL since it started 15 years ago. PBL has also made deliveries to the NICU at UNC and Chatham Hospital's L&D Department. PBL still continues to this day. The support of the community has allowed PBL to have a major impact on many lives during very trying times.
Why does this matter? When babies go home, not all of them have the supplies they need to be comfortable. The thought of a baby going home and not having a blanket to keep them warm or a pacifier to comfort them is something that kept me up at night. It may not seem like much, but the small donation of a pacifier could prevent a baby from being uncomfortable. Thinking about a baby being the victim of child abuse because they are inconsolable made me realize how impactful these care packages could be for these babies and their families.
OUR IMPACT
Over 3,000 babies and families have received a care package over 15 years.
Through involvement in the project, countless students in the WSFCS system have recognized a passion for community service, medicine and/or healthcare.
OUR RECOGNITION
President Obama’s Prudential Community Service Award
North Carolina Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service
City of Winston-Salem Citizenship Award
City of Winston-Salem Human Relations Award
NWNC Volunteer Service Award
WSFCS Character Education Service Award