50 for 50 Day Seventeen: Friends of Maddie

Thanks for stopping by my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day Seventeen.

Here’s the background story: because I feel so blessed and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).

I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. Thank you, my dear friends.

Friends of Maddie is an organization founded by one of the nicest couples on the planet, Mike and Heather Spohr. Following the death of their toddler daughter Maddie, they first raised about a zillion dollars for March of Dimes and then founded Friends of Maddie to help other families with babies in neo-natal intensive care.

Here’s what they are doing:

• Providing NICU Family Support Packs to the nursing staff of Level III NICU’s across the country which will be distributed, at their discretion, to families of children being admitted to the NICU for long term care.
• Assisting in finding temporary lodging for families who live beyond commuting distance of the NICU that is treating their child.
• Creating a network of former NICU families who are willing to provide counseling and more to families currently in the NICU

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Here’s the donation page. You can also show your support with a Friends of Maddie button and show Maddie’s sweet face on your site.

Previously featured organizations:
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International