Light up the season this #GivingTuesday for patients like Ryder! A letter from a grateful mom and family.

Please go to chnola.org/lights to donate online and send a personalized message of hope before December 31!

Dear friends of Children’s Hospital,

For me and my family—and I imagine yours as well—the holiday season is a time to reflect on the past, share our hopes for the future, and give thanks for all that we hold dear. Although 11 years have passed since our time at Children’s Hospital, we remember and celebrate—with gratitude and fondness—the people and place that gave our son, Ryder, a chance to live.

I was 25 weeks pregnant with Ryder, my second child, when I underwent an emergency abdominal surgery that prompted his early delivery. Weighing just 1 pound and 12 ounces, he was whisked away to the NICU while I recovered for several days in the intensive care unit at a New Orleans hospital. My health issues precluded me from visiting Ryder. I never even had the chance to hold him. And soon I learned that he would be transported to Children’s Hospital’s NICU, where an expert neonatal team and a higher level of services would give my precious preemie the best chance of survival.

It was ten days before I was discharged from the hospital and able to visit Ryder at Children’s. I’ll never forget how, when I entered that sacred space, I was immediately greeted by Ryder’s Neonatologist Dr. Brian Barkemeyer. Before updating me on my son’s condition and all they were doing to take care of him, he first showed concern for me and how I was feeling. I knew then that Ryder was in the most capable hands, and I could relinquish some of my concern and fears and focus on my own recovery.

Ryder spent 145 days in the Children’s Hospital NICU on a steady path of growth. The NICU staff became a second family, and in addition to my family and friends, were a constant source of love and support during a very difficult time. The holidays were particularly challenging as my husband, Todd, and I were torn between providing a happy Thanksgiving and Christmas for our 4-year-old daughter, McKinney, and spending time with Ryder. The kind and generous nurses and doctors at Children’s Hospital more than filled the empty spaces we left behind. They never stopped caring for Ryder and our entire family, and I can’t imagine having endured this struggle without them.

Ryder is now a healthy, lively 11-year-old. Every year on his birthday, we visit the Children’s Hospital NICU to bring happiness and encouragement to the staff and families. And every holiday season we gather as a family to collectively offer our prayers and thanksgiving for the tremendous gift that is Children’s Hospital.

As a friend of Children’s Hospital, you have played a supporting role in the many stories of lifesaving care, like Ryder’s. For that, I am eternally grateful. My hope is that you will continue to show your love and Light Up the Season for families struggling to keep the spirit alive for their own children and for the Children’s Hospital staff who make hope possible.

Ever grateful for your generosity,

Lindsey Albarado and the Albarado Family

Make the Season Bright

Children’s Hospital New Orleans never stops. At this very moment, our dedicated caregivers are in our operating rooms, intensive care units and specialty clinics healing wounds, setting bones, saving lives, and keep kids well, to be kids! Every day, every season – Children’s Hospital cares for kids like Ryder, and countless others who need us most. For many kids, Children’s Hospital serves as their home during the holiday season. Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Children’s Hospital welcomes and cares for all children, regardless of the severity of their illness or their family’s ability to pay.

Light Up The Season with:

Hope

Give the gift of hope and make your best gift to our Kids Fund by December 31. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible and will be put to work immediately to support the most pressing needs of our hospital, from purchasing lifesaving equipment to funding advanced pediatric research.

Joy

Along with your gift, write a message of encouragement on the enclosed light bulb to our patients, their families, and our staff. You message will be shared directly with those in most need of holiday cheer.

Love

Spread the love and inspire others to support Children’s Hospital by sharing your message of hope on social media with the hashtag #LightUpCHNOLA.

Please go to chnola.org/lights to donate online and send a personalized message of hope before December 31!