Tuesday, May 4, 2010

go gavin go

hi there!
my mother in law decided that it would be a good idea to make up these bracelets in honor of our son gavin and his fight as he progresses in the NICU.
just before gavin's arrival, we were told about Cord Blood Registry and what they do - especially for babies who are high risk. we chose to have his cord blood and cord tissue stored with the largest facility in the world that is located in tucson, arizona.  one of the wonderful things they do is offer a gift registry to expectant parents who decide to have their child's cord blood stored that people can donate to directly. well, we ran into a glitch. CBR allows this registry to be open and available to people up until their child is born. since gavin came so quickly and 3.5 months before he was due, we just weren't prepared. we had no way to allow people to donate as it was cut off the day he was born. no matter what, we are excited to know that we were able to store 126 million cells from a 1 pound 3 ounce baby. the average collection is 500 million from a full term 7/8 pound baby - so we did great! of course, we pray that we never have to use those cells but they have been proven to be effective in dealing with over 70 different potential complications that could arise.
rather than do a car wash to raise money for his upcoming medical bills, CBR and any unforeseen surgeries, etc., we wanted to offer these cool bracelets as a way for people to donate to him and to then wear it as a reminder to think and pray for him. 
As you can see from the pictures, it says “Go Gavin Go.” I filled it in with a black pen – so it doesn’t actually stand out like that, so you won’t be drawing crazy attention to your wrist! On the other side it has a scripture reference: Jer. 29:11.

we have them in  2 sizes: adult and kids/women’s.
we’d like to offer them up in exchange for donations. feel free to grab a bracelet and donate directly with tracee and i or you can send an email to mknikolin@cox.net and karen can give you instructions on how to send a self addressed envelope to receive your bracelet(s).  If you feel more comfortable, we have established an account at Wells Fargo on behalf of gavin. the name of the account is the "Gavin Williams Benefit Donation Account" and can be referenced at any Wells Fargo branch and you can donate directly and privately. if you go that route and need to receive a bracelet or two, both tracee and i usually have some on us.
please let us know if you would like to share with us in this long journey!
also, please don’t feel obligated whatsoever! If you just want a bracelet to support us that way, that is fine too. we want people to wear them in support and to look down and to remember to pray for gavin and the plan for his life. speaking of plans..."for I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
we trust this for gavin's life!
if any of this doesn't make any sense or you have any questions about this, please get in touch with us and let us know!  go gavin go!!

5 comments:

  1. LOVE IT!! I will for sure be getting in touch with Tracee's mom to get one. or two, or three. I think it is the easiest way to constantly remind us about this little guy and what a miracle he has been so far, but yet how much prayer he still needs.
    Still in prayer for you guys.
    -Elli Gawne

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  2. That is so great! I think this is a really good idea:) Go Gavin Go!

    Melanie T. :)

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  3. I love that idea!! Do you think you could bring a few to the school? I know I want one!! Go Gavin Go!!

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  4. Peace. My name is Tamarria. I am a good friend of Destiny's and she has been sharing your story with me. It really is touching. I just want to share something with you. I am a believer in CHRIST and all of HIS promises. The HOLY SPIRIT woke me up at 4:50am this morning and put your family on my heart. Immediately I began to pray.

    I share this with you because I want you to know that GOD cares and HE is listening. HE is quite aware of your needs and therefore is pulling people from all over to intercede on behalf of your family. I know that this burden can get heavy and it's easy to become weary or lose faith. Your spirit can be easily broken and become hard to restore. Just know that when you are too weak to continue in faith and prayer, GOD has called believers to do it for you. We stand in agreement for baby Gavin to have a prosperous life, physically and spiritually.

    GOD is real and HE is concerned about you. Peace and many blessings.

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  5. Thank you Mrs.Denga. I just broke down after reading your post as you spoke to the core of my doubts, frustrations and fears at this stage in our journey with Gavin. Thank you for reminding me that God is real and that He is concerned about us.

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