Since grieving her baby girl, this mom found a way to help 48,000 other kids
Jessica Bachus's dreams were shattered after losing daughter Kenzi, until she thought up Dolls for Daughters
Jessica Bachus's dreams were shattered after losing daughter Kenzi, until she thought up Dolls for Daughters
Editor바카라 게임 웹사이트s Note: This is part of a special series, Moms Who Wow Us, where we partnered with , , and the "" show to honor everyday heroes ahead of Mother바카라 게임 웹사이트s Day. You can read about all the moms we바카라 게임 웹사이트re celebrating .
Every expectant mother바카라 게임 웹사이트s worst nightmare became a reality for Jessica Bachus, 40, on Jan. 23, 2007 바카라 게임 웹사이트 her second daughter Kenzi was stillborn at just 24 weeks. Before Kenzi바카라 게임 웹사이트s passing, Jessica and her husband frequently talked about the day when both of their daughters could play together, and how there would be double the number of dolls under the family Christmas tree.
바카라 게임 웹사이트When Kenzi passed away, all of my hopes and dreams went away too,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Jessica says. The Colorado-based mother was overcome with emotion, but she eventually decided to channel her grief into honoring Kenzi바카라 게임 웹사이트s memory.
Jessica knew that even if she couldn바카라 게임 웹사이트t give dolls to both of her daughters that year, she could still make the holidays special for another little girl. With the help of her husband, Kyle, and their daughter, Bailey, she collected more than 150 dolls to gift to underprivileged girls in the community.
바카라 게임 웹사이트When I saw a family pick up a doll that we donated, I cried tears of joy for the first time in almost a year,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Jessica says. So, she continued to collect dolls and founded , a nonprofit dedicated to supporting financially strapped families in Colorado with toys, food, school supplies and more.
Now going into its ninth annual giveaway, the Dolls for Daughters and Toys for Boys Program operates five toy shops in the state of Colorado on the first Saturday in December. At the events, parents are able to choose at least one new gift for each of their children free of charge.
바카라 게임 웹사이트The majority of the families in our program make less than $15,000 a year,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Jessica says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트And a lot of the children are used to getting hand-me-downs 바카라 게임 웹사이트 this is one time we guarantee that what they get is brand new.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Jessica has also launched two spin-off programs: Packz 4 Kids, which provides children with backpacks full of school supplies, and Kenzi바카라 게임 웹사이트s Kidz, which supports underprivileged families long-term. Since Dolls for Daughters' inception, more than 48,000 children have been served and more than 323,400 items have been gifted to the families.
Jessica and her husband now have four children바카라 게임 웹사이트바카라 게임 웹사이트three that walk and one that soars,바카라 게임 웹사이트 they say of kids Bailey, Kam, Karson, and Kenzi. 바카라 게임 웹사이트We talk about Kenzi all the time, and last year our goal was to serve 10,000 kids since she would바카라 게임 웹사이트ve been 10. It was a big number and we surpassed it,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Jessica says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트For our living children, volunteering is a beautiful way for them to give back, honor their sister, and to learn that even from your greatest tragedy can come something beautiful.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Find out how to support Dolls for Daughters at .