We are spreading kindness this month through our 100 Acts of Kindness project. We are challenging our readers to perform 100 acts of kindness between Jan 16th and Feb 14th. You can read more about our kindness challenge here. Many of our blogging friends have joined the challenge and will be sharing ways that you can spread kindness here and on their blogs. Today we have Laura Hutchison from PlayDrMom as our guest blogger.
Some acts of kindness are simple gestures, like holding the door open for a stranger, helping an elderly person with packages, or picking up something someone has dropped. Other acts of kindness are ones we do all the time with our loved ones, like kisses, hugs, and saying encouraging words. But some acts of kindness occur when there are no words, no amount of money, no action that could take the pain of a broken heart away. Those acts are only to help, to make the day easier, and be a reminder that no one is alone.
Ironically, only hours after I commented that I would like to be a guest writer for this series, I found out that a friend from high school's 9 month old daughter, Delaney Rose had passed.
She was a tenacious fighter. Delaney was only one month old when her parents noticed that she was struggling and rushed her to the emergency room. At the hospital it was discovered that she had 3 different heart defects that would require surgery. Quickly it was determined she needed to be rushed Children’s Hospital. During preparation for the transfer, Delaney experienced a cardiac failure and CPR was administered. Her heart-rate returned … but devastatingly incident caused massive brain trauma.
Unfortunately, Delaney never got strong enough to endure the surgeries she required to fix her heart. She required a feeding tube because she was not able to swallow and it was unknown whether or not she was able to hear or see.
After the initial medical trauma, friends and family set up a wonderful website where their story was told, updates were posted, and a link that allowed others to make donations towards the Delaney Rose Fund was attached.

Delaney's site also links to a wonderful website called Take Them a Meal that organizes meal donations. It is perfect for situations like these ... where parents should only need to worry about taking care of their child ... not what's for dinner. I encourage you to check out the site ... and when you find an opportunity, set up a meal donation plan for someone (maybe for a mom-to-be on bed rest, a family with a newborn, a friend battling an illness, a neighbor that lost a parent, ...).
So, we sent our prayers for Delaney to now be at peace ... and we brought her amazing parents something to eat. An act of kindness.
(This post was written by Laura Hutchison, a mother of 2 who's also a psychologist specializing in children and Play Therapy. Her blog is PlayDrMom. You can also follow her on Facebook or Pinterest.)
What a sweet post about a special family. Thanks for sharing this act of kindness with us Laura. These sort of acts of kindness (to help when there are no words you can say) are sometimes the most meaningful. I have found that a listening ear and a big hug... or even just sitting next to a friend and crying with them during a hard time can be even more meaningful than a grand act. Simple acts of kindness like this are so appreciated. Thank you for that reminder!
If you have a moment, I definitely recommend that you stop by PlayDrMom to check out Laura's "heart attack in a bag" post from earlier this week and this adorable wire popcorn heart... and all of her other great posts.
If you've missed any of our kindness challenge posts so far, you can catch up by clicking the links below:
100 Acts of Kindness Project 2012 Intro post
Kindness Challenge #1: Saying Thank You
Whoopie Pie Love {via Red Ted Art}
Jar of Hearts {via The Outlaw Mom}
Rainbow Painting Surprise {via Glittering Muffins}
Winter Warm Up {via Kitchen Counter Chronicles}
Kindness Challenge #2: Show Love to Relatives {via Living Montessori Now)
Five Easy Ways to Show Love for a Working Parent {via Dinosaurs and Octopuses}
Our Kindness Jar {via Teach Preschool}
Everyday Kindness in Everyday Life {via No Time for Flashcards}
Kindness Challenge #3: "Heart Attack" a friend {via Made on Maple}
Collaborative Memory Project {via Hands On:As We Grow}
Stylish Kindness for the Birds {via AngeliqueFelix}
Also, have you donated to The Heart Project yet? As our ultimate kind act we are trying to raise over $2,000 for the American Heart Association by February 14th. I actually think that we can raise more than that... since we raised a $1,000 in just one day. We'd love to give you our free ebook filled with 100 + heart projects for kids when you donate. Go check it out!
In honor of The Heart Project we have a great Books We {Heart} giveaway happening right now... so don't miss out. Click here for more details.
Stay tuned for Week 3's Kindness Round up tomorrow and our Kindness challenge #4 on Monday!
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