A mother with a big heart
When Amy Vandenberg’s daughter died at three weeks old, she stepped up to help others.
After she lost baby Phoebe, she began making care packages for parents who have to rush into hospital with their babies.
Heart conditions run in the family.
Amy underwent open heart surgery when she was 13 and she found out she was pregnant with Phoebe when her son Xavier was fighting for his life in Starship Hospital.
He was three months old at the time and on life support after going into cardiac arrest.
‘‘I had a really difficult pregnancy with (Phoebe) and almost lost her a few times, but she hung on,’’ Amy says.
Sadly, three and a half short weeks after she was born, Phoebe went into cardiac arrest and died in her father’s arms at home.
‘‘Having the ambulance and CPR was a traumatic experience and it was treated like it was a crime scene, it was very, very hard,’’ Amy says.
Amy went in to a dark place after Phoebe died.
‘‘My mentality at the time was: she died so he (Xavier) will die too, so what’s the point. Every time I looked at him, she (Phoebe) was there and that reminder was really painful.’’
When Phoebe’s birthday was approaching in October 2015, Amy wanted to celebrate and decided to raise money for the charity Heart Kids New Zealand.
She raised around $3000 from an auction.
‘‘I wanted people to know that she existed even though she lived a small life, she could still impact people.’’
Phoebe’s Tribute grew from there and since then, Amy has been working hard creating care packages for parents and caregivers who suddenly have to go in to hospital to look after their child.
So far she has sent over 700 packages to paediatric intensive care wards around New Zealand.
The packages include toothbrushes, toiletries, snacks and a free coffee - items that are often forgotten when a parent is rushing in to hospital. Creating the care packages helps Amy deal with her grief as it gives her a reason to help out. Amy is hosting a fundraising movie night at Hoyts Cinema, Sylvia Park on August 2 with all proceeds going to Heart Kids NZ. Order tickets via tinyurl.com/PhoebesBirthday by July 22.
‘‘I wanted people to know that she existed even though she lived a small life, she could still impact people.’’