The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
‘ALL I’VE WANTED TO DO IS GIVE BACK’
Time at Hillcrest NICU inspires woman to rally Newbury community
“Everybody at Hillcrest was just wonderful — doctors, the nurses, the staff — they treat you like family. So you just want to do stuff for them.”
Taylor Voelker
Poppy Rae is just like any other 10-month-old baby — she wallows, babbles happily and has a proclivity to put every object she can into her mouth.
But Poppy didn’t come into the world the same as other babies. She was born 11 weeks and three days too early.
Born on Feb. 3, 2018, Poppy spent 51 days in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit in Hillcrest Hospital. Her mother Taylor Voelker highlighted that, although the days in the NICU felt like entrapment, the Hillcrest staff helped save Poppy’s life.
“We were in for 51 days,” Voelker said. “Some of my friends were in there for 186 days. So it just depends. We were fortunate. She just needed to grow more, she had nothing medically wrong with her...
“Everybody at Hillcrest was just wonderful — doctors, the nurses, the staff — they treat you like family. So you just want to do stuff for them.”
She mentioned that she and Poppy visit and bring snacks for the nurses.
Voelker, who lives in Aurora, teaches science at Newbury High School. As part of the community, she decided to reach out and prompt the school district to initiate a service project in support of the Hillcrest NICU.
“Since I’ve been out (of the NICU), all I’ve wanted to do is give back,” Voelker said. “We put together a March of Dimes team for the walk this year and in a month and a half, we raised $7,000. So we were the highest-grossing private, family team.
“The school is very giving... So I just kind of thought, ‘Okay, what’s something we can do that can involve the entire school district, K-12?’”
She mentioned that her friend has a side job working for Usborne books and was able to set up a website and deal for the book “Cuddle Bear,” with the publisher matching 50 percent of the donations made. The book is a set that comes with a teddy bear.
The outreach doesn’t end there. Voelker highlighted that she writes a blog for Project Preemie, a non-profit group to support parents with children in the NICU. She also helped bring service organizations in the district together — including elementary student council, National Honor Society and Black Knight Order of Distinction — in order to conduct service projects.
“She spoke to me and the high school principal about involving our student councils in doing some service projects,” said Cyndi Tomassetti, Newbury Elementary’s principal. “So with our elementary student council, just out of the past couple days, did a hot chocolate fundraiser...”
Voelker said that the hot chocolate was sold to raise money to help clothe NICU babies.
“We raised $315 in the two days to purchase NICUspecific onesies to donate to the NICUs,” Voelker said. “So they have plastic snaps instead of metal, so they can be worn in X-rays, MRI machines and stuff like that.”
She added that the onesies also have special clips on the shoulder to hold wires in place.
Voelker also hopes to set up a dessert bar for families and medical staff when they bring the donated items in February.
On Dec. 21, Poppy and her mother visited Newbury Elementary to read “Cuddle Bear” to students and talk to them about prematurity. It was a Friday and after a recess, but students were attentive and they participated. What would the world be like without hugs? Voelker asked the class.
Most students answered — Sad.
Poppy joined her mother during the morning and afternoon as she read the book to grades K-5 and Voelker even mentioned that they had to sell basketball tickets at the varsity game that night.
“She’s a trooper,” Voelker said. “I think that’s part of being a NICU baby, you go with the flow, you’re used to people handling you. She’s a very well-adjusted baby now because of it.”
Anyone wanting to donate or support is encouraged to contact Voelker at taylor.voelker@newburyschools.org, or donate at https://bit.ly/NewburyCuddles. The link will be live until Jan. 15.