My daughter was inspired last Sunday.

She went into the backyard and picked four lemons from our tree. With only minor supervision (to make sure she didn’t accidentally sacrifice a finger), she cut the lemons in half and squeezed the juice into a pitcher, seeds and all. Then she dragged the “lemonade,” some cups, and a tiny table out to the sidewalk in front of our house. There was also a sign:

“Leminayd. 25 sens. For the Ronld Mikdonld Hous.”

She did that all by herself. (OK, I may have helped her with the spelling.) And she raised $2.35.

I think my daughter is a pretty cool kid, so I’m copying her idea. With a few twists.

WHAT
Friends of Maddie Fundraiser

WHEN
Today through noon, Mon., Aug. 3.

WHO
You. Please.

WHY
To raise money for a critically important charitable organization and enter to win one of two signed copies of Rage Against The Meshugenah.

HOW

1. Between now and Monday, go here and make a PayPal donation to Friends of Maddie.
2. When making your donation, include your FULL NAME. First. Middle Last.
3. At noon on Monday, we will draw two names from those who have donated WITH THEIR FULL NAMES, and those generous souls will receive signed copies of the book.
4. CLICK HERE to make a donation to this worthy cause and enter your name in the drawing.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF MADDIE
The birth of every child is a joyous occasion full of excitement and wonder. For the parents of premature and critically ill babies, however, it is also one filled with fear, worry, and agonizing uncertainty. Will my baby be okay? Will I be able to deal with this? These questions are very real to parents of premature and critically ill babies, but often prove just as mystifying as the beeping machines and complex medical terminology that make up the world of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It is Friends of Maddie’s mission to change this.

Friends of Maddie support the families of critically ill babies by easing the transition into NICU life and providing an ally until the end of their child’s hospital stay.

A few of the ways we will help:

• Provide NICU Family Support Packs to the nursing staff of Level III NICU’s across the country which will be distributed, at their discretion, to families of children being admitted to the NICU for long term care.
• Assist in finding temporary lodging for families who live beyond commuting distance of the NICU that is treating their child.
• Create a network of former NICU families who are willing to provide counseling and more to families currently in the NICU.

Not every child’s entry into this world is an easy one, but by supporting Friends of Maddie you can ensure that their families don’t have to go it alone.

To learn more about Friends of Maddie and the special little girl who inspired its creation, CLICK HERE.

Special thanks to Maddie’s parents, Heather (pregnant!) and Mike, for their support of this fundraiser.

Comments

I had two preemies. We spent a lot of time in the NICU and I can't think of a better charity for you to support. It was the scariest time of my life...being thrust into that situation...and any help or advice would have been quite welcome.

Hey Danny,

I read Heather's blog too and what a great thing to do. I'm off to make my donation, but have to let you know that Paypal won't let you change your name in your account settings. So if folks don't have their middle name in their current profile, they won't be able to change it. Which is why I am still listed with Paypal with my maiden name, even though I'm celebrating my four year anniversary next week. In order to change my name they said I had to send them a certified copy of my marriage certificate and a copy of my new social security card. In the mail. No kidding!!!!

Great thing to do! Thank you!

presh.... just presh....

well done good sir.

Okay, so I donated (my third donation...I can't stay away from maddie's story) but I didn't have a place to add my first, middle and last name. Does that mean I'm out.

I just donated, but I couldn't change my name. I would LOVE to have a chance to get your book.

Here's my donation confirmation number: 85803329T56821034

Thanks for sharing this and doing this. I needed it today.

wait, what if we don't have a middle name?!

I had the same problem. Because I have an existing paypal account, I couldn't enter a different name.
My donation Confirmation number is 7YF44734MC820010L.
I can tell you my full name if you really need me to.

If you're unable to change your name, worry not. You're still entered in the drawing.

Great job, Danny! I couldn't think of a better cause to support.

You are doing such a great thing! If I had any money at all to my name I would donate... but since I don't, I just want to say that I think it's amazing you're using your publicity in such great ways.

Don't you just love how kids inspire like that?? They truly are here on Earth to keep us in line!