Baby Eliana, who was born with congenital heart defects and Down Syndrome, had to undergo open-heart surgery when she was only a few months old to repair two holes in her heart. Her tender-hearted big sister, Rebecca, was moved to help other kids after helping take care of Eliana and seeing other babies in the NICU while visiting her there. She knit two baby hats and donated them to the hospital but wanted to do more to help other babies with heart problems.
She decided to turn her beading hobby into a fundraising opportunity and started Wholehearted. She makes and sells beaded bracelets to help other children who need heart surgery. Her family and friends have contributed to the cause and help make the bracelets. To date she has raised almost $4000 for Duke Children’s Hospital, where Eliana receives her care.
The girls’ mother, Leslie, keeps a blog of the family’s joys (Eliana’s middle name is also Joy!) and struggles. She said of Rebecca:
“Wholehearted” is the name that Rebecca chose for her business, representing the whole heart she wants for her sister and other babies. Rebecca works diligently to make creative and unique bracelets, all the while helping take care of her younger brothers when Eliana requires special care from me–a feeding tube and another hospital stay. She has stepped up to the responsibilities with love to assist our family through this incredibly difficult time.
.
