{"id":21744,"date":"2020-03-06T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T16:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/news\/a-seed-of-hope\/"},"modified":"2020-03-06T09:13:00","modified_gmt":"2020-03-06T16:13:00","slug":"a-seed-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/local-news\/a-seed-of-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"A seed of hope"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In a fluffy hat, sparkly top and cowboy boots, all pink, Eberley Morrow pranced around the plush armchairs at Rocky Mountain Roastery in Granby. The 2-year-old was a little shy but on a mission to sit in every chair in the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a battle we\u2019re having right now,\u201d said Eberley\u2019s mom, Lindsey Morrow, of the pink cowboy boots. \u201cThey\u2019re the only shoes that she\u2019ll wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eberley is a healthy, curious and stubborn girl like most toddlers. Clomping around in her cowboy boots, her adventurous attitude probably comes from being cooped up in a hospital\u2019s neonatal intensive care unit for the first month of her life, her dad said.<\/p>\n

Born in Denver to parents Lindsey and Rich Morrow of Grand County, Eberley arrived on Dec. 29, 2017. While a C-section was necessary, Eberley had looked perfectly fine in ultrasounds and was carried to full term without any other problems.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNo families are ever prepared to spend time in the NICU. We had a full term pregnancy, no issues and then found out. This family did a care bag and it touched both of us so much.\u201d\u2014 Lindsey Morrow<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Minutes after she was born, there were complications.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the nurses in the delivery room said, \u2018Something\u2019s not right here,\u2019\u201d Lindsey recalled.<\/p>\n

The newborn Eberley was taken to the NICU and the family was soon transferred to the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children for specialized care.<\/p>\n

Eberley was born with a condition in which her esophagus never formed completely. As she developed, it turned and attached to her trachea, meaning she couldn\u2019t swallow or eat. She would need immediate surgery to attach her esophagus to her stomach, and that was just the beginning of the family\u2019s trials.<\/p>\n

When Eberley was four days old, her body wasn\u2019t processing fluids. The baby\u2019s creatinine levels, which indicate kidney function, were far too high. It was at this time Eberley\u2019s life was at its most fragile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t know if she was going to make it at one point,\u201d Lindsey said. \u201cShe had six hours and (doctors) said if she doesn\u2019t make it within six hours, you\u2019re not going home with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their daughter was on life support for 12 days, in the NICU for 40 days and on a feeding tube for eight months. As the family tried their best to deal with what would become a year of strenuous treatments, pressing medical bills and stress, they found a seed of hope.<\/p>\n

On New Year\u2019s Day, they received some small items in a basket that made a big difference, things like a baby blanket, stuffed animal, book, toothpaste and a notebook.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo families are ever prepared to spend time in the NICU,\u201d Lindsey said. \u201cWe had a full term pregnancy, no issues and then found out. This family did a care bag and it touched both of us so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small gesture<\/p>\n

In the NICU, there is a huge and necessary precaution around germs. When you walk into the unit the first thing you have to do is wash your hands, and not just a normal scrub. You wash your hands for 60 seconds with special soap as a nurse watches you.<\/p>\n

Then you go to the intended room. The rule is \u201cfoam in, foam out.\u201d You sanitize your hands on the way in, you don\u2019t touch anything and you sanitize them on the way out. Every time you touch something, you must sanitize your hands. Lindsey and Rich did this for 40 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the end of the day, your hands are just raw,\u201d Lindsey said.<\/p>\n

For the first 48 hours of Eberley\u2019s life, her parents didn\u2019t sleep. Rich described the relief of the gifted notebook that allowed them to write down notes just to keep sane.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it feels like you hit rock bottom,\u201d Rich added. \u201cYou\u2019re fighting for your kid and you don\u2019t know the outcome of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they realized what a difference this small gesture made for them and the other little things \u2014 like a good hand lotion \u2014 that would have helped during such a stressful time, an idea started to bloom.<\/p>\n

As Eberley approached her first birthday, overcoming her health challenges, the family wanted to give back. The Acorn Project was born.<\/p>\n

72 families<\/p>\n

The Acorn Project\u2019s logo is an oak tree springing from an acorn with 40 leaves \u2014 one for each day Eberley spent in intensive care. The tree and its branches frame the project\u2019s motto: \u201cJust one seed of hope grows strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

One year after Eberley was released from the NICU, the family delivered care bags to 60 families in the unit at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. The bags were filled with books, blankets, notebooks, hand lotion, hand sanitizer and other little things the family hoped would help others to find some joy and hope.<\/p>\n

The family did it again Sunday with the delivery of another 72 care bags. When they could, Lindsey visited with the families.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a family in the NICU, it becomes a sense of one,\u201d Lindsey said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re in there for a week or if you\u2019re in there for a year. You\u2019re experiencing something you can never prepare for. This is just a little way, even if it\u2019s for just a minute, to give people a little sense of hope. That\u2019s what our goal was.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Morrows were quick to say the care bags came together thanks in large part to the Grand County community. The list of those who helped by donating items or time include, but is not limited to, the General Store at Winter Park, The Fabric Nook and Girl Scout Troop 56337. The couple has a long list of individuals to thank for helping make the Acorn Project a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need the recognition. We do this from our hearts,\u201d Lindsey said. \u201cBut we had so many businesses help this year, and families, we want them to see and to show our appreciation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family is also grateful for the people who kept them afloat during Eberley\u2019s time in the hospital, including a fundraiser at the Crooked Creek Trap Club that helped immensely with medical bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes this community can drive you nuts a little bit,\u201d Rich said. \u201cBut when something does happen, all the sudden this community can get super tight and help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Incredibly resilient\u2019<\/p>\n

Lindsey and Rich both want to return the favor for families with babies facing severe complications. They have begun working with the hospital to serve as advocates for children with Eberley\u2019s condition and have visited with families from across Colorado.<\/p>\n

While their daughter\u2019s surgery connected her esophagus to her stomach, some babies are born with an esophagus too short to connect right away. The complication can also come in conjunction with a myriad of other birth defects, which was not the case for Eberley.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many families that are in harder situations or are worse off,\u201d Lindsey said. \u201cWe\u2019re so fortunate because it\u2019s nothing compared to what some families go through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Kristin Shipman was the pediatric surgeon who performed Eberley\u2019s surgery. In her position, Shipman often sees families facing the challenges like the Morrows have.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think her family is incredibly resilient,\u201d Shipman said.<\/p>\n

Through the surgeon\u2019s interactions with the family, she saw the caring nature that led to the Acorn Project.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t surprise me that this is their thing,\u201d Shipman said. \u201cI thought they were great to work with, so compassionate and very kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the family would rather the praise go to the community that has continued to support them. They\u2019ve also provided breakfasts for the nurses at the hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want the publicity, but so many people have helped that we just want to say thank you,\u201d Lindsey emphasized.<\/p>\n

The family plans to continue the care bags annually and they accept donations, whether it\u2019s one book or a collection of toys, year round. The best way to make donations is to reach out through the project\u2019s Facebook page, http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheAcornProject\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Eberley hasn\u2019t seen any other health complications, though she still has regular checkups. It\u2019s another thing for which her parents are forever grateful.<\/p>\n

Running around in those pink cowboy boots, Eberley shines as a miracle baby who has grown into a happy, healthy and endlessly curious toddler.<\/p>\n

via:: Sky-Hi News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a fluffy hat, sparkly top and cowboy boots, all pink, Eberley Morrow pranced around the plush armchairs at Rocky Mountain Roastery in Granby. The 2-year-old was a little shy but on a mission to sit in every chair in the caf\u00e9. \u201cIt\u2019s a battle we\u2019re having right now,\u201d said Eberley\u2019s mom, Lindsey Morrow, of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21744","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-19 00:48:11","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21744\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}