APH a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization
Our Mission
Our goal is to get admission bags out to every new heart family, because we know how hard it is to be a parent to a newborn with a heart condition. When you find out your child has a heart condition, your world comes crashing down. You are given so much information and it's hard to comprehend. You feel very overwhelmed and that's when Abbigail's Precious Heart is here to help heart families when they first get to the hospital. We want them to know they are not alone. That's when we come in. Our bags are simple things you may need or help you out.
We personally know how it feels to have your world crashing down and when you feel lost, so when Child Life comes in with a gift from someone, it means a lot. You don't feel so alone!
About APH
Abbigail's Story
Abbigail Lin Nelson was born 6/7/19. We knew she had a heart condition however when she was born we found out her heart condition was much worse then we thought. Abbigail was diagnosed with TGA (transposition of the great arteries, narrow aorta arch, narrow arteries and missing coronary artery. Abbigail's heart stopped and she was put on ECMO when she was 6 days old. She was on ECMO for 13 days when we found out she had a major brain bleed therefore it was imperative that she be removed from ECMO so the bleed didn't continue to get worse. At the time we didn't know if she would make it and she was no longer eligible for heart surgery because of the bleed.
They told us she was most likely blind, possibly deaf, would have low motor function and that she probably wouldn't make it. She sure proved her doctors wrong!
A few months later she had major heart surgery. Typically the like to do these types of surgeries separately however because of the severity of her situation that had to do all at once. The first surgery was a success however it did put her into heart black so they had to do an additional surgery to give a pacer. Alex and I decided to give Abbigail a trach so she could start to development. Thank God we did because that's when her sassy personality shined.
Abbigail came home when she was 8.5 months old. She was vented 24/7, on 4 liters of continuous oxygen, she had a GJ tube, and a broviac line for her IV heart medication. She also needed nursing 24/7 in our home. We didn't get to stay home long. There were several occasions where we had to go back into the hospital for various reasons.
We were told Abbigail's heart would not last and that eventually she would need a transplant however she didn't qualify because of how weak her body was.
On Monday September 28th, we got a phone call in at 1 am saying Abbigail blood pressure was very low and we needed to get down to the hospital. Abbigail's heart stopped and they did CPR for 35 minutes before her blood pressure was slightly more stable. The doctors brought her down for a CT scan to see if she had a stroke and then connected her to an EEG to check for seizure. After about a week Abbigail's doctors told us what we had feared. She had an hypoxic brain injury due to low oxygen. Her brain activity would continue to get worse and her body would start to stiff. She was getting worse everyday.
Abbigail gained her Angel wings on Wednesday October 14th 2020.
Abbigail's Obstacles and Inspiration
Obstacles
Abbigail overcame a lot of obstacles in her 16 month journey with us. She was a true fighter and made you believe in miracles.
Here are a few of them:
- ECMO at 6 days old-which lead to a massive bleed in her brain
- Trying to survive without ECMO against all odds
- Beating all odds to get to her heart surgery- all 3 of them
- Gettings a pacemaker
- Getting her tracheoscopy (Trach)
- Finding 24/7 in-home nursing
- Going home on a 24/7 ventilator, oxygen, heart IV line and GJ feeding tube. Along with 30 medications. Let's not forget all her medical supplies we had in our house.
- Dealing with multiple 911 calls- which meant backing all of her stuff up
- Minnesota COVID 19 Shutdown
- Minneapolis riots in May 2020
- Not being able to get a heart transplant
- Talking to doctors about DNRs and how they work
- Heart arrest
- Hypoxic brain injury due to cardiac arrest
- Watching our little girl fight to the end
Abbigail was an inspiration
Abbigail's story/caringbridge page reached thousands of people and we were supported by family, friends and people we didn't even know. Abbigail smiled on her worst days and made every doctor laugh. She had a spunky and sassy personality that everyone talked about. She had a contagious smile, looks that could killed and was able to communicate with her very strong body language. She was a very happy baby all the time, even though her body was shutting down. Abbigail made people believe in miracles.
APH Mission
Our Purpose
Our mission is to donate Admission Bags to every new helping heart families in the Minnesota Twin Cities area. Currently we are just at Minneapolis Children's Hospital, but we want to grow to more Hospitals.
We want families to know that during this very difficult time in their lives, they have a community behind them. A community that wants to bring a little bit of home to them when they are not at home.
Our Admission bags
Our bags are supposed to bring a small amount of comfort to families when they need it the most. From our incredibly comfy and cozy throw blanket to something as small as a toothbrush. We add things in our bags for parents and your little one from a little stuffie to a book to read. Sometimes the smallest things in our bags are the biggest things we need.
We donate a few bags every month to Minneapolis Children's Hospital that child life will deliver. However, if you personally know a family in the NICU, heart Unit or any unit with a long term stay, please reach out to us. If you are local we can help deliver a bag to that family!
What we have done
We started donating gifts in 2020 after we lost Abbigail.
- 2020- 30 christmas gifts to the CV unit (heart unit)
- 2021- 30 Christmas gifts
- 2022- 30 Christmas gifts
- 2023- 30 Christmas gifts
- 2024- 10 Admission bags and 30 Christmas Gifts
- 2025- 15 Admission bags
Who We Are And How We Help
Why we created APH
Abbigail's Precious Heart was created to honor the memory of our daughter Abbigail.
Abbigail was our heart/Trachie warrior who beat all odds.
We want to give back to other families in a cozy way, not only to honor Abbigail's memory but so these families have something cozy to have in their room and know they are not alone!
How we help others
We try to help out small businesses and local people in our community by getting things from them
Our children's books are from the School Scholastic book orders. We have helped Spring Lake Park, Anoka-Hennepin and Apple Valley schools.
Our T-shirts and sweatshirts are made by a small local company (10 Bike Designs)
Our cups are engraved by
We try to help out small businesses and local people in our community by getting things from them
Our children's books are from the School Scholastic book orders. We have helped Spring Lake Park, Anoka-Hennepin and Apple Valley schools.
Our T-shirts and sweatshirts are made by a small local company (10 Bike Designs)
Our cups are engraved by people we personally know
The color street nails we have received are usually another heart mom or other people selling them
Our thirty-one totes were from purchased from the same person to help their small business as well.
We have also been apart of the Halo organization that helps support grieving families
Our Christmas Bags
Our Christmas Bags
We have been doing Christmas bags since 2020.
- a nice reusable bag/backpack
- An oversized comfy throw blanket
- A children's book
- A small bedside stuffie
In the past we have added notebooks, pens, keychains, arts n crafts and color street nails. These items change from year to year due to our generous donors!
Our Story in Pictures: APH's Journey to Make a Difference and Inspiration Pictures
Support APH's Mission
Donate Now
Your donation helps support our organization's mission to help families living the hospital life during a difficult time. We appreciate your generosity and support!
Follow us on our Social Media
Stay up to date on our latest news and happening at APH by following us on our facebook page
Partner with Us
We are always looking for new partners to collaborate with on projects and events. If your organization values our missions, let's work together to make a differnce for famlies living the hospital life.
2024 Sponsors for APH Ride
At APH we truly appreciate the support we get from our community and businesses. We want to thank the following sponsors for sponsoring our Ride in 2024
- Legion Riders of Anoka
- Bounty Painting
- Modern Plumbing &Heating
- Spooky Brew Coffee CO
- 10 Bike Designs
- A-List Entertainment & Events
- Affordable Office Cleaning LLC
- Alva Home Works
- B & B Hoffman Sod Farms Inc
- Birch Lake Landscaping
- Black'n Blue Tattoo
- Getaway Bar and Grill
- Long Siding Station
- Mallards Mutts Grooming Services LLC
- Rich Petrich Construction
- Schindele & Sons Enterprises Inc
- Spud Run
- St. Cloud Black and Blue
- Valley of the Ink'd
Contact Us
Have a question or want to get in touch? We'd love to hear from you. Contact us today and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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EIN
Our Tax ID number is 99-0952073