From Our Co-Founders

On May 19th 2008, our first daughter, Katie, came into the world. Unfortunately, on May 21st our brief euphoria was interrupted by the news that our Munchkin had a rare congenital heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). The next 175 days were draining yet uplifting, heartbreaking yet inspirational. After an intense battle Katie passed away on November 9, 2008. While she may be gone in body, Katie’s impact will be felt for a lifetime. We hope to honor our daughter’s life by creating an organization that supports other families that need to spend extended periods in the hospital.

Much of Katie’s short life was spent in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Yale New Haven Hospital. While it is a place that few new parents would like to take their newborn, it was a place of comfort and hope for us. Katie received supreme care from superior medical staff, while we were given endless support from our new friends in the ICU, our old friends all over the world, and our families who were always by our side. Unfortunately, we realized that our experience was not shared by everyone. While the medical staff is always there to support, many other patients and their parents lack sufficient support to cope with their arduous situation.

It is our hope to provide these young patients with a relief from their conditions, offer their parents assistance as they support their children, and support the angels of the PICU (nurses) as they continue to do great work.

We are a couple left mourning the loss of our angel. However, we are also a couple that has been inspired by our daughter to make a difference. This is our celebration of Katie’s life!

Thank you all for your ongoing support.

Alan & Vickie Manning
Co-Founders, Kisses from Katie