TAMPA, Fla. — Rachel and Danny Bawor remember being in the NICU at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital with their son Silas, who was born 5 weeks premature. It was Christmas Day 2016 and because someone gave them a care package back then, they are now returning the kind gesture with 65 gift bags to help new parents during tough times.
Christmas Day 2016. The worst, and best, day of Danny and Rachel Bawor’s life.
Their son Silas was born that day, 5 weeks premature.
The family from Brandon was stuck in the NICU at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital. They were scared, lonely, sad.
Someone gave them a care package. Someone remembered them.
“A lot of families that come to NICU, they didn’t exactly get the time to prepare,” says Danny.
So now the Bawor family – with a healthy energetic Silas leading the charge – is returning that kind care-package gesture.
With the help of friends, who donated time and money, the Bawor’s delivered 65 bags – with about $65 worth of snacks, socks, lotions and more – to St. Joe’s Women’s Hospital.
“Just taking these packages up there to parents, they’re crying, they’re in tears, just knowing that someone is thinking of them,” says Dr. Shawna Kemp, a licensed counselor who works in the NICU.
An emotional Rachel was able to deliver some of the bags personally.
“A couple of the moms came out and said, thank you for remembering us,” says Rachel. “And I just said, I remember what it’s like to be forgotten about on Christmas.”
