金曜日にようやく日赤病院を訪問し赤ちゃん用品を届けることができました。思えば、1年あまり前、未熟児たちのために赤ちゃん用品を編めないかと皆で話し合い始めました。3年ほど前に友人が双子を出産し、男の子は残念ながら亡くなってしまいましたが、女の子は生きるために懸命に闘い、生きることができたということを聞いていました。そして、もし同じような状況にいる赤ちゃんや家族に手編みの赤ちゃん用品をプレゼントできたらどんなに素晴らしいことかとその友人は話してくれました。日赤病院の看護婦さんのご協力で、どんな赤ちゃん用品が喜ばれるのか皆で話し合い、このプロジェクトが始まりました。

It was so wonderful to finally deliver our baby goods to Red Cross Hospital on Friday. Nearly a year ago, we started to explore the idea of creating baby wear for premature babies. A personal friend had gone through a difficult time with giving birth to twins about 3 years ago. Sadly the baby boy did not survive but the baby girl did but had to fight for her life. The mother shared that it would be such a blessing to those little babies and their families to have handmade items given to them! They would feel loved and thought of. So with the help of her nurse (and friend) during such a difficult time, we were able to work out the fine details of what would be best to make.

初めて日赤を訪問した時、未熟児たちにはガーゼとテープだけが使われているのを見ました。そこは色、カラーが存在しない、白の無色の世界でした。そこで、私たちは殺菌が容易にでき、赤ちゃんたちが身につけられるカラフルな毛糸を選び、ベスト、帽子、靴下、手袋などを編み始めました。また、米国オハイオ州のジュディー・シューマンさんが中心になって編んでくださったブランケットも一緒に届けることにしました。

On our first visit to the hospital, we found that they were only able to use gauze and tape on the babies. And there was no color! So in the end, we were able to make the most colorful vests, hats, booties, and gloves that could be easily sterilised and worn. We were also able to hand out blankets that were organized by Judy Shuman and given to us from Suffield Fellowship Church in Ohio, USA.

日赤病院を訪問した時、看護婦さんたちがまるでクリスマスが来たみたいだと喜んでくださいました。そして赤ちゃんたちに帽子や手袋をはめたりしてくださいました。部屋中がカラーと生命力で満ちパッと明るくなりました。喜びに満ちた素晴らしい時間でした！

When we arrived at the hospital, all the nurses gathered round. They "oohed and ahhed" as we pulled out the colorful goods. They kept saying it was like Christmas. They gathered a few babies and tried on the outfits which fit perfectly! It was such a beautiful moment. And so wonderful to see color and life!

病院からもうすでに素晴らしい報告が届いています。看護婦さんによりますと全てのICUにいる赤ちゃんにブランケットを一枚づつ配ったそうです。その光景は素敵で夜の当番に来た看護婦さん達は驚いていた様です。私たちを手伝って下さった看護婦さんがケアーしている男の子の赤ちゃんいます。看護婦さんは彼のために青い編み物の靴下を選びました。後に親が訪れに来ると、赤ちゃんを見て母親は泣いていました。すると父親は青い靴下に気づき、母親に知らせると、母親は微笑みました。私たちの願いが届いた様です。

We have already heard reports from the hospital about the difference that this simple act has made. The nurse who helped organize everything shared that they added a blanket to every baby in ICU that afternoon. She said that it looked beautiful and that the evening nurse was so surprised on her arrival. Everything looked different and better. She also shared about the baby boy that she is caring for. That morning she had chosen blue socks for him. In the afternoon, the parents came for the first time to see him since birth. "The mother cried a lot when she saw the tiny premature baby. So intent was she on the state of the child that she didn't notice anything different about what he was wearing. However the father noticed that the baby was wearing the cute blue socks and told the mother, and then she smiled." She believes that our hearts touched their hearts.