A Coon Rapids fundraiser will support a Minnesota charity providing practical help to families taking children home from hospital with a tracheostomy.
Jamie Grant founded Superman Sam’s Survival Kit, known as S3 Kit, to offer families a complimentary package of essential items and reassurance during the difficult transition to caring for a child with a breathing tube.
The charity has distributed 423 kits since March 2020, Grant said, reaching families in 32 states. It has also worked with 28 hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses that request supplies for families in their care.
What is included in an S3 Kit?
The packs contain items designed to make everyday care more manageable, including a onesie that can be worn around medical tubing, along with photographs and guidance to help families organise large quantities of equipment.
Some kits also include an Elmo toy, which can help parents and carers become more comfortable handling the equipment around a child’s neck.
Lynn Fields, who has experience of the challenges faced by families in this position, said the packs could help make the unfamiliar feel less daunting.
“This just helps normalise something that isn’t normal,” she said.
S3 Kit says each item is selected by someone who understands the experience of bringing a child home with a tracheostomy. The organisation also allows families and carers to request a basket at no cost.
The charity’s fourth annual ‘In Your Shoes’ Night Out will be held on Friday 23 October from 6pm to 10pm at Bunker Hills Event Center in Coon Rapids.
Organisers hope the event will raise enough money to assemble more survival kits for families who may otherwise face the transition home without the practical supplies or support they need.
