31 days of giving in October--Helping spread joy one heart at a time!
Though their lives on earth were short lived, they were able to touch the hearts of so many. Help us keep their memory alive
About US
Who We Are
How the campaign works
How the campaign works
My name is Mary Agassi-Shimrado & I am the proud mommy to 3 boys. My oldest son, Samuel is a rambunctious and kind hearted 11yr old. My second son, Benjamin, passed away after his first day of life on earth. The lives of my husband Simon and I forever changed on that day of July 25, 2014. We were told he passed away due to a spontaneous g
My name is Mary Agassi-Shimrado & I am the proud mommy to 3 boys. My oldest son, Samuel is a rambunctious and kind hearted 11yr old. My second son, Benjamin, passed away after his first day of life on earth. The lives of my husband Simon and I forever changed on that day of July 25, 2014. We were told he passed away due to a spontaneous gene mutation. Fast forward 5 months and we found out we were pregnant a third time. I decided to leave ALL in God's hands and trust that He will provide for us a chance at growing our family. On October 6, 2015 Nathaniel was born. Hearing him let out his first cry was the most beautiful feeling. God had provided for us and delivered on his promise! Within a few minutes, the doctors noticed a few things & told us he needed to be checked out. Once again, flash backs from Benjamin's birth/death came flooding through my mind. What should be a joyous occasion in celebrating our RAINBOW BABY turned into a chaotic scene of unexplainable's. This wasn't supposed to happen AGAIN!!!! Nathaniel was airlifted a few hours later to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto. After meeting with the doctors, we were told that Nathaniel wasn't going to pull through the first week and that we should prepare ourselves for the worst. I WAS IN NO WAY GOING TO ACCEPT THAT!!! I remember screaming out "I can't bury another child"!!! No parent should ever have to experience that once, let alone twice! I looked in the eyes of all the doctors and told them that "through God's graces, He will provide for us and keep our son safe". He will allow for us to share in creating moments and building onto our family. Throughout those 7 weeks he spent in the NICU, Nathaniel was able to push forward & fight through every barrier & struggle. After 5 weeks of waiting, the geneticists were able to conclude as to what the problem was. Nathaniel had what was called Autosomal Recessive Cutis Laxa. The rarest form, that includes only 24 documented cases. Both Simon & I were carries of the gene and with each pregnancy had a 3:4 chance of passing it onto our child. It explained it all to us in terms of our other son Benjamin. He also was found to carry the same gene. Autosomal Recessive Cutis Laxa is a disorder of connective tissue, which is the tissue that forms the body's supportive framework. Connective tissue provides structure and strength to the muscles, joints, organs, and skin. Nathaniel was suffering from an enlarged aorta & had tortuosity of his vessels. He was at risk of having an aneurysm. His bones were very fragile due to the lack of collagen. We had to be super careful of any and all movement to avoid any breaks. After 7 long weeks, Nathaniel was given the ok to be discharged...We were able to finally take him home with us. He came home with oxygen support, but had graduated from needing any medicine or support from breathing apparatus'. He had made HUGE strides during that time. Yes, we knew that what he had was a terminal illness and had accepted that he had a rare genetic disorder that was inoperable. None of that mattered though. We had our son and were going to cherish each and every single moment with him...he was here with us!!!! We were able to spend the next almost 2 months with him at home. My prayers had been answered. My wish for Nathaniel to be reunited with his big brother Samuel had come true!!! Samuel LOVED on his brother sooooo much! Each time someone came by, he would personally hold their hand and introduce them to Nathaniel. He decided to start calling his brother NATTY!!! The name stuck and we all found ourselves calling him that. Natty was the sweetest little boy....his smile truly would light up the room! One look into his eyes and mommy had no other care in the world. But again, just like that, things shifted. One night in January, we had to call for an ambulance because it was quite evident that Natty was struggling to get his breath out comfortably. Once we got to the hospital, we were told that he had fluid surrounding his heart and would need to be taken back to Palo Alto for specialized care. Nathaniel continued to do his part and fight like no other. My son, in my eyes was truly remarkable. No matter what he endured, he always had that smile on his face. The one that had the ability to melt the heart of anybody that came within his vicinity. He fought and fought until his body just couldn't fight any longer. On February 8, 2016 after celebrating 4 months of life, Nathaniel Natty Shimrado passed away. I truly believe that Nathaniel fulfilled his true purpose on earth. He was able to touch more individuals in his four months of life,then most people do in a lifetime! The four months we spent with him where the most sacred and beautiful! I can easily say that God truly blessed us when choosing Simon and I to be Benjamin & Nathaniel's parents! You might not all see it, but no matter how hard the journey may have been since the boys passing , we truly are thankful and blessed in all that we have. It is so important for us to carry on our son's names' and memory. Our hope is that this page will reach as many people as possible & that through Benjamin and Nathaniel, we are able to spread joy one heart at a time. XOXO THROUGH GOD'S GRACES, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!! Lets make a difference.... God bless you all ♥
How the campaign works
How the campaign works
How the campaign works
We invite you to join us in spreading joy in Benjamin & Nathaniel's names' by performing Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) throughout the whole month of October.
The following are ways to join in on our campaign:
- Print out a generic RAOK card found under the DOWNLOAD section of the webpage.
- Message us and we will gladly mail you personalized c
We invite you to join us in spreading joy in Benjamin & Nathaniel's names' by performing Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) throughout the whole month of October.
The following are ways to join in on our campaign:
- Print out a generic RAOK card found under the DOWNLOAD section of the webpage.
- Message us and we will gladly mail you personalized cards to help perform your RAOK.
- Leave a handwritten note, but remember to include Benjamin & Nathaniel's name along with #TWOHEARTSBRINGJOY and WWW.GIVINGBACKINCELEBRATION.COM so that the recipients of the RAOK card can help us keep paying it forward.
Make sure to include #TWOHEARTSBRINGJOY and tag yourselves on:
- our personal FB page (link below)
- on Instagram (INCLUDE #TWOHEARTSBRINGJOY)
We are so excited to see how all this plays out. To keep the momentum going, we will be:
- sharing a daily RAOK" posting in October, on our Facebook page (link below)
- doing a weekly give away to all those that tag themselves "in the act" on our Facebook page. (just snap a pic, and include the hashtag)
ADOPT A DAY:
For those individuals,clubs,churches, and businesses interested in helping sponsor one of the 31 days of RAOK, please message us in our contact us section or directly on our Facebook page. Lets get our community, co-workers and friends involved to make this an amazing campaign.
Other ways to help
How the campaign works
Other ways to help
The Ronald McDonald House of Stanford (RMH) took us in not only once but TWICE when we were 3hrs away from home/family while our son was being cared for in the NICU/PICU at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. I had always heard of RMH, but it wasn't until we actually stayed there that I came to realize, just how special they really are!
The Ronald McDonald House of Stanford (RMH) took us in not only once but TWICE when we were 3hrs away from home/family while our son was being cared for in the NICU/PICU at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. I had always heard of RMH, but it wasn't until we actually stayed there that I came to realize, just how special they really are! I can attest, through personal experience, that the RMH took care of every need during our stay. This is just a small way for us to continuously help give back to them in rememberance of Nathaniel. Any and all items purchased will be mailed directly to the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford. We initially used this registry as a way to celebrate and give back in honor of Nathaniel's 1st bday. I figure why not keep the registry open for those still interested in helping.
We never envision our families being in a situation where we might need the RMH's resources. Our donations are what keeps them going AND allows for them to keep growing stronger. So, by all means, SHARE away and spread the word! I
