the nest postpartum

CHAMPAIGN, III (WAND) - NICU Moms are coming together to form The Nest Postpartum Support and help as many NICU families as they can. 

Once a NICU Mom, always a NICU mom. That's what Paige Raab and Jessica Wolff tell WAND News about their long journey inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. An experience they would not wish on any family, but hope to make it as easy as possible for those who do go through it. 

PAIGE
jessica

The Nest Postpartum Support is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based out of Champaign-Urbana. Founder and President Paige Raab says, their main mission is to provide support to NICU families and keep them close to their babies. 

"We are going to provide transportation to and from the NICU. We're going to provide money for lodging so that they can stay locally near their child, and we're going to provide some prepared meals to families to like take home at the end of the day." Raab says about what they will provide through their non-profit. They also want to make sure they help families feel like they are not along. 

"We also have care coordinators within our organization to provide like a consistent support to families so each week, the family is talking to a care coordinator within our organization, somebody that has walked through similar shoes that gets it. And they are just chatting with the family providing that consistent support for them, and also just kind of figuring out how we can best support that family and the next week." Raab says. 

They want to support NICU families up to 75 miles away from the hospital. They say every family should be able to have the support they need during NICU stays. They hope to start providing services in October 2021. But first, fundraising. Next week, the organizations plans to start fundraising.

Wolff says they have the hefty goal of $40,000 dollars. "That will provide up to 50 meals for families that we're willing to, we're hoping to work with. It'll provide lodging for our family to be close to their baby for a week. And we're really just hoping for a lot of community support."

Through their website and social media, they are hoping for community partnerships, donors, and any support for their mission. You can also reach them through email at info@thenestpostpartum.org.