“As a special needs mom, this movement is near and dear to my heart. Laila’s Gift aims to bring a smile to children with special needs and their families because tomorrow is never promised and their collective perseverance to overcome hardships deserves to be celebrated!” said Shari Bailey.
BALTIMORE (PRWEB)
October 17, 2022
Laila’s Gift, a nonprofit shedding light on the challenges of special needs families, announces its year-end fundraising gala and GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Celebrate the Lives of Special Needs Children” to benefit the organization. Laila’s Gift is a champion for the special needs community by providing ongoing resources, support and encouragement.
The Gifter’s Gala, is to be held on Dec. 17 2022 at The Port Discovery Children’s Museum Downtown Baltimore, MD, will include fundraising efforts and be a night filled with special needs awareness, insights from keynote speakers, and community and professional recognitions. The charitable initiative is the brainchild of change influencer Shari Bailey, the mother of 8-year-old twin daughters, one of whom has the rare congenital disorder, Jacobsen Syndrome.
The goal is to raise $100,000 by Dec. 31 from the event and crowdsourcing campaign to celebrate the birthdays of children with special needs throughout 2023, acknowledging the many challenges they face. The nonprofit will throw a birthday bash for each child, give them a personalized gift and feature the story of the celebration on its digital platforms.
“As a special needs mom, this movement is near and dear to my heart,” said Bailey. “Laila’s Gift aims to bring a smile to children with special needs and their families because tomorrow is never promised and their collective perseverance to overcome hardships deserves to be celebrated! My girls inspire me to help others and share my skills and knowledge with a community whose lives have been impacted by raising a child with special needs. To me, their child’s unique gift is a blessing they share with every person they encounter. The more we understand their conditions and work together to help them feel included is of utmost importance to the work of our nonprofit.”
For many children with special needs, each birthday is a milestone due to health complications and other adversities. Bailey’s daughter, Laila, was diagnosed with Jacobsen Syndrome at birth. The rare congenital condition occurs in approximately 1 in 100,000 newborns. Roughly 20% to 25% of all infants with this disorder pass away before age two.
Additional fundraising endeavors include the recent launch of zigglebee, a children’s book by Laila’s sister, Lana, encouraging engagement through creativity and the arts. A percentage of proceeds from each book will go towards research for Jacobsen Syndrome.
For more information and ways to give, click here.
About Laila’s Gift and Shari Bailey:
Laila’s Gift is a nonprofit organization established in 2022 to shed light on the challenges of being a special needs parent and family member. It also promotes inclusion by highlighting the blessing each special needs child brings to the people they encounter. Founder Shari Bailey is mom to twin daughters, one of whom was diagnosed with Jacobsen Syndrome at birth. She tirelessly works to raise awareness about the rare congenital condition and is a spokesperson for raising children with special needs through her “Making a Difference” campaign.
For more information, visit her website at http://www.iamsharibee.com.
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