Happy Independence Day!
Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. ~Louis D. Brandeis
As we celebrate this Independence Day, I’d like to honor the men and women who have fought for and continue to defend and protect our freedoms. This week’s post is dedicated to an organization that serves our wounded warriors.
Ruckabye Baby – Helping wounded warriors carry on
Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. ~Moshe Dayan
Ruckabye Baby is a donation-based, 100% volunteer organization devoted to providing wounded warriors with baby carriers to enable them to safely and comfortably hold their children after sustaining debilitating injuries.
As the granddaughter of a General and a mom who is dependent upon babywearing myself, I was inspired by their story…
“Our project began when a dear friend, a Staff Sergeant in the US Army, was severely wounded in an IED explosion. As he slowly learned to function with the loss of both arms and both legs, he realized that the devastating effects of his injuries were farther reaching than the immediate physical concerns; the accident had cost him the ability to hold his 9 month old baby. Our founder responded by buying him a baby carrier, which provided him with a safe and comfortable way to hold and bond with his daughter. In addition, it enabled his wife to carry their daughter while still being able to tend to her husband’s increased needs. After helping him, we realized that he couldn’t be the only soldier with this need and Ruckabye Baby was born.”
Ruckabye Baby’s mission is to provide families of wounded warriors with safe carriers to help the soldier to create a lasting bond between themselves and their babies, as well as to alleviate some of the hardship on the spouse by giving them a hands-free way to care for their baby while assisting their soldier in day-to-day activities that have become their new “normal.” The soldiers and their families are given a carrier and taught how to use that carrier either by a certified member of this project or by an affiliated organization for babywearing to ensure that the baby and the person wearing the baby are safe, comfortable, and happy about their babywearing experience.
Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower
Here’s how you can help…
- Spread the word!
- Visit RuckabyeBaby.org, “Like” Ruckabye Baby on Facebook, follow @RuckabyeBaby on Twitter, and share this post.
- Donate a used carrier (see specifications)
- Purchase a carrier from the Ruckabye Baby Store. All proceeds go to the purchase of carriers for our wounded heroes. http://hyenacart.com/RuckabyeBaby
- Make a Donation: Click Here to link directly to Ruckaby Baby’s donation page.
I’d like to challenge everyone who is moved by this cause to donate in celebration of Independence Day.
Are you willing to sacrifice a few fireworks, a steak, or a bottle of wine to donate to such a worthy cause?
In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt