Two weeks ago Adam and I were given an incredible gift by someone we hadn’t seen in close to 10 years. I am still processing the fact that someone could be so kind and thoughtful, and care about our family so much.

We received a package about the size of a shoe box with a note on top to open the envelope attached before opening the box.

Due to Adam’s work schedule, of course we had to wait a day! When we were finally able to open this mysterious gift, I cannot tell you how shocked we were. How shocked we STILL are.

I am still moved to tears when I think about her gesture. Arielle and I went to the same high school, played basketball and were in journalism together. Due to the power of social media, we reconnected in college and she was one of the first people to reach out to Adam and me after the twins were born. She, too, had just become a mother.

Arielle, thank you. Thank you for the gift, yes, but also thank you for being a fantastic role model for your own beautiful daughters. You have such an amazing heart, and all I can do is hope to repay this someday.

Arielle’s Letter to Bell State Bank & Trust:

Adam and Trisha Stibbe, both raised in Fargo, ND, welcomed a baby girl into the world on April 21, 2015. They are incredible parents to three amazing young boys as well. Their oldest-twins Sam and Jack, had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. It is a disease of the placenta. It affects pregnancies with monochorionic (shared placenta) multiples when blood passes disproportionately from one baby to the other through connecting blood vessels within their shared placenta. One baby, the recipient twin, gets too much blood overloading his or her cardiovascular system, and may die from heart failure. The other baby, the donor twin or stuck twin, does not get enough blood and may die from severe anemia. Left untreated, mortality rates near 100%. But this did not happen with these boys-they are fighters! They made it. On November 4, 2010, they were born at 28 weeks, two days. And now almost five years later they are almost like any other typical boy. As one can imagine that ride hasn’t been easy. Adam and Trisha welcomed a third baby … cont …
Trisha and Adam knew their family wasn’t yet complete. And in the fall of 2014 they found out they were expecting a Princess. Princess Claire Perie Stibbe is the most precious little baby you will ever see. Shortly after Claire’s birth, the Stibbes were informed Claire has an extra chromosome. And these are Trisha’s words, “One minute we were celebrating our incredibly beautiful little princess, and the next our lives changed forever. Over the next few days we came to grips with our new reality– having such an amazing support system helped tremendously. The love we have for her is indescribable. We knew little to nothing about Down syndrome and I am so happy to say that her future is bright and limitless. Like any parent, we will move heaven and earth to make her happy.
Down syndrome is a journey I never planned… But I sure do love my tour guide.”

We are still trying to decide what to do with the money. Claire has quite a bit of medical debt already, but I want to do something other than pay bills with the money. Perhaps we will visit Holland as Arielle suggested 🙂