Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Carrie Meghie. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Carrie Meghie always says that her son Jackson was as special as his birthday is unique. Born on November 11, 2011, at 11:11 p.m., Jackson spent his whole life, except for 48 hours, in the neonatal intensive care unit at two different hospitals in Chicago before he passed away just shy of 10 months old.
In the first six weeks her son was in the hospital, Carrie and her husband spent almost $2,000 on parking. Seeing how much of a financial burden that cost can be, they created the Jackson Chance Foundation to help other families have the opportunity to be with their children who are in the NICU as much as possible. The foundation provides families with a 24/7 unlimited in-and-out parking pass so they don’t have to pay for the expensive hospital parking during that challenging period. They can leave to go walk their dog, go to a meeting, and come back at lunch, instead of paying every time they leave the garage.
Carrie’s dedication to the Jackson Chance Foundation has allowed the organization to thrive, and they’re entering a period of tremendous growth. They just hired a new Executive Director, which will allow Carrie to dedicate more volunteer time to expanding the organization’s reach.
While Carrie’s story may be one of intense sadness, it’s also one that provides her with tremendous satisfaction. She sees the opportunity to provide family members with parking as a special way to honor her son and let his memory live on. While losing a child is heartbreaking, Carrie’s volunteer work allows her to celebrate and talk about him, while also impacting other babies like him. Her powerful personal story and determination to turn a painful situation into an opportunity to help others show just how influential volunteer work can be.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
My husband and I started the Jackson Chance Foundation in honor of our son, Jackson. We provide parking and transportation for families in the NICU. Parking was our largest out-of-pocket expense when we were in the hospital, and we were truly shocked that it actually was a real obstacle that prevented families from being with their babies when they were in the hospital fighting for their lives. We were very fortunate and blessed to be able to be with him each and every day and had support to help pay for that and be there, and we really believe that contributed to how much happiness and joy he had while we were in the hospital. We wanted to give other families and other babies like Jackson that gift to be able to have a loved one with them 24/7.
Tell us about your volunteer role with the Jackson Chance Foundation.
It varies. We have been a very lean organization since inception until about a year ago. We had one employee, and I was very hands-on, leading the organization day-to-day and working with our board. I’m thrilled that we have a new Executive Director starting in October, which will take the day-to-day and the organization to the next level. We’re at a great growth point. I think my role will change at that point to be more board leadership, fundraising, and mission-focused.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
We recently launched at our fourth hospital in Chicago just last month, which was a great milestone, and we now cover the primary hospitals in Chicago that serve the NICU population. The next step is looking outside Chicago. We’ve done a little bit of work in LA with Cedars-Sinai. We have other top hospitals across the country that have reached out looking for us to support their NICUs. Growth outside of Chicago is the next phase.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
Hearing from families. Every year at our annual event, we have a mission family who is a family very similar to us, and they often say that we knew what they needed before we knew it. We get to hear them talk about how the foundation allowed them to spend way more time and participate while their baby had a medical crisis, and how that really had an impact on the baby and the outcomes. Hearing firsthand from these families is just extremely rewarding.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
I am used to running businesses, and I’ve learned a lot about the differences in running a nonprofit, as well as the similarities. I have learned that there are so many genuine, generous, amazing people in the community. We initially just wanted to raise a little bit of money to support families, and the organization really took a life of its own when people started donating. We were raising hundreds of thousands of dollars. Starting a big organization wasn’t the goal. The supporters and the donors dictated the direction it was going. It was amazing to learn and see the generosity of the community.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
We live in a world that’s a community, and what we do impacts each other. Even the smallest thing can have a significant impact on another family. A $10 donation to us can give a family a whole 24 hours with their baby, which can be very meaningful if they’re there at an important and critical time. Even the smallest things can have great impacts on people when they when they need it. It can have way more impact than you might realize.
Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?
Reach out to an organization whose cause you believe in and just do it. Just go for it, and you can always pivot or change if it’s not quite right. If you’re unsure, the best step is to just do it. Don’t hesitate. There’s no right or wrong way, and nothing’s permanent. Just reach out and try something.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
Even though it sounds like a really heartbreaking story because we lost our son, those were an amazing 10 months. We had so much joy, and I’m honored to have been his mom for even a short period. Don’t be afraid to talk about that loss. It shouldn’t be such a taboo thing for people to talk about.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Carrie? Find local volunteer opportunities.