Kayleigh Shines

A few weeks back, Aimee and I received this email below and we were speechless. Take a look at it and enjoy...

Dear Adam & Aimee,

I am from Charlotte and used to go to Elevation and from that, I learned about Ferris and Wade's twin girls when they announced they had been born early and to keep them in our prayers. Through the blog Ferris kept about the girls, I found your blog about Kayleigh and I know you probably get a ton of people sharing how she impacted them, but I really believe she touched me the most as far as strangers go.

I was sixteen or seventeen when I first read through what was happening and I cried. At the time I think she was about to undergo her open heart surgery and I was in awe that doctors' would be capable of performing such a daunting task on such a tiny person. I have twin cousins that were born about 9 weeks early at about 5 pounds and 3 pounds and holding them for the first time was the most humbling experience of my life at the point in time. Thinking back to that and trying to imagine either of them undergoing any kind of surgery was amazingly impossible to wrap my mind around, but there Kayleigh was proving that she was strong enough for basically anything.

Anyway, I never thought about being a doctor or nurse because I was so passionate about dancing and photography and the arts, but reading your blog over those months changed me. I decided I didn't want to waste my education and life doing something for myself just because I was good at it. I decided I wanted to actually be there not just emotionally but physically for future Kayleighs'. I want to be there to fight for infants like her who weren't given a fair shot at life.

I just finished my freshman year at UNC Greensboro as a pre-nursing major. I haven't decided if I want to go to medical school after or continue with nursing and get my MSN. Either way, I know I will be a Neonatal nurse or Neonatologist and that is all thanks to your family, especially Kayleigh. She was simply amazing in the most innocent way. My mother and I always wanted to come to the hospital to meet you and your family but we felt as though we would be imposing on your precious time with her. I've always wanted to thank you for opening up your life to the world and sharing because without that, I would not be who I am and who I know I will be.

Tonight an old friend and I were catching up and he asked what I was in school for and what I wanted to be. Of course his first question was why because he knew me back in my art-absorbed days so I told him all about Kayleigh. After talking about it, I realized I hadn't been to the blog in at least a year maybe even two, which kind of makes me sad, so I revisited. I saw you are now living in Wilmington and immediately I knew I needed to finally thank you because I moved down here about two weeks ago for the summer. Small world! Thank you so much for letting me and so many others into your life. I am eternally grateful to you and your family.

-Chloe Nickles

So after reading this email, I contacted Aimee and Bo and we immediately put plans together to take Chloe out to dinner to catch up with her and see how things are going. It was a phenomenal dinner as we enjoyed some sushi and shared stories with each other. It was a blessing to meet someone like Chloe and to see how our little angel has touched yet another persons life so much.

Here is Aimee, Chloe and I.