The Birth of Newborns in Need
Newborns In Need was created on July 7, 1992, by Carol Green. Carol first discovered the need when she attended a quilting club meeting in the early summer of 1992. She read in an Arizona-based sewing magazine that some needy newborns that died would be buried in paper sacks or discarded with medical waste, simply because no one had the money or resources to provide burial clothing. The others at the quilting club meeting thought that the article was inaccurate, but she was dismayed at the thought and had to know the truth. She contacted the woman who made the statement and she confirmed the shocking truth. She then called hospitals in her area, and discovered that they also faced the same problem — no burial clothing for needy children.
Carol enlisted her friends, and soon they were turning out burial wear so no baby would be treated without dignity. Her husband then pointed out that there were living, needy children that also needed clothes. Soon Carol and her friends were producing those clothes too – baby gowns, hats, blankets, sleepers, isolette covers and other baby essentials. From one woman’s outrage at the treatment of a deceased baby, and the encouragement and support of her husband, Richard, Newborns In Need was launched. Carol would smile when she would give credit to Richard for coming up with the organization’s name.
Connie Edwards Moves Newborns In Need Forward
In 2007, Carol and Richard decided to retire from Newborns In Need, but they wanted to organize to continue the mission. They wanted someone who would lead the organization with the same principals of compassion and love. They turned to someone they were very familiar with; mother of a premature baby, past chapter president and a NIN regional vice-president. Connie Edwards had stepped away from the organization years earlier due to the increase in work travel and the needs of a growing family. Not wanting to let her chapter and NIN responsibilities suffer, she stepped down and handed the chapter leadership role to someone who had volunteered by her side for years. A month before receiving the call from Richard, her job responsibilities shifted, opening the door for her to return to the organization as a volunteer. Never imagining that she would be entrusted to lead the organization, she was taken by surprise. She contacted some of the chapter leaders she had served with before, and prayed that she was ready for such a responsibility. After many nights of discussions with her husband Jerry, she accepted the role and moved Newborns in Need to Pfafftown, North Carolina. She continues to keep the original principles of compassion and love for all infants in need, and keeps her focus on growing new chapters across the country.