Sunday, December 18, 2005 8:17 AM CST

Prayers are going out for B4SMA kid Piper's family as she has passed away on Monday evening. Piper was a few days shy of 8 months old. She joins her older brother Wayland in heaven with all the other SMA Angels.

Prayers are going out for B4SMA kid Woodrow's family as he passed away Thursday afternoon. Woodrow was only 10 weeks old. Prayers are with the family as they go through this terrible time at the holidays.

Prayers are going out for B4SMA kid Nick L as he is sick now and in the hospital. Prayers also for B4SMA Kid Emma L to stay well and we are glad that she is home from the hospital

Prayers are still coming for B4SMA kid Madison B as she recovers from her long hospital stay. We hope you feel better soon.

Prayers for B4SMA kid Leah as she was admitted to the hospital and will be there through the holiday season to get a gtube placed after she recovers from her pneumonia.

Prayers for B4SMA kid Grace as she recovers from her hospital stay for pneumonia. We hope you are feeling better soon too.

More prayers for B4SMA kid Elizabeth H and B4SMA kid Pranav as they are both under the weather. We hope it is nothing major and you are feeling better soon.

We will continue to provide blankets to the kids until a cure is found!

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote describing B4SMA and why we do it. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Sunday, December 4, 2005 10:04 AM EST

Please pray for B4SMA kid Morgan's family. She joined the angels during the night. She will be truly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. Godspeed little one....

Sunday, December 4, 2005 1:04 AM EST

Special prayers are needed for B4SMA kid Morgan S. who is in the hospital right now. She stopped breathing while standing and is not doing well at all. Prayers are heading her way for her, her parents and her two brothers.

Prayers are needed for B4SMA kid Madison B, who is also in the hospital. Prayers are headed her way and hope she starts feeling better soon.

B4SMA kid Ethan came through his gtube surgery with flying colors and made it home two days after surgery! Way to go Ethan.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

B4SMA got a Thanksgiving gift, so to speak. When Brenda signed online, she had gotten a Google alert and yesterday, an article came and it is about B4SMA. We had contacted the Evening Leader about baby Charlie the other night after reading his story in the paper. The reporter wrote back saying she would give our information to the family. The only problem is that I am referred to MJ as a "he" in the article. Oh well, it is better than nothing! Below is the article -

Battler Charlie gets support from USA


A TINY baby fighting an incurable disease has captured the heart of a sufferer thousands of miles away.

Four-month-old Charlie Hughes is battling spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a muscle-wasting disease, and doctors warn he is unlikely to live another year.

But after reading of his plight on the Evening Leader's website, an American teenager with the same illness has been in touch with Charlie's parents, Beccy Lynch and Philip Hughes, and offered vital moral support.

MJ Purk, 17, of Rye Brook, New York, asked the Leader to pass on details of an organisation he set up to give advice and information about SMA.

Blankets for SMA was set up to help children diagnosed with the disease, with MJ and his helpers sending handmade quilts to young patients across the world.

MJ has a severe form of SMA but is one of many young people living beyond doctor's expectations, with the help of cutting-edge treatments. MJ's sister, Emma, died from the disease.

He said: "I saw the article in the Evening Leader about baby Charlie and would like to contact the family. I would love to send Charlie a blanket from my organisation if possible. I would really appreciate it if my contact details could be passed on."

Charlie's father, Philip, said: "It is really nice of this lad to get in touch and we will definitely get in touch. Charlie is a little battler and we have not given up hope for him. MJ is 17 and is living with the disease, so that gives me hope. I will be interested to get in contact with him to find out more. We are going to keep on fighting this."

(Evening Leader - A North Wales Newspapers Title)


We will continue to provide blankets to the kids until a cure is found!

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote describing B4SMA and why we do it. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 10:51 AM CST

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Friends from B4SMA. We have hit the 180 mark and are just 20 months old. We are very excited about it and plan to do many more.



Special prayers heading out for B4SMA kid Jesse and his family. Jesse passed away last weekend. His family will be in our prayers during this time. Our thoughts are with you always.

Special get well wishes to B4SMA kid Ethan T. He will be having surgery next week. We hope it goes well and you will be feeling better soon!

Special thanks to Laura and the boys for the generous donation. It will be put to good use and we will make some kids very happy because of it.

Special thanks to Pat, grandma to B4SMA kid Sophia, for your donation of yarn. It will be used to make some special blankets. Thank you very much!

Special thanks to Joann, Tricia and Janis for all the wonderful fleece you sent. It will make a lot of kids very happy. Thank you very much for your support! You know we love you for it.

Special thanks to Laura S for updating the page. We are now up to page 6!!

Special thanks to Helen B for continuing to support us and to help pass the word so we can send more blanket hugs to more kids.

We will continue to provide blankets to the kids until a cure is found!

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote describing B4SMA and why we do it. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Saturday, November 12, 2005 9:47 AM CST

Just want to post a quick update since it has been almost a month. We have been so busy boxing stuff up, that there isn't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything.

Please say prayers for B4SMA kid Baby Alex who passed away last month. It is always a hard time with the holidays coming for the families who have lost a loved one. We remember all those that have passed away and their families during the holiday season.

Today, we are setting our own personal record. We sent out one box yesterday and 7 today but 9 blankets out in one week!! It is sad to have to send out that many blankets but we are glad that we are able to reach that many more kids. MJ's biggest reach is to be able to give a blanket hugs to all kids with SMA. As of today, 171 kids will/have received a blanket hug from us in about 20 months.



Also, special thanks to Joann and Janis for keeping our fabric stash built up. We are quickly making that stash into blankets. Thanks Janis for the extra blanket you sent. It will be put to great use.


We will continue to provide blankets to the kids until a cure is found!

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote describing B4SMA and why we do it. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Friday, October 14, 2005 10:55 AM CDT

Well, time sure flies these days.

Things have been hopping. This weekend we have 5 blankets going out which makes our total 153 so far. It is hard to believe it has only been just under 19 months.

A special thanks to B4SMA kid Grace for her wonderful donation of beanie babies. They will come in handy and a few are going out this weekend.

A special thanks to B4SMA kid Sarah V. and Aunt Ruthie for the two beautiful blankets you made. Thank you very much.

On a sad note, we want to offer special prayers for four of our families. In the past month four of our B4SMA kids have passed away. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them during this hard time.
B4SMA kid Ava P and her family
B4SMA kid Christian and his family
B4SMA kid Rhine and his family
B4SMA kid Austin and his family
We are so sorry for your loss.

We will continue to provide blankets to the kids until a cure is found!

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote describing B4SMA and why we do it. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Tuesday, September 20, 2005 11:47 PM CDT

Time sure flies these days. We have been busy and sending at least 3 to 4 blankets every weekend. We have really gone international lately, Sweden and Australia have become high on the list.

Need to give special thanks to B4SMA kid Shaun and his Aunt for the donation. We have to go shopping soon and find some cool fabric to make blankets in Shaun's honor. (It was great camping over Labor Day with you all).

Big thanks to Janis for sending us 6 more blankets. You are truly amazing and we thank you very much. You are the best.

While camping over labor day weekend, we were able to hand deliver another blanket, this time to Kyle. It is rewarding seeing first hand how the kids react to the blankets (not saying that just getting a picture isn't rewarding) but first hand is even better.

MJ attended the first week of school, missed most of the second week of school, due to the heat, and now is missing school this week because she is sick.

On a positive note, MJ is finally able to update the last ten blankets page. Just tonight, she was able to reinstall the program and has already updated the page.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote describing B4SMA and why we do it. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Sunday, August 28, 2005 10:35 AM CDT

Sorry for the length of time between updates. We have been gone most of the summer, so finding time to update is hard.

Since our last update things have been hopping. We did hand deliver the 100th blanket to Nicole, from Ohio. We met other families in Ohio and sent them blankets too.

We also got a wonderful gift from Angel Jeffrey's grandma. She and her quilting group sent us a box of blankets that were made in memory of Jeffrey.

Special thanks to B4SMA kids Casey and Colin, and their mom Sue, for the blanket that you made.

Special thanks to B4SMA angel Jack and his mom, who sent us two more blankets. They have both been sent out.

Special thanks to B4SMA kid Madison R. for the donation of great fabric and the huge bag of animals. We are going to make them into blankets this week. Lots of the animals have been sent out already.

Special thanks to Janis for bringing us 8 finished blankets and buying more fabric to make more. Thanks for traveling with us this summer.

Last week, we went to the SMA Support Family Gathering and met lots of old friends and made new ones. We were able to give 3 blankets to kids that were there. When we got home, our email was full. Yesterday, we sent out a record 8 boxes (to 9 kids) from the USA, Canada and 2 boxes to Sweden. We have certainly grown. We have sent out 20 blankets in the past month.

Special thanks to Sam for the bag of beanie babies.

Next week school starts here in New York. MJ will be a senior and is very excited. We will try to keep updates coming regularly. Stay tuned.

The update page, with the last 10 blankets is not up-to-date. The computer crashed and we lost the program to update it, but hopefully, we will get that up and running soon.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 11:10 PM CDT

First off, prayers for all the B4SMA kids in need of prayers.

Continued prayers for B4SMA kid Shaun, as he recovers from his spinal fusion.

Prayers for B4SMA kid Ariana, who just underwent spinal fusion on Monday in NJ.

Prayers also for B4SMA kid Grace, as she will be getting a g-tube and Nissan surgery on Friday.

Our prayers are with all three families during this time.

Special thanks to B4SMA kids Casey and Colin for their beautiful blanket. Someone will love to get that blanket.

On Monday, July 25th, after a short 16 months, we will be hand delivering our 100th blanket!!! Hooray!!!

Pictures are continually changing on this page and MJ has added a page of the last 10 blankets to her other page, which the link is up above.

As always,

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 11:33 AM EST

Just a brief added note for today and I will keep the old one on.

Prayers going out for B4SMA kid Shaun as he is undergoing spinal fusion. We hope all goes well so we can have fun camping this summer.

Also a special thank you to B4SMA kid Connor for his donation. We will be making lots of blankets with the donation. Thanks again and it was good to see you and your family along with B4SMA kid Jimmy this past weekend.


Saturday, July 9, 2005 8:33 AM CDT

Back again. We were on a blanket frenzy the past couple weeks. We went on vacation and made blankets while visiting with family.

First off, our prayers are with B4SMA angel Montanna and her family. Montanna passed away Saturday, June 25th. Montanna was only 10 months old.

Special thanks to B4SMA kid Zoe and her mom Lorraine for the wonderful box of blankets and stuffed animals. They are all wonderful. Thank you very much for sharing them with us.

Special thanks to B4SMA kid Courtney and her aunt Debbie who sent us some beautiful fabric to make a blanket in honor of Courtney. We will be making the blanket soon and will be sure to share a picture with you soon.

Special thanks to Mary Ann J. for making another beautiful blanket. It was wonderful to finally meet you and look forward to getting together again.

Thanks to Brenda's aunt Joann who just sent us some beautiful fleece. It is soooo cute and soft. Can't wait to make a blanket and send that out.

Thanks to Tim and Betsy for finding us fleece while on vacation.

A great big thanks to MJ's cousin Sam who spent a few days with us and made 5 different blankets for us. Thanks again for helping us.

And thanks to MJ's grandmother for letting us fill the lake house with blanket fuzzies and scraps and blankets during our vacation. We had a great time.

We made 20 blankets over vacation thanks to all the wonderful donations we have received in the past couple of months.

Pictures are continually changing on this page and MJ has added a page of the last 10 blankets to her other page, which the link is up above.

As always,

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 8:47 AM CDT

Sorry for not updating sooner!! Busy doing homework since the end of the school year is near. MJ only has 2 tests left and then she is done!! HOORAY!!!

We have been busy for the past few weeks. MJ got to hand deliver two blankets to two special friends. She will also hand deliver another blanket this week.

First a big thank you to our friends Charlotte and Teresa for making a blanket for us and pillows. You did an awesome job with it and it will make someone very happy!!!

A big thank you to Laura and the boys for the donation. We can't wait to go shopping to get stuff.

Thanks to B4SMA kid Shaun's Aunt who sent us a donation. We will be going shopping in two weeks and we will let you know what we find! Thanks so much for becoming a part of our family and being MJ's adopted aunt.

Thanks to B4SMA kid Hayden and his family for the donation in memory of Baby Jacob. We will be able to make lots of blankets in Jacob's memory and in honor of Hayden. Thank you for sharing blanket hugs with more kids.

Thanks to B4SMA kid Payton and his family for the gift card. We were able to find lots of goodies with it and we put it to good use.

Thanks to B4SMA kid Charlie and his family for the huge box of beanies. Wow, what a box. They are wonderful and they have already made a couple kids very happy.

Another thanks to Kimi for her generous donation of stuffed animals. Some have already been sent out. Thanks so much.

Also a special thank you to Sandy and her daughter Julia for asking to help despite Julia's medical challenges. Thank you for supporting us and helping us.

Also in the past 3 weeks, we have gone shopping 3 times and bought lots of fabric because of our wonderful donations. We are going on vacation in two weeks and will have time to turn this fabric into many beautiful blankets. We will update when we return home from vacation to let you know how many blankets we made.

Things have been slow in the "sending" department, but we had one go out last weekend and we have 4 going out Saturday and one being delivered next week. Stay tuned for more developments.


Pictures are continually changing on this page and MJ has added a page of the last 10 blankets to her other page, which the link is up above.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Monday, May 23, 2005 8:59 AM CDT

What a few weeks it has been since the last update! We have been very busy!

First of all, we want to thank Mrs. G's class at Milton Elementary School for inviting us up. We had a great time visiting your class. Thank you for helping us by making a blanket for the kids and for making cards for the kids. You guys are the best! We hope to be able to come visit you again next year!

We would also like to thank the following people:

Kim B (grandma to B4SMA kid Madison B) for the generous donation. It will help us buy more material to make more blankets. We went shopping this weekend and was able to get some cool stuff.

B4SMA Kid Lindsey M and her family for the donation. We will be able to send more blankets with the donation you sent us. We will send you a picture of what we bought with your money.

B4SMA Kid Grace C for the donation of stuffed animals and for your friend who sent us 2 blankets. They will make two kids very happy.

B4SMA Kids Casey and Colin O's nurse Sue for the wonderful blanket you made for us. We can't wait to send it out to share it with some kid.

B4SMA Kids Casey and Colin O's mom Sue for inviting us up and opening your house to us. Thanks for setting up the meeting with the school and for promoting our cause. You are the best!!!

Also an added thank you to Mrs. S from PCHS for the donation. Thank you so much for support MJ in her efforts. You are the greatest!

Pictures are continually changing on this page and MJ has added a page of the last 10 blankets to her other page, which the link is up above.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Friday, May 6, 2005 11:08 AM CDT

Hello everyone:

We have a lot of people to thank this week. We are so blessed to have found such wonderful people.

Thanks to Mary Ann J. who made us a beautiful blanket. It will make some kid happy and warm.

Thanks to Gail R. for the wonderful donation of stuffed beanies. They are so soft and cuddly and some will be going out tomorrow.

Thanks to Robin B for the two blankets that your mom made. We can't wait to send them out.

Thanks to Debbie R. for the beanies and for being a great godmother to Charlie!

Thanks to Linda Z for bringing us the 2 blankets and the batting. You are a great help. It was great to see you again!!

Thanks to Laura R and the boys for the generous donation. It will help us buy more material to make more blankets.

As you can see we had a busy few weeks for donations. Last week, 3 blankets went out and tomorrow there are 2 more going out. Pictures are continually changing on this page and MJ has added a page of the last 10 blankets to her other page, which the link is up above.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Friday, April 22, 2005 6:37 PM CDT

Surprise, another update! Things have been quiet the past two weeks, only 2 blankets have gone out. We have to thank Pat D. for the box of beanie babies. I have been on vacation for a week but am bringing back 4 quilts and a bunch of fleece to make more blankets.

Our prayers go out to two families this week. Larissa M. passed away on April 7th. She is currently on the caringbridge photo page along with on the other website. Also, Kaydence passed away Monday, April 18th. She received a blanket in September. Our thoughts and prayers are with both families during this tough time. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful children with us.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Saturday, April 9, 2005 11:33 AM CDT

Just a quick update!!

We forgot to say a special thank you to Kassidy's mom, who sent MJ 2 new photo albums to hold all of our special photos. Thank you so very much. I promise to take a picture of MJ today and get it sent off to you. Thank you for thinking of us.

The new slide show is working. We added more kids to it, of course, it is quickly becoming outdated as more blankets are sent out and pictures are sent in. The pictures that we ask are important to us, and we thank every parent who has sent us a picture back. We share the pictures with our volunteers, as seeing a face with the blanket they made helps keep them helping us. So, please, email or mail us a picture, if you want the picture back, we will quickly scan it and return it.


Monday, April 4, 2005 10:33 AM CDT



We made it to one year! We are so amazed at the outpouring of help we have been getting. It is truly amazing.

We have even sent blankets to other countries. We have sent 2 to Canada now, one to England, and one to Australia with another one ready to go soon. We are just greatful for the help we receive to share blanket hugs with everyone!

I've been busy doing blankets since I hadn't done any the past 2 weeks and our weekends are filling up quickly.

Not much else to share. We are still working on the slideshow...hope to have it fixed soon.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all
for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Friday, March 18, 2005 12:12 AM CST

Hi everyone:

Only 3 days until our first anniversary. Tomorrow we are sending 4 blankets out. With those four, our total sent out will be 72 in one year. Things are really looking up for us.
We have also had more people jump in and help us send blanket hugs. Thanks to you who have helped us. It was a big huge help.

I must say a big thank you to our local girl scout troops. Wednesday, one troop leader dropped by the house and dropped off a huge bag of stuffed animals and a bag of fabric. Thank you so much. Thursday, I went to a girl scout meeting and was really surprised at the amount of stuffed animals they collected for us. There were 6 or 7 bags of stuffed animals for MJ to use. MJ will be going to both troop meetings later this spring to thank everyone for their help. It is ironic that we received the stuffed animals because MJ's supply was getting worn down and we just figured that we would keep sending blankets but stuffed animals wouldn't be included any more....but now we don't have to worry for a long while.

Sorry to the new families, we have tried to update the slide show, but at this time, it isn't letting us add more pictures. Don't fear, we will get it working soon.

Love and blanket hugs to everyone.


That is all for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Saturday, February 26, 2005 11:41 AM CST

First of all, only 23 days until our first anniversary. We are very proud and pleased to say that we will be continuing in our quest to give blanket hugs to more SMA Kids. We also have a new logo. See the top of the page to check it out. MJ's dad, drew the little baby for us.

Second, thanks to Eileen for the wonderful blankets we received. They will be a big help in getting more blankets out to the little kids.

Third, thanks Kathy and angel Jack for the rest of the blankets that you made for us. You surprised us with all that you did. Jack will never be forgotten!

That is about all for now. We are loving all the pictures that we receive from the families. Each family has become a part of our family and we cherish each memory that it gives us. Thank you SMA families for sharing your child with us.

That is all for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 0:58 AM CST

First of all, we want to extend our condolences to another one of our B4SMA kids, Caitlyn. She passed away Feb. 9th. Here is a picture of Caitlyn when she received our blanket over the summer.

Second, our special thanks to Kathy, Angel Jack's mom. Kathy asked MJ what she wanted for Christmas. MJ couldn't think of anything specific, so MJ said, fabric and we will make a blanket in memory of Jack. Well, we got a wonderful surprise today of 2 blankets. Kathy, you did an awesome job. Some little kid is truly going to love the extra special surprises you have included! Thank you so much.

We have been getting a lot of new pictures in lately, so the photo album is rapidly changing! Don't worry, they are all on the other website, thanks to Laura S.

That is all for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA


Brenda and MJ

Monday, January 31, 2005 1:43 PM CST

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is February already. Where does the time go? We have sent out over 50 blankets and still have a couple months to go before we have been at this for a year. We started last Easter and are really enjoying making blankets. Seeing the pictures of the kids with their blankets is what it all about. MJ got a special surprise when one of the kids who got their blanket called and thanked her personally! Made us all "tear" up as it was such a wonderful present to receive back.
We also want to give a big, huge thanks to Kim and Charlie. Kim has sent us 5 blankets now to send out to other kids with SMA. Charlie was one of our first kids to recieve a blanket and now they are helping us.
MJ just added the slide show presentation of the kids who have received their blankets. We will add new pictures once a month to add all the new kids in. We hope you enjoy it.

That is all for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!
To see all the kids pictures separately, visit B4SMA

Tuesday, January 11, 2005 1:33 AM CST

Hi everyone:

Another update!!

I went home to relax and came back with blankets....so much for relaxing, huh? I had fun and it was relaxing and am ready and raring to go to make more. I have stuff to make 2 more this weekend. Last weekend I made 2 pillowcases for MJ out of fabric she got from her 17th birthday.

Saturday, we had 3 blankets go out in the mail. Hopefully, we will get pictures as soon as they get them, so everyone can see how cute the kids are! We are working on getting another one boxed up to get sent this week too.

MJ has a new website that does have the B4SMA links on it. It is www.mjthesmaqueen.com
It was one of her birthday presents. She is doing it all herself and doing an awesome job!

That is all for now. Please continue to check the photo album to see new pictures as they are updated.

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

Sunday, December 26, 2004 4:30 PM CST

First of all, sorry about the length of time between updates. We are keeping busy, but just seem to run out of time to send updates. Kids have been getting blankets and the pictures are changing. Still waiting to receive pictures from a few families, but we know they received them.

Second of all, our condolensces go out to Craig and Kathy, parents of Jack. Jack lost his battle with SMA on Christmas Eve and went to spend Christmas in Heaven this year with all the other angels. Here is a picture of Jack with the blanket that he received from us!!



I am on vacation and have been mostly taking it easy. I did bring 2 quilts along to work on, but have been taking it easy. Am looking forward to getting back into it again, though and going shopping soon! LOL

New pictures are added all the time to our permanent website:

www.our-sma-angels.com/b4sma

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

Monday, November 22, 2004 11:01 AM CST

It is with great sadness that I tell you that Cole Daniel Webb lost his fight with SMA on November 18, 2004. Cole received a blanket from us about a month ago. He will forever be missed. MJ made a memorial website for Cole. Please check it out.

Cole's Memorial Website



Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Sorry for the long time between updates!

The photo page is continually being updated with new pictures. MJ and I are having a great time sending all these great kids a blanket. What a wonderful feeling it gives you, when you get a note back and a picture to go along with the name. We cherish each and every photo and note we receive.

Since the last update, we have had two more people who have jumped in to help us. Thanks Eileen and Lauren! We are really excited and have a bunch of blankets ready to send out as needed. Thanks to my mom and aunt, who recently sent us 6 different blankets. They are so cute and wonderful and I know some little kid is just going to love them too. Thanks also to Laura S for adding the pictures to the other website. We have kept her busy adding new pictures all the time.

www.our-sma-angels.com/b4sma

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

and blanket

and

Saturday, September 25, 2004 11:55 PM CDT

Sorry it has been so long since the last update!!! Our summer vacation was great. My aunt has joined in our endeavors in helping make blankets along with my mom. We have been busy since we arrived home. MJ and I made lots of blankets this summer...MJ learned how to use my new sewing machine and has helped make several of the blankets. In the past 2 weeks, we have sent out about 15 blankets. The photo page will be changing rapidly, but don't worry, since we can only have 3 pictures on here, the older ones go to

www.our-sma-angels.com/b4sma

The entry above this update is a journal MJ wrote for school. Hope you enjoy it!!

The picture above is why we make blankets to give to kids. Just seeing the little hand holding on, says it all!

We would gladly accept any donations to help give blanket hugs to more kids. Thanks!!

Monday, July 5, 2004 0:26 AM CDT

In a few hours, we will be off on our vacation. We aren't taking our machine, but will be on the lookout for some great new fabric!

Last week at the lake house, we made 4 quilts and 4 more quilt tops in only 3 days of sewing. While at the lake house sewing, we call it the sweat shop....we sit and sew all day. MJ is able to sew using my sewing machine by putting the foot pedal under her elbow. She had a great time.

There are new pictures of Elizabeth and Charlie on the photo page. Still waiting for pictures of two more kids...can't wait to put them up!

Hope everyone has a great summer, we will try to update as often as we can. TTYL.

Love and Blanket Hugs from MJ and I!!!!!

Friday, June 4, 2004 10:34 AM CDT

The picture above is the photo album we recieved in memory of Kassidy. All kids that receive a quilt, if we receive a picture back, will be placed in the album.

There is a new picture on the photo page of Nathan, who received a blanket too. Such cute kids. We are still waiting on two more pictures of kids with their blankets.

Not much else has been happening lately. MJ is busy study for finals and state tests, so this has been pushed to the back burner for a couple weeks, but we will be ready for the summer and lots of quilting ahead.

Saturday, May 1, 2004 8:37 AM CDT

We sent out a blanket last Saturday and two more went out yesterday. We will be sending out another one this week. Time to pull out the machine and get cracking to keep up with all the newly diagnosed kids.

On a side note, The child that got the blanket we sent Saturday received her quilt on Monday and passed away in her sleep Monday night. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kassidy's family during this hard time. Another angel in heaven....her picture is on the photo page.

Hopefully, new pictures will up soon when the other 2 kids receive their quilts.

Hugs to all!!!!!

Sunday, April 18, 2004 0:03 AM CDT

Sorry for the delay in updating. Things are progressing rapidly. We are packaging up 3 quilts to be sent out this week. We made labels to sew on the back of the quilts that say B4SMA: Blankets for SMA.

I would like to thank Bonnie at Quilting on Main for the wonderful donation of fabric. I can't wait to dig in and start sewing. I have to thank my grandma who spent the afternoon quilting a top I made and teaching me how to finish continuous binding. Thanks mom, for letting me use your sewing machine and putting "many miles on it" and making 3 more quilts for us and taking time out to help me sew all week. Thanks to Margaret T. for donating the crocheted blanket. It is so soft and cuddly.

Thanks everyone for helping us out. New pictures will be posted as the kids get their quilts!!!

MJ has a permanent site for B4SMA at www.our-sma-angels.com/b4sma It has pictures of some of the kids that have received blankets from us.

Sunday, March 21, 2004 0:39 AM CST

Things are quickly moving along. MJ is making a complete webpage that will showcase the quilts and kids that get the quilts. We just ordered business cards to give to those who receive quilts and to help spread the word. MJ and I are really excited about this. We heard from a friend of a 4 month old girl who has SMA and she will be getting a blanket soon!!!! The only thing we ask, is that the family who receives it takes a picture of their child with the blanket so everyone can see where the blankets go. We will scan a business card so you can see them once we get them. Love and warm blanket hugs to all!

Thursday, February 26, 2004 8:02 AM CST

A webpage is being created to better show off the details, so this is a preliminary website, just to get started. Please contact us for more information.

Click here to go back to the main page.

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