Our Story

Our daughter, Ashley, was born with a hole in her heart. When she was 18 months old she had the surgery to repair it. That was more than 10 years ago. She is a big sister now, and the girls love to climb trees, swim and help in the garden. But I can still remember how terrified we were when she was in surgery — and the relief when it was over. During her recovery, I was still scared. I bought plastic backed bibs, so her drool wouldn’t soak through to her stitches. And for the next 6 weeks, we were not allowed to pick her up under her arms, for fear of ripping her stitches. We were so scared, we didn’t send her back to daycare because we were afraid someone might pick her up under her arms. Many hospitals have baby slings, which help the nurses lift patients without hurting themselves. But we couldn’t find anything for parents to use at home. And that is how the Gentle Lifter was born. — Carol (Ashley’s mom)