Part of my job as the Community Coordinator for UsedVictoria.com is to help people in need who post on our site. This is my absolute favourite part of the job as I get to give back to such a wonderful community that I have lived in all my life.  In the past, this help has be anything from somebody posting they are in need of a bed to a family looking for Christmas decorations but can’t afford any.

But a couple of months ago, a woman named Jessica posted a wanted ad on UsedVictoria.com with an incredible story that immediately caught my eye and struck my heart. Here is the ad she posted:

“I am humbly seeking people who would be so kind as to donate baby items to me. After having surgery to remove my fallopian tubes last year, I gave away all my baby stuff to a young mom in need. Nature has made other plans for me, and I am very unexpectedly expecting a baby…soon! I am on the tightest of budgets and in need of almost everything. Hoping that someone is willing to help me, on a good karma basis… Looking for a stroller, playpen, toys, clothes, sleep sack, baby bjorn or carrier, swing, chairs….anything really that a baby will use. I have nothing. Any help would be oh so appreciated- I can pick up anywhere, save yourself a trip to the Salvation Army! 
Cheers”

Miracle baby!

I am a firm believer in karma and couldn’t believe how generous this woman was to donate all of her baby items to another woman in need so I immediately contacted her and offered my help.  She was thrilled to hear we would help her and sent me a wish list of everything she needed (which was a very long list as anyone with kids will tell you. Babies need a lot!). She also told me that this was the first documented medical case in Canada of a pregnancy happening without fallopian tubes so she really was having a miracle baby!

I began scouring UsedVictoria.com for anyone giving away free baby items.  I also posted an ad on the site and on our Facebook page asking the Victoria mom community if they had any used baby items to donate.  The response was nothing short of this miracle baby. Within a week I had over seventy five percent of the baby items piled up in my basement. Everything from a high chair, toys, clothes, bassinet to a Bumbo and glider were donated by the most amazing and generous moms in Victoria!

Last week, I dropped off all of the gifts along with some balloons and a cake to Jessica and her family in hopes of throwing them an early baby shower. They were simply overjoyed and couldn’t believe how much stuff was donated.  Jessica was kind enough to write this amazing letter to the UsedVictoria.com team:

“My husband and I would like to express our heartfelt thank you to the UsedVictoria.com community crew and the community of people in our city who donated amazing baby items to our family.When the Community Coordinator first approached me and offered to help us find some baby items, I really had no idea it was going to be to the extent that she went. Carly asked me for a list of items that we would need…. and I thought to myself, is this for real? When she showed up at our house last weekend, truck full of so many baby items…. Literally everything on my list of needs- I couldn’t believe it! It is more than appreciated- it’s really touched us as a family. We moved to the island 8 years ago from a small community in northern BC where all our family and friends lived-most of them still there. Coming to a city, I didn’t think I could feel the same sense of community and love as our small town, but over the past couple years things have happened that have changed my mind. The empathy and generosity of people I have never met, who just identified with our story and offered to help is truly touching. I have felt more support through extended family and the kindness of strangers since we first found out about this crazy conception, than from anywhere else. Thank you for easing the stress of our family, in such a shocking and unexpected time for us! This baby is coming into the world with much tenacity- I’m still amazed that my body has created this little miracle, without the proper “‘parts” to do it.I can’t say it in words how appreciative we are and how amazing UsedVictoria.com was in offering and coordinating this random act of kindness. Thank you!”

Hearing how much we helped this local family is testament to what an amazing mom community we have in Victoria and how important it is to have a local classified site like UsedVictoria.com where people can look for help within their local community. Great job Victoria! #UsedHelps!