Lily’s Hope Foundation of Coopersburg, which officially became a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization in 2013 is supporting NICU families by way of Packages of Hope.

“We work with each individual family and customize our Packages of Hope to answer their specific needs since they haven’t been able to prepare for their child’s early birth,” Jen Driscoll emailed The Press.

“We offer three different types of Packages of Hope, all containing items the family needs: Hospital Care Package, Transition Home Care Package and a Sibling Care Package.”

Each Package of Hope ranges in value from $250-$600 depending on the specific needs of the family, Driscoll stated.

“Our family knows first hand what it is like to have a premature baby, and we understand the stress it puts on the emotional and financial stability of a family during that time,” she said. “My husband, Justin, and I had two premature babies - Lilian Hope is 9, and Aidan Patrick is almost 3.”

She said immediately upon Lily’s birth, they felt compelled to give back for what they had been blessed with.

“Given the surprise and inability to anticipate premature birth, we saw a need to help families like us who didn’t have the time or resources to prepare for their child’s early arrival,” she stated.

Driscoll said additionally, premature babies may have special needs such as specific car seats for infants under 5 pounds, special clothing with buttons and Velcro for cords and IVs, and much more.

These additional needs can be hard to find and very expensive in a short amount of time.

“As we reflected on the needs of families who shared experiences like ours, we wanted to establish the Lily’s Hope Foundation to provide resources for premature babies and their families,” Driscoll said.

Lily’s Hope is an all-volunteer, grass roots nonprofit organization.

“We officially partner with Grand View Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown and Bethlehem locations, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township and Pocono and St. Mary Medical Center,” Driscoll said. “We receive referrals directly from hospital caseworkers and hospital staff.

“We have assisted over 500 families in 34 states in just 3 years. “