Our Mission
The Tiny Miracles Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping families with premature infants in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
We know from personal experience that the premature birth of a child can be a shocking, isolating and frightening experience for many families. Although area hospitals are able to meet most premature infants' medical needs, the emotional and other needs of the family during this fragile time often go largely unsupported. The Tiny Miracles Foundation seeks to fill this void by providing support, information, services and supplies to the families of premature infants regardless of race, religion or national origin, during and immediately following their hospital stay.
Through our programs, The Tiny Miracles Foundation strives to promote the best possible care for children born too early and those who love and care for them.
Who We Are
The Tiny Miracles Foundation is made up of parents of preemies from Fairfield County, Connecticut. We came together because we all knew what it was like to fall through the looking-glass and land in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
In that new world of the NICU, we learned a new language: sats, surfactant, IVH, ROP, C-PAP, brady, and kangaroo. We sat in front of isolettes and peered in at our babies, willing them to breathe and wondering how we were going to bond with them.
We became accustomed to the steady, shrill drumbeat of beeps, bells and alarms. We learned that 30 CCs is roughly equal to a fluid ounce, that 28 grams is roughly equal to an ounce, and we measured our babies' progress in those tiny increments. We slipped wedding bands over impossibly tiny wrists. We took pictures of our children next to beanie babies, hoping they wouldn't look too small. We struggled with feelings of guilt, and anger, and jealousy. We washed our hands until they chapped, and then we washed them some more. When we were finally able to take our babies home, we felt joy and terror. We celebrated every milestone, no matter how minor, and we learned to not compare their progress to full-term babies.
But most of all, we never stopped being thankful for our tiny miracles, and for the doctors and nurses who make miracles possible.
We've been there. And now we want to be there for you.
Our Staff
Gwendolyn F. Noto
Executive Director, Co-Founder
Kelley Chapman
Office/Program Manager
Click here to read biographies of our staff members.
The Tiny Miracles Foundation Board
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The Tiny Miracles Foundation 2011-2012 Board of Directors Top Row, Left to right: Lisa Tantillo (Wesport), Treasurer Ashley Dineen and President Leelee Klein (Darien), Kimbel Biele* (Norwalk), Jill Hooper (Fairfield), Cheryl Egan and Tara Leclerc* (Darien), Eila Johnson* and PJ Marcella (New Canaan) Bottom row, left to right: Sarah Payne (Norwalk), Co-Founder and Executive Director Gwendolyn Noto (Fairfield), Vice President Patricia Cunningham, Ariane Triay, Corporate Secretary Shelli Milazzo, Christa Struk (all of Darien), and Linda Queenan (Ridgefield) Not pictured: Robert Duffy and Rebecca Esposito* (Darien), Richard Goldman (Greenwich), Eileen Thomas* and Kathy Streinger* (New Canaan) *denotes Honorary Board Member | |
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Gwendolyn F. Noto |
Meredith Daniels† |
Elizabeth S. Klein Patricia Cunningham Michele (“Shelli”) Leigh Milazzo Ashley Dineen PJ Marcella Linda Queenan Honorary Board MembersTTMF also greatly appreciates the many contributions of the following former board members, who are still serving TTMF in an honorary capacity:
Click here to read biographies of our board members.
†not pictured
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phone (203) 202-9714