Group aims to give 'Normal Moments' to families with sick children

Picture yourself snuggling into bed as the snow flurries fly. As beautiful as it may be, you can't help but have a fleeting thought about shoveling in the morning.

Now picture yourself going to bed in a snowstorm knowing your critically ill child could wake up at any moment, needing to be rushed to the hospital. In that instant, snow shoveling isn't a minor annoyance. It's a lifesaving necessity.

Normal Moments strives to take care of day-to-day details like snow removal and housekeeping for families with a child who is fighting for his life. With such chores out of the way, parents are freed to spend more time with their children both those who are ill and their healthy siblings who need attention too.

The all-volunteer Naperville organization began three years ago when Patricia Fragen and her daughter, Melissa, decided to gather volunteers to help families the way their friend David supported them as Melissa was in treatment for a cancer that proved fatal. With David's help, the two had time to spend as mother and daughter, laughing, crying, eating, watching TV even fighting. Normal moments, the kind that come naturally in families not battling a disease.

Normal Moments works with professional services and an army of volunteer “Davids” to support families throughout the Chicago area. A fundraising dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 1, will pay for snowplow services for client families.

Meanwhile, the ongoing Adopt-a-Family program aims to make the holidays brighter for the families as they face mounting medical bills. Fragen says donors are welcome to contribute what they can, whether that means shopping for a family's wish list items or contributing a few dollars toward a gift certificate.

In the first two days, 30 families registered for holiday assistance, Fragen said. Last year's program helped 73 families, but she expects the demand to be greater this year as another agency that offered similar aid closed this year.

Fragen tells us more about Normal Moments and her long-term goals for helping families nationwide.

Q. What is the organization's mission? Whom do you aim to help?

A. Normal Moments gives children with critical illnesses or who are medically fragile, the greatest gift possible more quality time with their parents. We accomplish this by having some day-to-day tasks such as housekeeping, pet care, lawn maintenance and snow removal handled by paid professional service providers or volunteers.

Additional services include our holiday Adopt-a-Family program, in-home massage therapy, emotional support assistance, and fulfillment of special requests as possible through volunteer networking.

Q. What do you do?

A. We coordinate paid cleaning services, lawn services, and snow removal services for families who spend extensive time in the hospital or whose children require virtually nonstop care at home.

When available (and after professionals have visited at least once), we match our families with a long-term, compassionate volunteer to assist as needed. Snow removal and massage services are always provided by paid professionals for the welfare of all involved. Other services are provided at least once by the professional company and continue being paid for until there is an appropriate volunteer available.

Q. Are there other local organizations with a similar mission? What sets you apart? How do you collaborate with them?

A. There is no one else doing what we do. There are lots of great organizations providing different services within the pediatric medical community and we refer to each other on a regular basis, however we're the only ones focused on the day-to-day issues of giving parents the time they need with their children both ill and well. After all, when a child (and some adults) aren't feeling well or are scared, all they really want is the comfort of Mommy or Daddy by their side.

Q. What changes have you seen in the community and the need for your services in the past three years? What specific changes has your organization made in response?

A. Service requests are increasing. I wish that children weren't being diagnosed with terrible diseases, but so far the trend is to more diagnoses rather than fewer.

We are trying to host more fundraising events to cover the cost of the additional services, and we're working hard to recruit the best volunteers to serve our families to make our limited dollars go further.

Q. What major accomplishments has your organization achieved in the past three years?

A. We've actually been around for only about three years, so the fact that we're still standing while other organizations who were around a lot longer have folded is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Earlier this year, we launched our first national chapter of Normal Moments in Wilmington, Del., with the help of Mandy Brady. That chapter is serving all of Delaware and the greater Philadelphia region.

In the past two months, we have had strong interest for seven other cities. With appropriate funding, we could really start covering the country over the next year, although there is still expansion needed in the Chicago area as well.

Q. What goals have you set for the coming year?

A. We'd like to do more outreach to Comer Children's Hospital (at the University of Chicago) and to Rush's pediatric specialty unit since we have not yet started getting regular referrals from them.

We'd also like to grow outside of Chicago, including downstate Illinois, Dallas, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Bangor, Maine.

Of course, all of this requires financial support, so we're crossing our fingers and hoping that the economy turns around, for everyone's sake.

Q. What are the organization's long-term goals for the next five years? Ten years?

A. Since no one else is doing what we're doing anywhere in the country, we'd really like to see Normal Moments have representation in every major city and within every pediatric specialty unit in the country. Until there's an end to pediatric diseases and medical complications, there will be strong need for Normal Moments.

Q. Tell us about your upcoming event. What are you looking forward to?

A. On Dec. 1, we're having a “Give Children the Greatest Gift” fundraising event at Tasso's Greek Cuisine in downtown Naperville. This is a first-time event and we're very much looking forward to it.

Chef Kostas is incredibly talented and will be offering a sampling of Greek food and wines for the evening. Jazz music will be played by The Chicago Jazz Outfit, led by Normal Moments' vice president, the “original” David. (All our volunteers are referred to as “Davids;” more information is available at normalmoments.org.)

There will be a wine pull (think of it as a grab-bag of wines, all valued at $20 or higher) and a raffle, including a cake shaped like a wine bottle in a crate donated by Sweet P Sweets of Naperville. The proceeds from this item will be shared with a great organization called Icing Smiles, which provides very special birthday cakes for ill children and their siblings.

The folks at Tasso's are so generous and their food is amazing, so I think the sampling is going to be my favorite part of this event.

Q. Will the proceeds support your general operations or a specific program or project?

A. Funds from this event will pay for snow removal services throughout the winter that allow parents to get their children to the clinic or the hospital in an emergency without having to dig out first.

Q. Why have you decided to try this event? Did you replace another event? What do you hope the evening will accomplish?

A. Our largest fundraiser of the past few years got canceled this year, so we have been scrambling to find new events to give us the revenue we need to keep our doors open. We hope this particular event becomes an annual activity because it is in a great location and I am confident that everyone who attends is going to love the food and wine offerings and will have a great time.

We have had similar events in other venues and hope to have 75 to 100 people attend this one.

Donors needed: Normal Moments is seeking donors for its holiday Adopt-a-Family program. Donors can contribute a single gift or gift card, provide grocery certificates, or make any contribution up to providing gifts and groceries for an entire family's holiday. Last year, Normal Moments helped provide holidays for 73 families; demand is expected to be greater this year. To donate, call (630) 888-8111, e-mail: tricia@normalmoments.org, or visit normalmoments.org.

<p>What: Giving Children the Greatest Gift fundraiser for Normal Moments</p>

<p>Why: Proceeds will provide snow removal services for families that might need to rush their critically ill children to the hospital</p>

<p>When: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1</p>

<p>Where: Tasso's Greek Cuisine, 220 S. Washington St., Naperville</p>

<p>Cost: 45 dollar minimum donation requested</p>

<p>Details: Live music by Chicago Jazz Outfit, wine pull, raffles</p>

<p>Info: (630) 888-8111, normalmoments.org or tricia@normalmoments.org</p>