Kate’s Kart has touched thousands of people through our free books. It’s amazing the comfort, distraction and joy a simple book can bring to a child in need.
We invite you to share your story with us! How did the gifting of a book impact your hospital stay? What about even years later? Do your Kate’s Kart books hold a special spot in your home?
Kate’s Kart impacted me in a way I didn’t even realize until later. My twin girls were born unexpectedly at 32 weeks. We were in the NICU for 30 days, and every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the Kart would make its rounds and provide a book to each of the girls. When they came by, they would always ask us how we were doing, how the girls were doing, and ask if they could peek in to see them. Now looking back those little gestures meant so much to me. At the time, my mind was all over the place. As a new mom and in the NICU, you are exhausted both emotionally and physically, and it can be lonely. We did our best to read them a book each day we were there, and it was a way to feel connected in a time where nothing felt normal. What should be a fun and an enjoyable time is very scary when faced with babies in the NICU. Looking back, I was and am thankful for such a wonderful organization, Kate’s Kart, who can help parents when faced with a challenging situation and provide opportunities to feel connected with their child/children.
Being in the hospital with a sick child is one of the scariest times as everything is unknown, even if your child is a ‘frequent flyer’ like Ezekiel is. Having Kate’s Kart come give a book during one of the most stressful times brings a little joy during a dark time. Being able to read to Ezekiel and Grace while in the hospital makes them relax a little and brings a smile to their faces. Even after we are home, reading a book from Kate’s Kart brings a positive memory during their hospital day instead of the trauma or fear.
Betty was in the NICU for 31 days during October and November. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday she was given a new book. It gave me something to look forward to and we were able to start a little library at home for her.
I had a little NICU babe at Dupont this past spring & loved coming in to find he had new books! I was never able to spend much time with him because I was also still in the hospital myself & not doing well, but knowing others were reading to him was so special! We still read our book collection!
| We are so thankful for the incredibly gracious charity – Kate’s Kart! Our baby girl barely survived a traumatic birth experience. Due to her critical condition, we were not able to touch or hold our baby girl for the first several days. The only thing we could do was talk, sing and read to her. The night she was born, the nurse brought us a few books from Kate’s Kart. That was the first experience we had with our daughter. Miraculously she continued to improve each day. By the end of our stay at Dupont Hospital, our daughter had compiled a collection of over 30 books, thanks to Kate’s Kart. Kate’s Kart will certainly be a memorable part of our NICU stay, one that we are very grateful for. |
My Daughter was born unexpectedly 7 weeks early, Kate’s Kart was such a blessing for me while she was in the NICU. I am a very active reader and enjoy all books, one thing I loved doing was reading to my daughter even when she was in my belly. I always looked forward to getting a new book from Kate’s Kart and I always waited excitedly for them to come to our room. If I wasn’t in the room when they stopped by they would always leave me a book, I loved the surprise waiting for me. Kate’s Kart helped me so much during such a hard time and I want to personally thank you so much. God Bless all of you at Kate’s Kart
Our daughter was born a micro preemie at 28 weeks, so her lungs were not as strong as most babies. When COVID hit our world, she ended up contracting COVID pneumonia and was in the hospital for 8 days. From the minute we were admitted to the ER we received a Kate’s Kart book from a close friend who is a nurse in the PICU. The adorable touch and feel book put a smile on our sweet girls face who was having a hard time breathing. It was a great distraction from all the pokes and fighting with the nose cannula. Every day she looked forward to mommy or daddy reading her a new book that she now keeps in her bookcase at home and will forever cherish. We love being able to give back to this charity and hope it brings a smile and joy to other littles as well! We are very grateful and thankful for this organization.
| On April 10, 2018 I had an emergency c-section to have our beautiful baby girl. She was 11 weeks early due preclampsia. Ryann was born at 2lbs 3oz. She was in the NICU for 8 weeks. Every time we would visit during her stay we would come into the room to a new book. We would sit there and read it while visiting. Her last week our other daughter (Emily, 7yrs old) got to finally visit her baby sister. While visiting she read every book out loud to baby Ryann. It is these priceless moments that make you realize how blessed you truly are. Kate’s Kart gave us that glimpse of happiness while reading the cute little books. Thank you! |
|
Jalen has been a HUGE supporter of Kate’s Kart donating over 1120 books to date. It all started when he got his tonsils out and received a book. Since that time he has “paid it forward” and then some!
Johnny was born on July 6, 2017 at Dupont Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN. He was born at 31 weeks and was 2lbs 9oz. When he came into the world, his Dad and I were scared beyond words. I didn’t get to see him for 24 hours and I remember the first time going in to see him, I asked his Dad where the book “Muddy Paws” came from…he said he wasn’t sure…The next day, another book arrived…and by this time, we were both curious, so we asked his nurse. She told us the story behind Kate’s Kart and we couldn’t believe the generosity behind it. We had a 52 day NICU stay and accumulated 30 books. We can’t thank Kate’s Kart enough for providing us with a new book to read to Johnny just about every other day or so. Johnny enjoys being read to and I’ll make sure to share the story with him when he’s older.
Our first daughter was in the NICU for 2 nights. My wife and I were both a wreck during this time. As she got better we were given a great children’s book by Kate’s Kart. I remember reading this to her and seeing how intently she was listening and looking at my wife and I. This was the first time I knew everything would be alright. This was a wonderful gift. Thanks for this moment that will always stay with me.
My 3 year old son had to come to the ER, which was pretty scary for him and for me. Soon the nurse came in and asked him if he’d like to pick out a book which he was so excited about. Reading it to him really helped calm both our nerves. Thank you so much for what you do.
One of the first times my daughter had to go to the hospital and stay for several days, Kate’s Kart came around and offered my daughter a book. Considering we didn’t have a chance to grab anything from our house, we didn’t have anything to entertain our daughter as tests were being ran and strangers walked in and out constantly. There was a book I read to my daughter, Hope, at our house everyday. To our great surprise, Kate’s Kart had that exact book! Hope was super excited and made the transition from ER to actual hospital stay that much less stressful. I actually asked the woman what was Kate’s Kart about and when she told me the story behind that, I almost cried. It is very much the little things that make a difference. This is one of those things.
| Our son Braylon was born 9 weeks early and in the NICU for a month. Kate’s Kart came around twice a week and left books. We read them to him often and it kept our spirits up on our long journey! We were then back at Parkview Regional in Fort Wayne at 2 months old for pneumonia and aspirating into the lungs. We can’t thank Kate’s Kart enough for the books which we will continue to read to our son for a very long time! |
We received the perfect book for a 2 year old motorcycle enthusiast recovering from a tonsillectomy overnight! Thank you, Kate’s Kart!!
Preston and his twin sister, Paige, were born at 35 weeks on December 30, 2011. Preston was whisked away to the NICU for 10 days due to breathing problems. His sister was healthy. I will never forget the day I found his first book beneath his isolette. I asked the NICU nurse where the book came from and she told me that a volunteer with Kate’s Kart had dropped it off. I’m still not sure if it was a volunteer or nurse who read our first Kate’s Kart book to my precious boy, but I do remember her telling me that the book was read to him. That feeling right there… Somebody gave my baby their undivided attention that day and spoke directly to him! What a feeling of comfort. So for that, thank you from the bottom of my heart Kate’s Kart and to whomever read to Preston! We still enjoy our Kate’s Kart books and they will forever bring back such a comforting feeling.
Kate’s Kart has been such a great thing for us to start a tradition to read to our little Girl every night before we go home… Thank You!
Our daughter Courtney received her first Kates Kart book two months before she turned 4 while admitted to KCH for pneumonia. It was a Winnie the Pooh book that brought tons of smiles to our daughter. At the age of 5.5 Courtney was diagnosed with enteritis related juvenile arthritis which required IV infusions at Lutheran hospital every 2 weeks to control it. Kates kart became an even bigger part of our lives then her face would light up when they’d come to our room and offer her a book, it gave her something to take her mind off of the infusions. The volunteers are so patient as she takes forever to carefully pick out just the perfect book, they offer suggestions and discuss what she might like. They always put a smile on her face no matter what. Courtney is 8 now and she still receives infusions at Lutheran and is still like a kid in a candy store when she sees Kates kart on the floor. The first book she learned to read by herself was Dr. Seuss, One Fish, Two Fish which she received from your cart. Courtney collects books on her birthday for the cart. Kates Kart has meant a lot to our family it has made getting infusions not a struggle because she has something to look forward to when she arrives even if we arrive after they’ve been on the floor there’s always a special book waiting with her name on it. This past summer she was asked to speak to some of our state senators about juvenile arthritis, one of them asked her if she ever felt sad about missing school for her infusions, her response was ” no my infusions are fun because I get a new book from Kates Kart” You’ve made a great impact on our family and we will forever be grateful to you!
Our son was in the NICU for roughly 4 weeks at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Our stay was an emotional roller coaster. Throughout this time, we met many great people and participated heavily in Kate’s Kart. After grabbing a book, we would read it to our son. During this time, our minds would drift away from the anxiety that parents feel while in the NICU. For the duration of the book, we were just parents reading to our son! Believe me, anything that provides families in duress with a sense of normalcy is a noble cause in my opinion. It also helped our older children cope with the separation they felt from their brother! We would tell them the books were a gift from their brother. They loved it!!!
One year ago today…tucking my little valentine in after his bath and reading his first Kate’s Kart book (Curious George).
Just received a book from Kate’s Kart, the best part of having a sick kid in the hospital. Thank you!!!
Hello, my name is Jessica Gray. In December 2013, my daughter was admitted into Ball Memorial Hospital with RSV. She was there for roughly 3 days. During her stay, a woman came in with an Eric Carle book, “My First Shape Book.” She also had brought a blanket with frogs on it. My daughter, to this day, sleeps with that blanket and the book she received continues to be her favorite. Kate’s Kart is a blessing beyond belief. They brought hope and light into a time in our lives where I almost felt there was none. Kate’s Kart has shown me that complete strangers can bring a part of you out, you didn’t know you had. They are truly an amazing organization, and I hope to one day be able to pay it forward in their honor.
My name is Jessica Hunter. My husband and I welcomed our baby boy into the world on September 28, 2013, at Ball Memorial Hospital. We were over the moon. Then, two days later our world came crashing down. Our baby boy developed a terrible infection, later found out to be spinal meningitis. We spent a total of 28 days in the NICU at Ball Memorial Hospital. A NICU stay has to be one of the hardest things my husband and I have ever experienced, and keeping our spirits up was difficult. That is why we were so thankful for Kate’s Kart. We loved seeing the kart full of books! The books were symbolic to us for two reasons. One was that we could we read to our baby boy in the hospital which brought some normalcy to a situation we never imagined would happened. The second being that these books would be going home with our baby boy, and after having a baby almost not make it through his first week, this was huge in keeping our spirits up. We still have these books and read them often! We tell our son each time we read one of Kate’s books that he got this book while he was in the hospital. Our son’s favorite is a book called SMILE. Kate’s Kart is such an amazing program that my husband and myself appreciate so much
My son was born 7 weeks premature on 1/9/14. He spent 21 days in the NICU of IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, the first 8 of which were inside of an incubator. During that time, we were not able to hold our son. Thanks to Kate’s Kart, we were able to read and bond with our son, even if we couldn’t hold him initially. It became our routine to read him a story before we left the hospital each night. We really appreciate the organization Kate’s Kart for making our 3 week ordeal more comforting.
Thank you guys so much for what you do! 2 of my 3 kiddos were NICU babes and that little kart made our days a little brighter. We proudly STILL have our books and are proud to say they were the first books my boys ever had.
Hi, my son is currently in the NICU. His name is Grayson. I just wanted to let you guys know that what you guys do is awesome and it’s very appreciated! I just wanted to thank you for having such a great heart to do these things for our children! Thanks Kate’s Kart!!!
Kate’s Kart! My grand twins were in the NICU at Lutheran Hospital from November 18th to December 9th. You made their stay there extra special. We will use the books that you gave to them for as long as they last! Thank you so much for your generosity!
While Julia was in the NICU for the past 45 days, she received a book from Kate’s Kart a few times a week. We started reading these books to her when she was just a few days old. As she grew, we read to her when she was awake, and she seemed to really enjoy listening. These books helped us create some special memories during our NICU journey and will be a constant reminder of our little miracle, Julia Grace!
For the past 4 weeks we have had to spend a great deal of time at Parkview Regional Medical Center because of my father. Not the way I wanted my 9 year old to have to spend his spring break. My son was as patient as he could for a 9 year old on the Autism Spectrum, but when Kate’s Kate came around and they asked him if he would like to pick a book, it all changed. He picked out a Diary of a Wimpy kid book and curled up on his seat, and did not move until he started getting hungry. Thank you so much is not even enough for me to express my gratitude.
My daughter, Haley, was recently in the hospital for several days receiving treatment. While in the hospital, she spent time trying to pass the day away. On the day Kate’s Kart came, her eyes lit up!!! Books!!! Her passion is reading and your organization brought the light back in her eyes! Thank you so much from a very grateful mother.
Our son Camdyn was in the NICU at DuPont Hospital from 8/26-9/2/13 and during that very difficult time for us we were given 2 books from Kates Kart and appreciate the lovely gifts and support more than you may ever know. We will read him those books with great joy for many years to come. You are so wonderful for the work you do to help families in extremely difficult times. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough to say. Best Wishes, Brett, Kristi & Camdyn Stopher
You and your ministry bless us again and again. Thank you. Thank you! Josh is in liver failure. The disease is destroying his lungs. What you do to honor Kate’s life is an act of kindness that encourages us, blesses him, and helps us cheer each other on one precious day at a time. Can’t thank you enough.
Twin brothers, Max and Jack, recently spent 13 days in the Parkview North NICU. “Kate’s Kart was such a bright spot to our stay there. My husband and I are forever grateful for your wonderful organization and plan on contributing in some way in the near future. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.”
“Thanks for giving me a free book. It was the best thing about having my appendix rupture. :)”
“It was wonderful meeting you [Krista] and Kate’s grandmother last week at Parkview North! Jackson was born on Thanksgiving day followed by his twin sister Avery at only 27 weeks and 2 days. Avery passed the following day but Jackson continues to improve daily. Hopefully this month or next we will be able to take Jackson home with us, which is all the way to Oklahoma City (we were up visiting family when the twins decided to surprise us by coming early). Thank you so much for all the wonderful books! Jackson loves being read to and will have something to enjoy for years to come!
