There are some places moms never want to visit. A hospital with a critically ill child is at the top of the list. Inside rooms at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, that strength shows up every day. And for more than a decade, Lowcountry Warrior Moms has quietly wrapped a little bit of care around those women when they need it most.
Since 2014, founders Becky Joye, Krista McGuire and Darby Siegel have led a small but deeply committed effort to make sure these moms don’t feel invisible on Mother’s Day. Each year, they deliver 75 to 85 gift bags to mothers at Medical University of South Carolina—bags that are anything but simple. They’re filled with pajamas, nail polish, chocolate, cookies, jewelry and a $100 Amazon gift card. Handwritten notes are the most important part of the gift. Some of them have up to 20 notes coming from people who may never meet these moms but want them to feel held just the same.
There’s no expectation of a thank you. In fact, most of these women open their bags, take a breath and then go right back to caring for their child. That’s the reality. But every now and then, a message comes back. Recipients give a note about how, for just a moment, they felt like themselves again. Not just a caregiver. A mom. A person.
Over time, the generosity surrounding this mission grew. Donations, often $50 or less, started to exceed what was needed for the bags. So the group expanded their impact, offering $1,500 grants to families facing financial crisis, many referred through Ronald McDonald House Charities. In the past three years alone, they’ve been able to give $500 to every family staying there.
They fundraise just once a year in the 30 days leading up to Mother’s Day, mostly through Instagram. This is intentional and respectful to families and the community. And it works. Because this isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about showing up in a hard moment and saying, “You’re not alone.”
Learn more or give at their website and follow along on Instagram @LowcountryWarriorMoms.
By Cari Lawson