1 in 10
babies in the united states are born too soon
1 in 8
couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy
1 in 20
babies who contract group b strep (GBS) will die
This Is Us
OUR STORY
Leighton’s Gift was founded in 2013 by NICU parents, Chris & Amy Skaggs. After the premature birth and NICU admission of their twins, Jaxon and Leighton, they were inspired to give back.
Jaxon came home from the NICU after 74 long days; however, Leighton earned her angel wings three short weeks after birth due to a late-onset group B strep infection.
During their experience, Chris and Amy saw first hand the need for a better connection for parents and babies in the NICU. It was this need and the couple’s desire to create a lasting legacy for Leighton that was the main driving force behind the creation of the nonprofit.
CONNECT WITH US ON
INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK
#LEIGHTONSGIFT
OUR IMPACT
The first projects Leighton’s Gift tackled included raising funds to purchase and install specially-designed and HIPAA-compliant webcams — 45 at Texas Health Plano and 35 at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. Our story has been shared with many other hospitals, and new donors have been inspired to start and complete their own campaigns. We’re currently in the home stretch of our multi-year fundraising goal for Leighton’s Room in the new NICU Family Center at Texas Health Plano.
Once this project completes, we’ll be nearing half a million dollars raised to support our mission of turning a tragedy into something positive. Leighton’s Gift has a long-term goal and commitment to help provide comfort, connection, and peace to NICU families.
OUR CURRENT PROJECT
We are excited to again be partnering with Texas Health Plano in the NICU Family Center project. The $2.4 million expansion and renovation of the hospital’s NICU will meet the service demand and improve the patient experience.
The primary focus is to add a family center with eight sleep rooms to the existing facility. Currently, the NICU has two rooms, originally designed almost a decade ago as bereavement rooms. One of those rooms is where we said our final goodbyes to Leighton and inspired us to give back.
IN THE NEWS
We are a family on a mission, trying to get the word out about Leighton's Gift. To date, we have been blessed with media partners and coverage that allow us to tell our story, which is an integral piece of our ability to fundraise and build awareness. We love to share our story and experience, connecting with other NICU families.
