Embrace Infant Warmers Impact Babies Lives India

Dear Embrace Community,

We would like to share a story with you that came to us recently, reminding us once again why we do the work we do. Enjoy.

Once she felt labor pains, Uma, a young mother in Bihar, India, went to her local clinic to give birth. But she was frightened when the baby did not cry after delivery and wasn’t able to breastfeed. Although her son was a normal weight, he was severely hypothermic. Luckily, the attending nurse, Ms. Chandni placed the baby in the Embrace warmer. Two hours later his temperature had already risen two degrees, and he was beginning to cry softly. Yet, he still wasn’t able to breastfeed. The nurses decided to send him to a nearby hospital for further care. Although many clinics transport newborns in just a blanket, these nurses were able to use the Embrace warmer to transfer the boy and still keep him warm.

The following day, Uma’s son was doing well: his temperature was normal, and he was able to breastfeed comfortably. The health staff said that the Embrace warmer had saved the baby’s life by ensuring that the warm chain was not broken during transport. Uma and her husband were overjoyed that their baby was healthy.

Thank you again for joining us in this important effort to help vulnerable newborns survive and thrive.

Embrace Co-Founder, Jane Chen, reflects on how Embrace’s mission transcends political lines.

Dear Friends,

In June 2014, I was invited to the White House to present Embrace’s work at the first ever Maker Fair. There I met President Obama and had the opportunity to share with him our work at Embrace. At that time, we had helped 60,000 babies.

Just a few weekends ago, I had the chance to meet President Obama again. Accompanying one of our biggest supporters, Brad Freeman, to the Alfalfa events in Washington D.C., I ran into our President and mentioned Embrace’s work. Immediately, President Obama remembered Embrace exclaiming, “You guys make those sleeping bags for babies!” He asked about our progress and was thrilled to hear that we have now helped over 200,000 babies around the world.

It was also wonderful to see Marc Benioff, another incredible supporter of our mission, at the event. I had the chance to meet President Bush and Dick Cheney as well, who congratulated us on our work. During one of the event lunches, I had a lengthy conversation with Colin Powell; he encouraged me to keep doing what I’m passionate about.

Through these incredible meetings and conversations, I realized that helping vulnerable babies is a humanitarian cause that everyone can rally behind, regardless of political stance. At Embrace, we’re so grateful to have the support of people from all different walks of life. With this support, we hope to expand our efforts to reach 1 million babies in some of the most challenging parts of the world.

Nothing makes me more proud of our work than the story of Nathan, the first baby we helped in China. Born at 2 pounds, Nathan was abandoned at birth and rescued by an orphanage in Beijing that kept him in an Embrace infant warmer for 30 days. Nathan survived, and was later adopted by a wonderful family in Chicago. He just turned 4 years old last week, and is a happy and thriving little boy.

Thanks again for being a part of our incredible journey to give love to babies everywhere!

Jane Chen
Embrace Co-Founder

Links:

• Embrace Website