Resource Boxes for Families affected by Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)
The NEC Society offers resource boxes for families diagnosed with NEC or who have tragically lost their child NEC.
Request family resource boxes to distribute in your NICU:
- Share the video below about the NEC Society’s Family Resource Boxes and the PDF files below of our resources with your medical team.**Spanish versions are available upon request.
- Obtain approval to provide these resources to families affected by NEC in your unit.
- Designate a space to store four resource boxes (2 ft by 2 ft shelf or cabinet space)
- Once the above has been completed, click the button below and fill out the information
International shipping: We are dedicated to supporting families impacted by NEC worldwide. Due to the high cost of international shipping, we are currently only able to provide physical materials within the United States.
We encourage all families to explore our comprehensive online resources. Please find resources for recently diagnosed families here. For families who have tragically lost their child to NEC, please click here.
Recently Diagnosed Resource Box
When families receive a NEC diagnosis, it can be an isolating and confusing time. Our resource box lets families know that they are not alone and provides them with clear and accurate information about necrotizing enterocolitis and what to expect.
Materials in the box empower families in their role as the most important members of their baby’s care team. Our signature Tree of Courage note cards and an inspirational book to read with their baby are also included.
Bereaved Resource Box
Families experiencing the devastation of losing a child to NEC often feel alone in their grief. Our Bereaved Family Resource Box was developed by bereaved families, and provides the information we wish we would have had when we lost our child.
The box supports families in the knowledge that they will always be their baby’s parent, and that their precious child will always be part of their life. Tree of Courage note cards and plantable seed paper, to plant in memory of their child, are also included.
“When our daughter was diagnosed with NEC, the disease infected her body rather quickly. We didn’t have the chance to learn about the NEC society until after her death. However, their resource box for bereaved families helped us put words to how we were feeling and how to tell those around us to love and support us. To this day we have the “10 Things for Bereaved Parents to Know” info card posted on our fridge. It continually reminds us and that we are Gabriela’s parents even if she is no longer here.”
Tabitha Pazmino, Mother to Gabriela, NEC Society Patient-Family Advisor
“We didn’t know what NEC was until it had taken our baby’s life. My mom found the NEC Society online and it opened a door for us. Receiving the box and particularly the book, provided a glimmer of hope in our dark world. It connected us to a group who understands our grief and is taking on a nasty, poorly understood disease. It gave us an outlet for our anguish and a purpose to embrace, where our daughter’s memory was not forgotten but contributes to a solution. We are grateful for the NEC Society and pray all those who receive a box are comforted by knowing they are not alone.”
Monica Broughton, Mother to Grace
