Abby Hood is turning six years old and is the recipient of the Diva-for-a-Day—scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17—which is an award given by a local business, Vintage Couture, Inc. Vintage Couture is headquartered out of McKinney, Texas with over 200 Independent Fashion Stylists nationwide and continues to grow with the philosophies God first, family second and career third.
Vintage Couture wants to ensure that Abby has an extraordinary birthday, as she has spent her summer going back and forth from her home in Rockwall to Medical City – Dallas, where her little brother, David Hood, received his third open-heart surgery on June 5, 2012 and continues to fight for his life.
“Abby is a very sensitive little girl who wants nothing more than for her baby brother to be home,” says Amy Durham, a McKinney resident who also has a son with a congenital heart defect and came to know the family through the Amazing Little Hearts congenital heart defect support group at Medical City – Dallas (http://www.amazinglittlehearts.com/).
Mrs. Durham recently met with local businesses and community leaders to find assistance for the Hood family. Jennifer Hood, the matriarch of the family, is a stay-at-home-mom, while her husband, Justin, is a firefighter with the City of Dallas Fire Department. While fortunate enough to have insurance, the Hoods have experienced financial setbacks due to the fact that Justin has been unable to tend to his side business as a personal trainer while his son has been in the hospital. Furthermore, due to David’s critical condition, the family has had to stay in a hotel close to the hospital and eat meals on-site to stay by David’s side. Through a mutual friend whose daughter was born with a congenital heart defect, Durham was introduced to JoAnna Arnold and Mandy Eaton from Vintage Couture.
“When we learned of the difficulties the Hood family has experienced, the team at Vintage Couture, Inc. decided to focus its attention on Abby Hood, who has had to wait patiently while her parents tend to her brother, David, who so desperately needs them at this time. We are passionate about embracing the Hood Family for all they have weathered together, ” says Mandy Eaton, President of Vintage Couture, Inc. “The family is obviously very close, and the parents are extremely attentive, but, given the severity of David’s illness, the family has had to allocate much of its resources and energy on him this summer. We wanted to alleviate some of the pressure the family is experiencing by helping to make Abby’s sixth birthday something to remember.”
Vintage Couture, Inc. chose Abby Hood to receive the exclusive distinction of “Diva for a Day,” whereby the corporate staff, local Stylists, and volunteers will dote on Abby with their exclusive line of children’s couture clothing and give her the full royal treatment as their honorary diva for a day. Abby will be given the opportunity to try on their upscale clothing and “model” the clothes during a photo shoot. Vintage Couture, Inc. will then provide a catalog to Abby with the pictures from the photo shoot. She will also be given a new wardrobe with which to start school this fall.
“The employees are very excited to make Abby’s day special,” adds Mandy. “We are busy planning the lunch menu, selecting appropriate clothes for Abby and her favorite doll, and choosing accessories to match.”
Abby’s brother David was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). After his first surgery, little David went into cardiac arrest for 70 minutes. He was put on specialized life-support for 10 days. The medical team gave him a mere 10 percent chance of survival, but this fighter went home after a harrowing 97 days in the hospital. Unfortunately, due to the trauma of the CPR and being on ECMO (life-support) for so long, he now suffers from cerebral palsy. The second stage of his heart defect repair came 100 days later and he was able to leave the hospital after only 5 days. However, David recently underwent open-heart surgery for the third time and is currently experiencing a number of difficulties.
Concerned members of the community created a fund to help off-set the costs for the Hood family, Individuals wishing to make donations to the family may do so by visiting http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=4674&url=helpingthehoodfamily .
Vintage Couture is a designer clothing company with apparel and gifts for infants, girls, boys and even Mom. They strive to offer their customers the highest standards of customer service and unique products. They are empowered to be a socially responsible company committed to giving back and enriching the world through community involvement.
For more information about Vintage Couture, Inc. please visit their website at http://www.vintagecoutureinc.com.
Press release courtesy of Vintage Couture, Inc.