Blanket Fort Friday {BFF}: First Blanket

Do you ever have one of the days where you want to build a blanket fort, hide out from the world and remember only the good times? We do and decided to make a digital version. This is Blanket Fort Friday {BFF}, which is our version of Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday or whatever you want to call a look back. We won\t be doing this every Friday but thought that it would be fun to give you a glimpse back at B4SMA's history. Enjoy!

B4SMA - Blankets for Spinal Muscular Atrophy kids (B4SMA) started in 2004, officially, but our quilt giving started before that. The first recipient of a quilt, prior to the inception of B4SMA, was Casey O. I can't remember his exact age but it was somewhere around the age of 4 years. This picture is not from the exact age he received it but still super cute. He's now 22 years old and so grown up. Casey is one of many warriors that we are privileged to have sent a blanket too through the support and generosity of volunteers. 

Casey with his B4SMA "Stack and Whack" quilt blanket 

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B4SMA's 15th Anniversary

Fifteen (15) years of B4SMA - Blankets for Spinal Muscular Atrophy kids. 15 years of blanket hugs. More than 2000 blankets sent. Countless yards of fabric, hundreds of thousands of spools of thread, hundreds of skeins of yarn, thousands of stuffed animals and little toys, hundreds of thousands of knots tied in fleece blankets, hours that add up to months that add up to years behind a sewing machine, still more hours of hand stitching loving stitched into every blanket ever sent attaching a B4SMA label and innumerable volunteer hours

poured out of the fingers of individuals from around the world. We would be nothing without our volunteers and they deserve all the credit for us reaching this milestone.15 years have come and gone and we're still here. We have so many people and groups who have volunteered over the years that it would be impossible to thank them all but a huge thank you nonetheless if you have ever supported B4SMA in any way shape or form. We have to, however, take a few lines to thank four of primary volunteers* for they are the behind the scenes, the backbone of everything that B4SMA. Gma Jlo, Aunt Jo'Quami, UNI B, DynamiTe, Poik Puller, BetsOn Point and our permanent guardian angel, Gram Losstitch (for their safety we're using invented nicknames). One day, someday, in the not too distant future, we will have fulfilled our mission of giving until a cure is found and we are no longer needed. Until then we will keep the warm fuzzies and signature blanket hugs coming.

*Volunteer profiles to come in the future. For now, know that all of the volunteers are family members of the vice president and president and dedicated to the kids of B4SMA more than anything else. 

 and 

I Spy: Behind the Seams of the Eye Spy Blanket

Last Eye Spy Blanket Made

Back in March 2004 (no, I can't believe it has been 15 years either). B4SMA was never supposed to be a blanket organization. Initially, we had planned to join forces with another family to provide larger, more comprehensive care packages to families diagnosed with SMA. After making more than 20 blankets Gma Jlo* were more than ready to begin making with this larger organization. Unfortunately, in the long run, or perhaps it was fortunate, that collaboration fell through. The only problem was is that we had 20 blankets and nowhere to send them. B4SMA, like all the best ideas, was born at 2am by a sewing light, Brenda's** brain, and a post-it note.

One of the very first blankets was a fabric panel called eye spy or, like the popular kids game, I-Spy. It quickly became one of our favorites, as it provided, not only a blanket but also a game. Over the years that eye spy panel has made its appearance several times. No two are alike and it is still a favorite15 years later, the eye spy panel has made it's very last home this past month.

Connor R with the First Eye Spy Blanket

Axel D with the Last Eye Spy Blanket

*Volunteer profiles to come in the future. For now, know that Gma Jlo is 1) our first and most active volunteer and 2) in no way like the notable Jennifer Lopez - our Jlo is about it billion times more generous and her sewing skills are impossibly more beautiful.

**Vice President, co-founder, all around the heart and soul of B4SMA going for the past fifteen years.

Butterflies for Hannah

Earlier this year we were the recipients of a generous donation from Hope for SMA. An organization started in memory of a little girl named Hannah, Hope for SMA is dedicated to finding a cure for SMA but, like us, believes that family support is also extremely important.

Julie, Hannah's grandmother, asked that a portion of the donation be used to make blankets in memory and honor of Hannah. It took a bit of time and searching but we were eventually able to find exactly what we thought represented Hannah and her amazing family.



G'ma J'Lo, one of our most important and dedicated volunteers (don't worry, we will do an in-depth description of each of our major volunteers once the new website is up), and Grandma GoldenHeart, one of our other most important and active volunteers, set to work on creating beautiful blankets with the material we found. Below is the result; mostly butterflies but we did manage to find one that will be better suited to a boy (which has already been sent and received to a little boy named Logan. Click Here to see a photo of Logan enjoying his blanket).

Aren't they wonderful? Hannah never received a blanket from us at B4SMA but never the less her memory lives on through the donation from Hope for SMA and we are extremely grateful.

Want to know more about Hannah? Watch her story, told by her amazing mom, Jessica, by Clicking Here
Want to support B4SMA also? Email us at b4sma_kids@yahoo.com for further details