Quandra Gosa spent weeks eyeing those wheels. As she neared her due date, the soon-to-be-mother wanted transport that would keep her infant safe, in the car and on sidewalks. The price tag of the car seat-stroller combo, however, felt just out of reach.
Her waiting paid off when she attended the third annual Drive-Thru Baby Shower, hosted by UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, to help families in need across Chicago’s South Suburbs. Gosa, 34 weeks pregnant, won the stroller in a raffle, a welcome surprise for a new baby.
"That was one item that she kept in her shopping cart online,” said Shanice Williams, who organized the Sept. 17 event at Ingalls. “It was something that she wanted, but she hadn’t had the money to get it just yet. For us to provide that to her—oh, she was so excited! She just kept saying, ‘Oh my God, oh my God!’”
As Ingalls community outreach coordinator, Williams helped launch this signature event for the Harvey-based hospital’s Healthy Baby Network, a free program that connects residents with medical, nutritional and financial assistance. Part of Ingalls’ Family Birth Center, the program provides resources by partnerships with local retailers, government agencies and other organizations.
At this year's Drive-Thru Baby Shower, organized in partnership with the Family Christian Health Center, 120 families received bags filled with diapers, wipes, clothing and other supplies, along with educational materials on prenatal and maternal health. Car seats and baby formula were among the raffle items.
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This story was first published by UChicago Medicine.
