Waynesburg family continues tradition of honoring lost son
In 2018, the Humbles donated 105 muslin blankets, 100 onesies, 38 sleepers, two Rockaroos baby swings, five Mommaroo swings and a check for another 20 Mommaroos. Josh and Jess Humble and their daughter Bexley, 5, pose with NICU staff members and the donations from last year.
Danny Jay Humble, son of Joshua and Jess Humble of Waynesburg, shortly after he was born on March 14, 2016. The infant passed away 11 days after his birth due to a pseudomonas infection. A fundraising initiative has since been established in his memory to help the neonatal intensive care unit at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital.
This year’s initiative, titled “Danny’s Donation,” is currently underway.
For the past several years, the story of Danny Jay Humble has touched the hearts of many of his Greene County neighbors.
Born on March 14, 2016, four months premature and weighing only a pound-and-a-half, Danny seemed to be doing well at first. After his birth, his parents, Josh and Jess Humble of Waynesburg, hoped for the best because there didn’t appear to be any issues of concern.
“Usually at his age and size, there should have been some sort of brain bleed, but tests showed that his was minimal,” Jess said.
Eleven days later, when she was on her way to visit Danny at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., she got a call telling her doctors had diagnosed Danny with a very serious pseudomonas infection. At 4 that afternoon, he passed from the illness, and his parents were in a state of shock.
They soon found a way to work through their sorrow.
After his death, Jess turned the Facebook page she created to keep family and friends updated on his condition into an “In Memory” page. The Humbles also asked that donations be made in lieu of flowers. With the money received, the family purchased a camera for use at the NICU. The new camera allowed parents unable to be present at their child’s bed side to see them electronically through live streaming. This sparked an annual tradition of giving back to the hospital, in Danny’s memory.
Each year, the Humbles hold a gift card fundraising initiative. They collect gift card donations, which are bundled into a single package. The Humbles then sell tickets for a prize winner to be determined by the evening Daily Number on the Pennsylvania Lottery. The winner gets all the donated gift cards.
This has allowed them to donate four rocking chairs, sleepers, Mamaroo and Rockaroo swings and hundreds of muslin blankets and onesies for the children of the NICU. Each year Nicki Freels, nursing manager for the NICU, gives the Humbles a list of needed items and they try to fill as much of the list as possible.
This year, the goal of Danny’s Donation, as the fundraiser is called, is to donate iPods to play soothing music near the incubators, portable swings, cooler bags for breastfeeding mothers and crib aquariums – plastic displays that attach to cribs. The donation will also include additional muslin blankets and baby clothing.
With Danny’s third birthday fast approaching, the Humbles posted news of the event to Facebook page “In Loving Memory of Danny Jay Humble” requesting the donation of gift cards.
So far, Jess said, people have donated 25 cards. The campaign will continue through Friday.
After all the gift card donations have been collected, the Humbles will begin selling tickets for a gift card raffle that will begin on Feb. 20. Each ticket costs $10 and has has two numbers. The winner will be determined by the Pennsylvania Daily Number evening drawing on March 14, Danny’s birthday.
“Last year, people donated a total of 50 cards, and we made over $5,000 from the ticket sales,” Jess said. “For the 2018 fundraiser, family, friends and I were able to sell all 500 raffle tickets in less than 24 hours. We expect them to go fast again this year, and anyone wanting to buy one should phone me.”
Jess works in purchasing support at Producers Supply Company in Waynesburg while her husband, Josh, works as a coal miner for Contura-Cumberland. The couple has one daughter, a five-year-old named Bexley.
“This is something we like to do in Danny’s honor and memory,” Jess said.
Those wanting to donate a gift card can phone Jess Humble at 724-747-9434 so that arrangements can be made for pick up. People can also contribute monetary donations that will be used as part of the Danny’s Donation campaign.