Ashley Hall’s son, Houston, was born four months premature, in August 2015 – and the experience was as draining as you might expect.
The little guy spent five months in neonatal intensive care unit. A shortage in the umbilical cord resulted in Houston not receiving the proper nutrition or oxygen, and necessitated an emergency C-section; he weighed 1 pound, 3 ounces at birth, and fought infections, illness and surgeries, but ultimately passed away in January of 2016.
Through heartbreak, Ashley gained a mission: She founded Houston’s Lift Off, a Canton-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit in April 2020 in memory of her little boy. The organization has served over 700 NICU families since its founding, defraying some of the incredible cost of a child’s stay in the NICU, which sometimes amounts to thousands of dollars.
Houston’s Lift Off provides items such as gas and food gift cards, baby books and blankets, hygiene items, catered meals and more, providing anything and everything NICU families may need.
“Our mission is to show NICU families they are not alone,” Hall says. “I made Houston a promise his legacy would live on.”
Anyone interested in supporting the organization can visit HoustonsLiftOff.com for more details on how to donate or otherwise get involved.
