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Bryan’s Blankies
Published November 29, 2009
Sometimes, all a child needs is a blanket.
Bryan Holland knows that, at the tender age of 3, as he still curls up with a favorite blanket like “Peanuts” character Linus every chance he can get.
And Bryan’s family is also aware of the comforting power of a simple blanket on a child, from personal experience.
As an infant, Bryan spent eight days at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for shaken baby syndrome from treatment by his biological mother. The child’s aunt, Jennifer Holland, and her husband, Scott, cared for Bryan during that time and Holland said Bryan’s blanket was a source of comfort. She was quick to note, however, the many children in the Eggleston wards without the simple comfort of a blanket.
Since those nerve-wracking eight days, Holland took Bryan home and has now adopted the toddler into her own family.
“He is doing great,” Holland said. “He has some developmental delays, but he’s progressing well. The doctors said he might never walk or talk, but he’s doing both. He’s a real miracle.”
She also took home the thought of the many other children in the Eggleston hospital without a blanket.
Her response to that lack was the creation of her annual Bryan’s Blankies drive, now in its third year.
“There are so many kids there who are alone,” Holland said. “We wanted to give the kids something they can keep with them when they leave.”
Holland, who serves as the speech-language pathologist at Walnut Grove Elementary School, collects blankets from people across the county, many of them staff at the various area elementary schools. The past two years, Holland and her handful of volunteers have managed to deliver more than 300 blankets each year to the children at Eggleston and Holland hopes to get as many this year.
“It’s something inexpensive and easy to find,” Holland said. “We probably have 40 so far, but this is the crucial time for donations.”
Holland said the first stop on their annual visits was always the floor for children who suffered abuse, where the children are most in need or blankets in the absence of parents or other caregivers.
“We started this because of that, as a way to give back,” Holland said. “They just love the blankets. It’s amazing how grateful they are.”
While the majority of the blankets collected by Bryan’s Blankies every year come from school staff, Holland said anyone is welcome to give by Dec. 9. Blankets can be dropped off at Walnut Grove Elementary, Youth Elementary, Sharon Elementary and Monroe Elementary schools or people can call Holland at 561-312-6041 for more information.
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