It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I add this page to the WaterWayBabies website. But this is life. And these wee ones that I serve may not look forward to a long life like the rest of us. Please keep their parents in your thoughts and prayers as you read this page.

My first angel died several years ago. Her name was Laura Lynch. You can read about her in my “Meet Nancy” link. Laura showed me the way over thirty years ago with her immediate and positive response to the warm water that I placed her legs and feet in while she was a preemie in the NICU. She lived to young adulthood, but passed away unexpectedly a few years ago, presumably from a cardiac issue related to her prematurity. She sits on my shoulder and guides me along this path. She helped me start this venture.

Now, others will join her. The first is little Emily. Emily’s mom shipped her waterway pool back to me upon her death so I can use it as my demo set when I make business calls to doctors’ offices, therapy clinics, and hospitals. I know that Emily sits on my other shoulder.

Steinmeier, Emily Bishop -  What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly Emily Bishop Steinmeier sent to heaven on Sept 6, 2009.  

FORT WALTON BEACH — The seizures that plagued the short life of Emily Bishop Steinmeier have finally ended. The 1-year-old passed away Sunday in her crib.

Emily was born May 27, 2008, with hydrocephalus, or fluid on her brain, which had to be treated with shunts. She also was diagnosed with lissencephaly, a rare brain disorder that causes smoothing of folds in the brain. Emily had been blind since birth.

Emily and her parents were able to fly to Miami in May for treatment, thanks to developer Jay Odom. Len Steinmeier, a Crestview police officer, and his wife Jennifer, a social worker at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, wanted to take Emily for the costly treatment before medical coverage ended.

For Emily’s first year, a lot of the costs were covered by Medicaid and Children’s Medical Services. Since her birthday, the family’s savings and insurance took care of the growing expenses of travel, medical equipment, a day nurse and special formula.

Because the seizures originated from more than one place in her brain, Emily was unable to get treatment in Miami. She returned with a shunt infection and was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit two weeks later. Emily spent more than two weeks there and had two surgeries to replace the shunt.

She was able to return home for her first birthday surrounded by friends and family. But the seizures increased.

Despite the health issues, Emily’s death came as a shock to her parents.

“We didn’t expect it at all. She was fine,” Jennifer said between tears. “We thought we had more time.”

In one of the toughest weeks of the family’s life, the Steinmeiers have started making arrangements for the belongings of their “Wittle Supergirl.” They are donating all of the medical equipment that kept Emily alive for 466 days to the Pediatric Therapy Center.

The family also started preparing a farewell for their only child.

Jennifer and Len had their daughter cremated “to keep her at home with us,” Jennifer said. Emily was cremated with her stuffed bunny, Rufus, in her arms. She had Rufus at every hospital stay and on every trip, Jennifer said.

One day after losing Emily, her father wrote a poem calling his “Wittle Angel from Heaven” a miracle and the most beautiful creature.

“And though it was so very short, we hold dear the time we’ve spent,” Len wrote.

The poem will be included in Emily’s memorial service program along with an obituary that says, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.”

I am very happy to share that Emily’s mom donated her WaterWayBabies System back to me. I’ve been using it on sales calls and Emily has been helping me show the products and their benefits to others.

Now, an aquatherapist in Ohio will use Emily’s pool to help other kids in need. So, the circle goes on….

Morgan Riley Bishop

September 18, 2007-November 9, 2009 (victim of SMA I)

From Morgan’s mom — “Water was her home–the place where she would move freely. The land that held her captive by the effects of gravity was the place she visited. She was a true water baby. She will be remembered forever.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dina Saad March, 19, 2007 – November 28, 2009

Dina blessed our world with her entry on March 19, 2007. She and her parents, Olga and Elias, and 3 older siblings live in Mexico City. Dina suffered a brain injury at birth from a skull fracture caused by forceps delivery and was severely brain damaged. Yet, her parents loved her dearly and worked vigorously and tirelessly to help her development, taking her first to a treatment center in Guadalajara, then to La Jolla, California. They took her there regularly every 2-3 months and would stay for weeks at a time, often bringing the entire family along, including Dina’s grandparents.

Nancy got to meet Dina and her family in La Jolla during the summer of 2009, after a year of emails and exchanges beginning with their order of Dina’s WaterWayBabies system. That was a special meeting indeed! Dina’s mom, Olga, had become friends with Cristina, Andrea’s mom, when they met at the Guadalajara treatment center. Cristina also ordered the WaterWayBabies neck ring based on Olga’s recommendation. When Nancy arrived, Olga announced that Cristina, Andrea, husband Greg, and big sister, Isabella were on their way to the hotel! It was an especially memorable visit – two families from two different countries (Andrea lives in El Salvador.) and Nancy from Texas – all together in California!

Sadly and unfortunately, Dina’s condition deteriorated a few months later and she left this world on November 28, 2009. She lives on in all of our hearts and memories. And in one other way as well — Dina’s uncle ordered 18 WaterWayBabies neck rings to distribute to other special, but less fortunate infants and children in Mexico, in Dina’s memory. And Olga gave Dina’s own neck ring to a friend in San Diego, who also has cerebral palsy. So, Dina is showing many other special kids the benefits of warm water therapy and the freedom of movement provided by WaterWayBabies.

She will never be forgotten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brextin Stanley

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kade Michael Bauman
Born:            Thursday, 7th of February 2008
Died:            Friday, 14th of October 2011
Interred:       Monday, 17th of October 2011

Kade Bauman , age 3, of Festus, Missouri, passed away Friday, October 14, 2011 in his sleep. He was born February 7, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri.

He is survived by his parents Annette (nee Bills) and Josh Bauman, and his brother Jackson Bauman.

Kade got to enjoy a special trip this summer along with his family, compliments of Make-A-Wish Foundation. He especially enjoyed using his WaterWayBabies neck ring in the hotel pool.