When Rachel and Andy Lee lost their newborn daughter, Madelyn, at eight days old, he honored her memory by wearing No. 8 on his NFL uniform as a punter with the Cleveland Browns.
They told their story to NFL Network, grieved as a family and held on tight to their two older sons. In the year to follow, after Lee was traded to the Carolina Panthers, they established Madelyn’s Fund to help other families going through what they had. In what can be an isolating experience, they found comfort in connection.
“In our case, none of our family got to meet her in person,” Rachel says. “It was flu season; no visitors were allowed besides parents. It was really hard because we wanted people to remember her and to honor her life. It gave me a way to talk about her without it feeling uncomfortable for me and for other people.”
Madelyn’s Fund, named after their daughter, benefits families with babies in the neonatal units at Atrium and Novant in Charlotte as well as two hospitals in Rachel's hometown, Columbia, S.C., which provide the highest level of care for critically ill newborns.
Rachel started making her own fashion statement by hosting an annual Pink Bow Gala. The eighth annual gala will be held on Oct. 17 at The Casey by Beau Monde in NoDa.
“We always say wearing pink is encouraged, it’s not required,” Lee says. “But most people do. There’s a shade of pink for everyone. Even the guys have a touch of pink. At our first gala, I just remember looking out and seeing everybody and thinking, ‘Wow, that is really special.’”
This year’s event will feature a seated dinner, live auction and music from country artist Laura Vinson. The drummer in the band lost a NICU baby and was eager to support Madelyn’s Fund.
Throughout September, Lee is coordinating with local businesses to highlight NICU Awareness Month. She is partnering for the third time with Charlotte designer Renata Gasparian to create a clothing line for the fall. The collection, which will debut at Renata’s new store on East Boulevard, will include several dresses appropriate for the gala as well as casual looks, too.
“There will be some everyday dresses, skirts, tops, and everyone knows Renata for her vests, so there’s a vest,” Lee says. “Of course it’s fun to shop, period, but shopping to give back is even more reason to go.”
Proceeds will help reward between 100 and 150 applicants to Madelyn’s Fund each month. The money helps families with everything from gas cards for transportation from out of town to overnight stays at the Hospitality House near Levine Children’s Hospital. They also cover funeral costs for babies lost.
In nine years, Madelyn’s Fund has given out $1.6 million in assistance to more than 3,500 families and covered expenses for 361 funerals.
“We had a service for our daughter and burial,” Lee says. “It is never something that you plan for, and we had the means to cover it. But the average family expecting a baby would never plan for funeral costs. So that is a big part of what we do. When we first started, I had no idea that there would be such a need.”
MADELYN'S FUND | @madelynsfund
The eighth annual Pink Bow gala will be held on Oct. 17 at The Casey by Beau Monde in NoDa. The new Madelyn's Fund x Renata Gasparian collection will be celebrated with a shopping event on Sept. 18-19. For more details visit Madelyn's Fund on Instagram or at MadelynsFund.org.