Greensburg infant’s brief life honored with random acts of kindness
In January, the brief life of a Greensburg infant led to an outpouring of love and support to his bereaved parents.
This year on the date of his birth and death, Jan. 6, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region is honoring his memory with Willie’s Random Acts of Kindness Day.
William David “Willie” Fennell, the firstborn child of Will and Lindsay Fennell of Greensburg, lived only a few hours because of unforeseen medical complications. The Fennells both volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“We think Will and Lindsay are such special, giving people,” said Stephanie Babich Mihleder, executive director of BBBSLR. “We wanted to honor them and Willie in a special way.”
The organization is inviting people to surprise someone with a random act of kindness, big or small, and then share their photos and stories with the title, “Little Things Create Big Love,” on its Facebook page.
“On Jan. 6, send your photos and stories and flood social media,” Babich Mihleder said.
The staff of Excela Westmoreland Hospital Family Additions Maternity Center, where Willie was born, “did everything they could to save Willie, and they held us together,” Lindsay Fennell said. “The outreach from people we knew — and people we didn’t even know — gave us the strength to move forward.
“This has been the hardest year of my life and also the best year of my life,” she said. On Nov. 22, she and Will welcomed the birth of their daughter, Farrah.
The meaning of love
Lindsay first met her Little Sister, Hadley, about four years ago through her employer Kennametal’s participation in the United Way’s Day of Caring. She sat in as a lunch buddy at Baggaley Elementary School in Unity, and the two hit it off.
It was so much fun that she continued to spend her lunch hours there, with the blessing of Kennametal, where she is a marketing manager and Will is a program manager.
“Kennemetal is super supportive of volunteering,” she said.
When Hadley called her during the summer to say she missed her, Lindsay took steps to formalize the relationship through BBBSLR. Will became a Big Brother to Hadley’s older brother, Cayden, about two years ago.
The Fennells exemplify the giving spirit of BBBSLR volunteers, Babich Mihleder said.
“Our Bigs have been amazing during the pandemic,” Babich Mihleder said. “They knew exactly what to do. They’ve been video-chatting and doing whatever they can to stay in touch. A lot of them have been going to food pick-up sites every day to deliver lunch to their Littles.”
More volunteers are always needed, she said.
“We have about 170 kids on a wait list and, right now, we have 98 active matches,” she said. “Our biggest need is always volunteers.”
An average of about 180 children are served each year, she said.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that people think it’s a crazy time commitment, but we only ask you to meet with your Little twice a month,” she said. “I work full time, I have small children, and I’m a Big Sister.”
In a prepared statement, Lindsay Fennell wrote, “During his short time with us, Willie showed us the meaning of pure love and brought the greatest happiness to our lives. The purpose of Willie’s Random Act of Kindness Day is to bring that same love and happiness to others, just like our son gives to us every day.”
“That’s why we wanted to do this,” she added. “Buy someone coffee, help carry their groceries, think of him and do something. I’m proud to talk about him — that’s what keeps his memory alive.”
People who would like to participate but don’t have access to Facebook can email photos and stories to mentor@bbbslr.org.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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