Services for Madeline will be held on Tuesday, April 14 at 2:30 PM at Old North Church, Forest Lawn, in Hollywood Hills. Please wear purple in honor of Madeline.
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Mike & Heather Spohr
11870 Santa Monica Blvd. #106-514
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
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PayPal donations are currently being accepted by Heather’s dear friend Meghan to help alleviate the cost of services. Please send money to formaddie@hotmomreviews.com.
All funds will be sent directly to Mike and Heather to do with as they see fit.
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Walks are being organized in my locations across the US in honor of Maddie. Please visit Sarcastic Mom to see if there is a walk on your area.
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There are T-shirts being designed, facebook and flickr group
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Sweet, innocent 17-month Madeline Alice passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday April 7, 2009 and while her parents are in the midst of their own personal nightmare, we – their community members and friends, have begun to rally together to offer support to this young family. Donations to Madeline’s March of Dimes page have grown exponentially over the past 24 hours while walking groups in Maddie’s honor have begun to sprout up all over the country.
Support for The Spohrs has been completely overwhelming and completely humbling leaving me awestruck of just how compassionate and loving people still really are. Of all the drama that’s plagued twitter and blogs over the past while, it’s a beautiful thing to see everyone come together in support of someone many have not met – so much so that The Spohrs hosting came crashing down due to the weight of your love. After a few shout outs for help, we were able to move Heather’s blog to a dedicated server offered up by a stranger wonderful, thoughtful couple – @PrincessJenn and her partner worked tirelessly for hours to get Heather’s site moved to their server where the traffic was still so heavy it’s been bogging them down as well. I know Mike and Heather can feel our love, and though it really won’t change anything or bring their beloved Maddie back, just knowing there are so many of us pulling is hopefully uplifting enough to get them through the difficult days to come.
Last week, Heather and I were talking about creating a banner for her March for Maddie page at March for Babies site. Before this tragedy, it was a small project meant to headline a space Heather holds very dear to her heart. In light of Tuesday’s events it’s taken on a new life as a place for everything Maddie. To be honest, I hadn’t thought the entire thing through before I got started but the ultimate goal of the site will be to collect every post, montage, podcast, picture, song – whatever – so that Mike and Heather will have it all at their fingertips. People come, people go. Blogs changes, links are broken and it would really be a shame for all these beautiful contributions to be lost (over 275 posts written in dedication to Maddie already! OMG people!), floating around in the Interwebs. You’ve worked tirelessly and with a little help we can make this site showcase your efforts for Mike and Heather to reflect on for years to come.
For the time being it may be a little sparse, with links sending you elsewhere but eventually everything will be here for Heather and Mike. Whatever they decide to do with this site will be entirely up to them. I am essentially planning to create it, develop it and hand over the keys.
But for now, we can use this space for our uplifting thoughts and notes for their family. Share of grief over their loss and share stories to make them laugh.
Amazing video created by newrose
I bawled like a baby watching. Just so you know.
All the Best,
Sam
34 Responses to “Madeline Alice Spohr”
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Great job, Sam!
It’s good to know the community is here for reasons exactly like this.
And I’m proud to call you a friend.
Wonderful site…. i will miss maddie deeply. but she will ALWAYS be with us.
Truly beautiful. Thank you for using your talents this way.
Oh Sam…bawling here…you are such a beautiful person and what an amazing site you put together for Heather, Mike & Maddie! This is gorgeous!
I know they will love it!
xoxo
Sam, you’ve done so well, how beautiful. And god, that video made me bawl, too.
Amazing work. I can’t wait to see it all come together!
This is really beautiful.
What a precious sweet angel girl.. Those eyes are so captivating.
Sweet Dreams, Maddie. I KNOW that your Momma and Daddy love you so much and you will be close in their hearts.
thanks so much for putting all of this here in one place! i, too, am amazed at the outpouring of love for this family. they have touched our hearts as they shared about maddie’s life and struggles. i love that “we” are all coming together to make a difference because of it. blessings to you.
A beautiful blog for a beautiful girl.
Great job Sam.
Mike and Heather, I am sending you every drop of emotional strength I have in me. Love will get you through this. I promise.
Beautiful site, really beautiful. I hope people will really help support Heather and Mike in raising funds for the service.
Sam, fabulous job. You’re certainly one of the good ones.
John and I watched that video together last night. We both cried through it together. What a beautiful little girl.
Heather & Mike: our family sends you all our love and support.
This is really beautiful. I didn’t know the Spohrs in real life (yet – I was looking forward to meeting Heather at BlogHer), but I’m still absolutely flattened by this tragedy. Prayers and support for them.
Sam, this is an amazing tribute to Maddie and to Heather & Mike. You are wonderful for doing this…and so quickly! It’s heartwrenching and inspiring. Thank you.
Here’s a little something to add to the tributes, if ya want:
nvm, that didn’t work…..
Amazing.
Mike and Heather, prayers, love and all we got are coming to you from Kansas.
[...] If you would like to reach out to the Spohr family, they have asked for donations to the March of Dimes in her honor. You can go here to learn more about ways to walk in a March for Babies, or donate to Team Maddie. http://www.marchformaddie.com/2009/04/madeline-alice-spohr/ [...]
Sam thank you so much for setting this site up. It came out beautifully!!
You’re a hero to do all this thoughtful, loving work. I have contributed to the MOD walk in Maddie’s memory.
I am so heartbroken over the loss of Maddie…Mike, Heather & Family are in my thoughts & prayers during this unimaginably difficult time. The heavens have gained a bright new star in sweet Maddie.
When I saw your story it really touched me( I went through something similar). I hope and pray or all the love and support that you need to get through this very difficult period in your life. I wish you continued success on your journey towards motherhood, happiness, and a lifetime of fulfillment.
I am so dearly sorry for your loss. I can relate to you. I lost my baby two years ago.
What an amazing tribute. Madeline was truly an Angel here on Earth. She most certainly is one of the brightest stars. Our prayers, love and support to Mike, Heather and Family infinitely.
Mike & Heather,
My prayers are with you. Your little girl is so beautiful. One thing you can be assured of, she’s dancing in the arms of Jesus today. She’ll be well cared for & deeply loved. I pray the same for you as you grieve this tremendous loss. I pray you’re covered in God’s peace, presence & comfort.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Love & prayers,
Andrea
Words cannot express my sympathy. My only comfort is knowing of the love and support the world has bestowed on this couple in their time of sorrow. God bless Madeline and her loving parents, Heather and Michael.
What one big great “village” we all are. My heart is so heavy to hear of Maddie’s passing. Even though I do not know the Spohrs IRL, it is always difficult to hear of something like this. I nearly lost my own daughter when she was 10 days old due to MRSA. She is 13 now, and we have been lucky, but I know the fear I felt when I thought we might lose her.
I send prayers and bright energies to Maddie’s parents. I wish I could be there in person to given them a hug and show my support. It must be such a long tough road they are starting down.
hugs hugs and more hugs
from Moon in MO
Soar with the angels, sweet Madeline.
Besos,
Denene at MyBrownBaby
What a beautiful baby, her eyes remind me of the Gerber baby.
My condolences to the family at this time of grief. God must have wanted his beautiful-eyed angel back with him.
I recently lost an “Angel” in an unepexpected tragedy too. It’s as if your heart breaks in pieces.
I’m sending you so much love and many prayers and wish I was there with you to hug you.
Feel free to contact me if you ever need someone to cry to/with.
Love,
@LoriMoreno
I am so sorry for your loss! This website is beautiful and it made me cry so much. We almost lost our son a few months ago which has given me much greater appreciation of how fragile and precious life is and how deeply a parent can love their child. We are walking in the March of Dimes this Sunday and it will be in honor of Maddie. God bless you and your little angel!
Just found your site. I am so sorry for the loss. I want to say “Say it isn’t so”
I watched the video, she is the most beautiful little girl, I have ever seen, and so HAPPY, her smile and her eyes are so breathtaking.
I pray for her parents and family that they will somehow heal and be blessed. She will never be forgotton her memory lives on.
She is an Angel in God’s arms watching over her family
Blessings~Cheryl
This hits me on two fronts. I have a little girl named Madeline who holds many hearts. I also have a new baby named Jack who was born just six days ago. We pray that each of our children will be healthy and safe from all harm, but sometimes that takes others to care and to take action.
I’m so sorry for your loss. My second child was born on Feb. 22 and passed away from SIDS on April 13th. My wife and I are going through the hardest thing we have ever experienced and I understand the pain you and your family are going through. My condolences.