After the son's death, Bellingham Mom sends medical care around the world for free

Fairhaven's industrial workshops and warehouses look identical at first glance, although a uninfected unit is an anomaly. Inside, thousands of donated supplies – GI tube, insulin injections, CPAP deliveries and more – are stacked from floor to ceiling. This warehouse is a storage facility for Dominic's Closet, a non -profit organization of Bellingham, which sends brand new, packaged medical objects worldwide.

Jennifer Schoute founded Dominic's closet to honor her son Dominic, who died in April a decade ago. Dominic was medically complex: a term used for children with two or more comorbidities that require an ongoing, specialized supply. He would have been 24 on May 15th.

Jennifer understands first -hand how caretaker often takes care of the care. The effort requires mental and financial burden. Therefore, recipients can request objects from Dominic's closet regardless of income or insurance – no questions.

“One reason that we started is that we know how it is not to get what you need through the insurance,” said Jennifer.

Jennifer prioritizes local and domestic orders; However, it also sends international orders. In this February alone, the non -profit organization sent 1,420 unopened items within the expiration to individuals and caretakers at places such as Whatcom County, West Virginia, Cuba and Pakistan. Each program is made possible by donations and volunteer work.

“Nobody is paid and we have never searched for financial help. Everything we received was given,” said Jennifer. “Our goal is, we will continue until the money runs out – but we keep getting money.”

“Let me look in Dominic's closet.”

Dominic was born exactly 24 weeks and zero days twenty -four years ago. Jennifer believed that she had a miscarriage.

“During the delivery, they said that if he was for 23 weeks and six days, it would have been a legal abortion for the state,” she continued. But because he was 24 weeks, Jennifer was not allowed to have a natural miscarriage, “which was a big blessing because he taught so many people and lived a beautiful life.”

Although Dominic was an expressive, joyful child, he was non -verbal and needed extensive medical help. He only had 40% lung capacity and needed a brain shunt and a feeding tube. Dominic died with Jennifer and her husband Craig at the age of 14 and took care of his domestic hospice care.

Jennifer still remembers the “boxes and shelves and drawers” of objects that Dominic's care required: “People do not know that their home will become a medical facility in this regard,” she continued. When Dominic died, the family remained an excess of unnecessary supplies to friends with specific inquiries.

“I would say:” Let me look at Dominic's closet, “she said.” And then somehow hit me. “

Jennifer began to give away supplies via her personal Facebook, and then established Dominic's cabinet as a separate page with the intention of recycling unused medical objects. The demand was immediately – and enormous.

When the donations entered, a lawyer friend Jennifer, 501 (C) (3) helped to found free of charge. And when the trash cans piled up in Jennifer's own house, a donor offered Dominic's cabinet in Fairhaven free of charge.

“I'm very proud of her,” said Jennifer's daughter Ava about her mother. “It was so difficult to lose Dominic, and she only achieved a really amazing result and gave something back to others in the community and all over the world.”

From remote dale to the Philippines

Dominic's cabinet is a stroke of luck for people with special needs and her caretaker. Studies show that nursing staff and parents medically complex children spend thousands of dollars in order to cover the costs for health care from their own pocket. They are also an increased risk of nutritional uncertainty, housing and poor mental health.

“Communicate between medical appointments and medication and practical care and therapies as well as with nurses at home and on the go,” said Jennifer. [caretakers] You don't have to exploit your time and thinking to actually find what you need. “

The Dominic Closet inventory is amazing and ranges from PICC line supplies to medical associations, colostomy bags, alcohol waste and even diapers. The most popular objects include gastrointestinal feed pipes, especially devices, syringes and formula.

Dominic's cabinet has proven to be more popular than Jennifer “could have ever dreamed”: She estimates that the non -profit organization sent objects in 42 states and 18 countries, namely the Philippines. And while Jennifer is from Trade Paraeducator, this year she has addressed her attention to satisfying demand.

But Dominic's wardrobe does not apply. How do people find them in other states and countries? “We don't know,” said Jennifer with a laugh. “It was 100 percent word of mouth.”

Jennifer said that providers at Mount Vernon's places sometimes refer the caretaker to Dominic's cabinet in Seattle. You will probably discover recipients in far more distant places on social media.

Due to the high demand, Jennifer follows when receiving requirements of a certain order of surgery. Local orders have the first priority, followed by domestic orders and then international packages (which are 10 to 12 times more expensive).

Volunteers help Jennifer to properly sort, label and save each donation after the expiry date, and ensure that nothing is opened or damaged. Some volunteers are former donors or have met Jennifer by mourning groups. Others were involved in Dominic's life: Ava, 17, started voluntarily with Dominics the closest in third grade and is now a senior in the high school.

Another long -time volunteer, Debbi Dougherty, was Dominic's former tutor. “Everyone who knew him only touched his heart so deeply,” she said. “I love the fact that this is continued by Dominic's closet … [Jennifer] Has his picture in her room and I tell you, I think of him every time I am there. “

“Everything here would be in the dump”

Jennifer and her volunteers understand the difficulty of accessing medical care even with good insurance. For example, if Dominic required rectal tubes, her guideline covered only one package – although the labels provided that the tube should be rejected after 24 hours.

“When Dominic was hospitalized many times for long stays at Seattle Children, we hoard everything to make sure we had enough things at home,” she continued. “And then there were times when we went on Ebay and bought what he needed, from other people who no longer use it.”

Most retailers do not allow returns to medical objects, even if the packages are not open. Jennifer said that if it is no longer necessary, they often end up in the trash.

“This is the other part that we are very grateful for our capacity levels: everything here would be in the dump,” she said. “People can donate their things and know that someone is concerned with it, because if their beloved person goes away – especially a child or a spouse – I would think that it would be really difficult to throw away the things they have kept alive.”

Dominic's cabinet is a passion project, not a paid job. On some days, Jennifer's personal life feels too hectic to work in the storage facility – but mostly she goes inside anyway. This is how the “Tornado cycle” of sorting, packaging and shipping begins.

When Jennifer goes to work, it is difficult to step away. Even in the busy times, she said: “It fills my bucket.”

Info: facebook.com/dominics.closet.nonprofit.

Cocoa Laney is CDNS Lifestyle editor; Reach them at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 Ext. 128.