Michael’s Feat will mark 10 years of aid to families

On July 31 from 1-5 p.m. a crowd of more than 300 people is expected to gather at YMCA Camp Arrowhead, Route 520, Marlboro, for the Michael’s Feat 10th annual family picnic to help families of seriously ill newborns.

In doing so, these families will help kick off a 10th anniversary celebration for Michael’s Feat, a nonprofit organization named in memory of baby Michael Gerard Puharic, born July 29, 2000, to Adam and Dana Puharic. Although he lived for just 83 hours, his legacy lives on through the hundreds of families helped through Michael’s Feat over the past nine years.

The mission of Michael’s Feat is to provide comfort and support for families facing a health crisis with their newborns.

According to a press release, this mission has been carried out throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties, assisting hundreds of families facing a health crisis with their newborns, ensuring that all the needs of families are met.

Among the resources available to families are direct financial support; overnight bags stuffed with supplies for families that have to stay in the hospital; furniture and medical equipment; meals and gas cards; and even respite care for the siblings of the ill newborns.

Some of the accomplishments of Michael’s Feat in its first nine years include:

• Purchase of special head cooling units for babies with brain injuries for Monmouth Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center

• Establishment of a Family Resource Room at Monmouth Medical Center for the families and siblings of babies in the Neo- Natal Intensive Care Unit.

• Purchase of special nursing kangaroo chairs for NICUs at Monmouth Medical and Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

• Purchase of Giraffe Omni beds for the NICU unit at Monmouth Medical Center

“It is completely gratifying to know that by bringing baby Michael into this world, we were blessed not only by his presence, but the enormous gifts he has given other families in need by inspiring the work of Michael’s Feat,” said baby Michael’s mom and chairwoman of Michael’s Feat, Dana Puharic.

“From the first baby we helped, Morgan Cassidy, now 11, to those infants currently in the NICU units, Michael’s Feat has been there to provide comfort and assistance to those families in need,” said baby Michael’s father, Adam Puharic. “This family picnic is a unique dynamic in that it brings together not only friends and supporters, but many of the families that have directly benefited by Michael’s Feat.”

Each year Michael’s Feat honors a family with the Heather Rose Tribute of Courage Award. This year’s recipients will be Marsha and Robert Bell of Jackson. Their daughter Chloe was born 17 weeks premature at just 23 weeks gestation on Oct. 5, 2009. She weighed only 1 pound, 5 ounces. The award was created in memory of Heather Rose Kiss who lost her fight to a rare autoimmune reaction.

“Just knowing that something so wonderful exists took a little of the weight of worry off of our shoulders,” said Marsha Bell. “Dana is an amazing person and has done a wonderful job with this organization.”

The July 31 event will include a barbeque buffet, a covered picnic area, a swimming pool with lifeguard on duty, crafts, inflatable rides and live musical entertainment from 1- 5 p.m.

This year’s picnic will feature the performances of popular children’s recording artist Yosi and the New Jersey girls group, The Imitations.

Admission prices are: adults $25; children ages 4-10, $12; children age 3 and under, free. There is an immediate family plan of $70. Register online at www.michaelsfeat.org before July 28 and save $10 on a family rate and $5 on one adult admission.