Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Kupper. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laura, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Our son Preston was hospitalized when he was nine months old. Preston developed a cold which turned into a nasty cough. We took him to a Pediatric Urgent Care facility. He was diagnosed with croup. Preston received a breathing treatment and steroids to help him breathe. We were advised that if he develops stridor to go to an emergency room. We took him home that night and watched him very closely. The next day Preston didn’t seem to make and progress. Later in the evening Preston developed stridor and we took him to a local emergency room. The doctors were less than satisfactory and basically sent us home. We were told there was nothing that could be done and to take him home and watch him. So we returned home scared and not really knowing what was about to happen. It was a very long night and we did not sleep well that night. Constantly getting up during the night and checking on him to see if he was ok.
On February 1st the next morning Preston’s breathing took a turn for the worst. He was having trouble breathing and was not as active as he normally was. We took him to Banner Thunderbird Emergency Room. He was immediately taken back to a room. I remember seeing the concern on the nurse’s face as we quickly walked him to his emergency room. Soon our little baby was surrounded by IVs, breathing masks, breathing machines, tubes, oxygen masks, and blood draws. In that sudden moment I as a parent felt completely helpless and I wished that I was in that bed instead of this sweet baby boy, Preston.
Doctors tried helium to see if that could help the swelling; I can’t remember how many huge green metal helium tanks we went through that morning. After no avail, the doctors said we need to admit him to see if they could figure out what was causing this. Preston was admitted to the PICU. The staff met us and could not be more comforting. I am sure I was a basket case, but they were so nice and understanding. A respiratory specialist was called and decided they needed to perform a bronchoscope. After signing the consents we sat in a waiting room, which seemed for hours. Doctors also suggested that we place him on a ventilator to help him breathe. The waiting room was full of family and close friends as we just wait and see what happens. After what seemed like an eternity the doctor came back and said Preston’s air ways are so swollen and inflamed. The airways were narrowed down to the size of a coffee straw.
We were able to see Preston after these procedures were done. We walked in his hospital room holding hands, we as parents saw a sight no parent should ever have to see. We saw monitors, IV bags, wires, and tubes all surrounding our sedated little baby.
Days went by and a PICC line was placed to help administer medicine better. We were waiting for the swelling to go down but nothing was really happening. A week went by, no changes, no news, nothing. Nurses suggested we bring some items from home to place in bed next to Preston.
I grabbed some blankets and some soft toys. I then grabbed two homemade pillows a friend’s mother made for Preston when he was born. I brought my items and placed them in his bed. A nurse came in and fell in love with the pillows. She asked if I had more at home. She instantly used the pillows and used them to position him in bed and made him more comfortable. My mom and I looked at each other and this is how Pillows from Preston was founded. We asked the nurses if they would use them for other patients and they said “yes.” My mother and I wasted no time with pillow making. We would sit in Prestons’ room and stuff pillows to pass the time.
After about a week of no changes the doctors decided to extubate Preston to see what happens. At first Preston was crabby of course. Then he started to want a bottle. Things started to look like we were actually on the right track for healing. Bryan and I were finally able to hold Preston and things were starting to look better. Well later that night Preston’s breathing took a turn and we unfortunately had to re-intubate him and place him on the ventilator again. Another bronchoscope was performed and it revealed a lesion in his air ways that would need to be removed. Preston extubated himself and we had a code team rush in his room. All I could do was hold on to his pooh bear and watch in horror as his stats plummeted and he had no pulse. Thankfully, the doctor and staff worked together and were able to resuscitate him and get him prepped for transport.
The next morning we were transported by a critical care ambulance to Cardon Children’s Hospital in Mesa. The staff was very comforting and supportive. We were settled in when we were told that the surgery would take place the following day. Surgery was performed ahead of schedule and everything went great. Preston was taken off the ventilator a day after surgery. He was doing great. He seemed to be able to breathe with ease.
We were actually released from PICU and transferred to a pediatrics floor. This was and exciting day. We knew he was progressing and things were looking better. We spent a total of seventeen days in the hospital with our son Preston. Looking at him today, you would never know just how sick he really was. We are honored to be making these pillows for sick infants and children. It is our way of giving back to the community and giving thanks for all the wonderful individuals we met along the way to help keep Preston healthy. Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough to the doctors, nurses, and technicians that worked as a team to save Preston.
The nurses were the inspiration behind the pillows. They instantly loved the pillows and used them on other patients while were still in the hospital. After Preston’s release from the hospital we got busy. I was able to file a 501 c 3 after several rummage sales and online fundraisers. We have donated and sent pillows all over the Country. We have even sent pillows to the UK, Russia, Guatemala, and Australia. We have even teamed up with local organizations to help spread comfort and support.
The feedback we get from families is the fuel that keeps us going. Opening dozens of emails that are warm and kind. Then you have the grim emails from grieving families, that now hold on to the pillow their child received. We have met so many wonderful families along the way. We have had new stories about us and mentioning in other magazines. The support is amazing. We are currently working on a chapter in Iowa. We did have a chapter in Oregon, sadly due to health reasons Nancy had to step down. Nancy is the one who made these pillows and we are so lucky she agreed to let us start this journey

Laura, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Some people think about a pillow and nothing really resonates the significance that is brings. We make children size body pillows for children going through medical journeys. We try to pick a pattern that the child likes and we send them on their way. We always hear back on how these children are so comforted by these pillows, that they sleep with them every night. We never charge a family for a pillow. These families are going through their own unimaginable hell and sending a pillow doesn’t seem like enough. Then we get these emails, pictures of children smiling with their pillows or snuggled up tight as they drift to sleep. I am a mother who has gone through a scary medical event with my child. I felt so alone and helpless during his hospitalization. Receiving such a small but functional gift from a complete stranger is so uplifting. You have a sense of community and support. I have even witnessed the biggest miracles of all. Kids undergoing transplants and receiving life saving organs and a second chance at life. I was even privileged to be in a hospital room where the little girl’s family got the call for a new heart. Emotions were running as she was going to live, but another child has passed and their family made the most difficult choice to donated organs.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think all of us had a pivot when Covid-19 hit. All of us were on lock down, Pillow making was stopped. Hospitals were running out of PPE. Since we couldn’t make pillows. We decided to make cloth masks for healthcare workers. My friend who is a nurse sent me a picture of a used masked in a brown paper bag. She was told to save the mask after her shift because the hospital didn’t have enough. This was unacceptable to me. We decided to shift gears and make masks. We were on the news again because were some of the first ones making masks. My friend would come by before or after shifts to take bags full of masks for her co -workers to wear. We made masks all summer and into the fall until the PPE supply chain went back up. We sent masks to hospitals in the red zone in New York City, we sent them to Fire Departments all around the country. We dispersed them to local Police agencies as well. We supplied masks until we didn’t have to anymore. We made over 3,000 masks.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

We had several rummage sales! I asked people of the community to bring over things that we could sell to raise funds. We had three rummage sales in total. With that money we set up a bank account and files for letters of incorporation. We followed all the proper steps to get the 501 c 3 status. We are strictly funded by donations. We do not have any paid help. Everyone that helps is a volunteer, girl scout, boy scout, or friends who are passionate about these pillows. Preston says these pillows are stuffed with magic, and we think he is right.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pillowsfrompreston.org
• Facebook: //pillowsfrompreston

Image Credits
Laura Kupper