‘Seasoned’ Military Mom Grateful for Baby Shower Gifts, Resources
Sara L’Heureux may not be a military veteran, but with a husband serving in the Navy and five children – including one set of twins – and their sixth baby due soon, she’s certainly a veteran military mom.
And like military veterans, experienced moms also can benefit from finding support, learning new skills, and bonding with other military spouses or service members going through the same experience.
She attended an Operation Homefront Star-Spangled Babies® shower during the COVID-19 pandemic, so when she saw an in-person event being held in October near where her husband was stationed in Virginia, she quickly signed up.
“Thank you. Everyone did such a great job. It was really great to see what resources are available in the area.” – Sara L’Heureux, Navy spouse
“The first event I went to was a drive-thru,” Sara said. “It was really good, but being able to sit with other moms and talk to everyone, it was so much more personal, and everyone was so friendly.”
Sara, referring to herself as “seasoned,” said she enjoyed meeting other military spouses. She also appreciated learning more about services available in their area from vendors who attended.
Sara has been a military spouse for more than 15 years. She met her husband, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan L’Heureux, when he was stationed at a naval hospital in her hometown of Pensacola, Florida.
Ryan, who is from a military family, enlisted in 2006. He always planned on making the Navy his career.
The couple’s five kids are 13, 4, 3-year-old twins, and 18 months. Ryan deployed to Dubai just two months after their youngest child was born. Deployment and other challenges unique to military families are why Sara seeks out Operation Homefront programs such as Star-Spangled Babies and Back-to-School Brigade®.
She was impressed with the gifts given to new and expectant parents at the Virginia Beach shower.
“We got the play mobile and a diaper bag from Technical Baby Gear, which is quite pricey,” Sara said.
The gifts also included diapers and other baby essentials for the little L’Heureux she is expecting.
She wants donors to know they are making a difference for military families.
“Thank you,” she said to donors. “Everyone did such a great job. It was really great to see what resources are available in the area.”
The event in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was made possible thanks to generous sponsors Armada Hoffler, The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, Tactical Baby Gear, Infantino, Motif Medical, Astro Event Company, and local quilters, along with Operation Homefront staff and its legion of volunteers.
Since 2008, the Star-Spangled Babies program has provided critical baby supplies to more than 20,000 military new and expecting moms. In most locations, the families who participate have deployed or wounded service members or other junior and mid-grade service members in their families.
