By ALLISON McVICKER
BGSU Journalism Student
Taylor Lang, the founder of the nonprofit organization Presley’s Purpose, didn’t think that bringing a few donations to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where her daughter was being cared for would turn into the impactful movement it is now.
This organization started after Lang’s daughter, Presley, spent 127 days in the NICU at a Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
“At first, we were in some rooms with curtains, so there really was no privacy, and you heard every little detail of every family’s story,” said Lang. “Unfortunately, a lot of the babies just didn’t have visitors or didn’t have family, or there were people who just genuinely didn’t care.”
After noticing that one of the babies in the NICU had been wearing the same clothes for a while, Lang asked the NICU staff if she could bring in donations for the babies and families. After they said yes, she made a post on Facebook asking for contributions, which many people took notice of.
“It [the Facebook post] took off like wildfire, which is not something I ever expected,” said Lang. “I knew then I needed to do a little more, so that’s when we started looking into making ‘Presley’s Purpose’ an actual organization.”
Lang and her husband lived in Bowling Green for several years before moving to her hometown of West Liberty this past August. During their time in Bowling Green, they formed many connections with people within the community, including Shawn Murrey, the founder of a local moving company, Murrey’s Movers.
When Presley’s Purpose was created, Murrey and his girlfriend felt especially connected to the organization, as their daughter Avah spent some time in the NICU as well.
“My daughter was in the NICU for about 20 days, so with her [Lang’s] daughter being in the NICU and me being a mover, knowing how that felt firsthand, I was like ‘let me help and see what I can do,’” said Murrey. “When your kid’s in the hospital, for any NICU family, nothing matters except for your kid’s health.”
Murrey’s Movers has helped transport donated items for Presley’s Purpose, and the two organizations even teamed up to host a donation drive at a Bowling Green State University football game this past October. Both founders look forward to more partnerships that make a difference.
“I love that she [Lang] started it [Presley’s Purpose] because it’s a huge need, and you have to have a big heart to start something while your kid is in that situation,” said Murrey. “I totally feel where she’s coming from, and I’m definitely looking to collaborate more with her on her other events.”
“They’ve [Murrey’s Movers] helped facilitate some donations, and they’re so willing to continue to help us,” said Lang.
Lang mentioned that some advice she would give to other families who have babies in the NICU would be to always advocate for your child and their needs.
“They always say, ‘the nurses and the doctors are with your baby the most so they know your baby the best,’ but they don’t, it is you,” said Lang. “There are families that just don’t go because they can’t see their baby in that situation, which I completely get because it’s really hard and traumatizing. But with that being said, we would still be in the NICU today if we didn’t advocate for our baby, or she wouldn’t even be here.”
“I think parents tend to forget when they’re in these situations that we are still parents and we still know our babies,” said Lang.
Spending time in the NICU is not easy for families, but Lang wants Presley’s Purpose to help people feel more comfortable and “at home” while in these difficult situations.
“It’s a whole journey for everybody in your family from the baby to the parents to the grandparents to anybody who steps foot in that room,” said Lang. “We truly feel like everybody deserves to feel like they have a little support and a little home there.”
For more information on how to contribute to Presley’s Purpose, visit their Facebook page.
For more information about Murrey’s Movers, visit https://murreysmovers.com/.
