Today’s 101.9 Spotlight on Maryland – Laila’s Gift
July is Disability Pride Month and Laila’s Gift is Proud to Launch its New Initiative, Blooming Inclusiveness
Spotlight On Maryland-Laila’s Gift | By Gina Cash
Last week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash was joined in studio by Shari Bailey, Founder & CEO of Laila’s Gift, and Lana Bailey, Shari’s daughter and Laila’s twin sister, to talk about the inspiration for the non-profit, their new Laila’s Gift Celebration & Advocacy Center that opened in January, and their new initiative, “Blooming Inclusiveness,” that aims to promote inclusiveness for individuals with diverse abilities using the arts.
Laila’s Gift is a non-profit organization headquartered in Aberdeen, MD that advocates for, supports and celebrates children with special needs and disabilities, as well as their families. Since 2022, they have served over 775 families! Led by Shari Bailey, the organization was inspired by her daughters Laila and her twin sister Lana, who were born on September 5, 2014. Lana was healthy at birth, but Laila was born with a condition called Jacobsen Syndrome. At the time, globally, there were less than 100 cases with this very rare condition. Due to health complications, roughly 20-25% of infants with Jacobsen Syndrome pass away before reaching the age of 2. Laila and her Lana will turn 10 on September 5th!
Laila’s Gift will host its first annual “Seeds of Inclusion” event on July 26th from 9am-Noon at the Jarrettsville Sunflower Field, part of its new initiative, “Blooming Inclusiveness.” Attendees will hand plant seeds in the famous sunflower field to symbolize the beauty of inclusion and art and to raise funds for Laila’s Gift. A Sunflower Festival will be held in the Fall to view the flowers in bloom and the “Blooming Inclusiveness” Initiative will culminate with the Field of Dreams Gala at Ripken Stadium on October 12th where the organization will announce a new, first-of-its-kind national program.