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09/27/2000 Hospital delivery room 
11/26/2000 Bayleigh's Baptism 
12/24/2000 Bayleigh and Great-Grandma Bayleigh's StoryBayleigh was born September 26, 2000 in Evansville, Indiana to parents Kristopher and Jennifer (Hammer) Pauckner. She weighed 7 lbs-8 Oz. and was 19 inches long. For the first five months of her life, Bayleigh was a healthly and happy baby. She had a few of the normal sniffles and problems of any child, but was growing and achieving all the milestones her family anticipated. Bayleigh had her first Christmas and was baptized at St. Paul's U.C.C. in Evansville. On a Friday evening in early March, 2001, Bayleigh began to run a fever and was showing signs of more than a normal illness. She was taken to the hospital's emergency room, examined, and given medicine for the fever. By Monday morning she had not improved and was taken to the family doctor who immediately put her in the hospital. Bayleigh was diagnosed with spinal menengitis and was put in the intensive care unit. Over the course of the next couple of days, she showed no improvement and had suffered a series of small strokes. At that time, the doctors advised that since Bayleigh was so young, she would have a good chance to recover from the strokes, but that she would probably be a "special needs" child for a number of years. Bayleigh's grandfather was already associated with Evansville ARC as a board member so the family knew that there would be at least one facility in Evansville that could give Bayleigh world class attention and care as she grew. However, there were other plans for Bayleigh, and her condition continued to deteriorate. She was transferred to Riley's Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, but she passed away of a massive stroke the following Saturday. Immediately, the family tried to find a channel to divert their pain and grief into something more positive and to honor Bayleigh's memory. They decided to create an endowment in Bayleigh's name to benefit ARC's Child Life Center. As the year's have passed, the family's love and feelings for Bayleigh have never diminished. Bayleigh now has two, younger brothers that continue to help the healing process. Initially, the purpose of the endowment was really to help the family, but over the years it has grown into more. The family can now see the benefits and effects of the endowment on the children currently enrolled at the Child Life Center. To know that so much good has come out of a tragic situation, has revealed itself as the real blessing of Bayleigh's life. |