Hi! Our names are Dylan and Hayden, and our Mommy started The Potato Head Project in 2013 after our super early birth, we were only 23 weeks 6 days gestation. We were born at 1 pound 3 ounces and 1 pound 7 ounces (think of 4-5 sticks of butter!). We spent 119 days in the NICU and our parents had countless sleepless nights, middle of the night phone calls and had to sign more paperwork than we could have imagined while we were there. We got to take weekly photos with our Mrs Potato heads so all of our friends and family could watch us grow and understand how truly small we were! We have since started handing them out to other families, friends and complete strangers who are going through the same type of journey. This gives them something to look forward to and share with their own family and friends! Please help us make our Project a success.
XOXO -Dylan & Hayden
Volunteering isn't just for the adults - we help however we can!
Our 1st Potato Head Pics & 1st Birthday
Meet Dylan and Hayden
Meet The Board Members
Hi there,
I'm Kristin
Hi there! My name is Kristin and I am the founder and Vice President of The Potato Head Project! I have been married to my husband since 2010 and after years of trying, our identical twin girls were born in 2013. We live in a quiet town with a few acres for our chickens to roam and our girls to drive their 4-wheelers. Plenty of space for digging holes and making mud pies in the dirt! Our lives are chaotic and busy, so we like to have this little quiet piece of land to get away from it all!
The Potato Head Project was started shortly after our daughters were born. Their birth is a story I've told many many times, but even to this day I still get an entire range of emotions just thinking about it. It was beautiful and tragic. It was special and horrific. I've spent the last 9 years trying to process what happened during their birth (and the weeks following) and I think I'll still be processing it 99 years from now.
Starting this Non-Profit was an easy decision. We wanted other families to know that they were not alone. That there was a whole community of strangers that had their back. People that could offer hope, a shoulder to cry on, or joy during a very dark time. Every closet, corner of garage and the entire basement at my home is full of Mr. and Mrs. Potato heads and other PHP paraphernalia. We are always surrounded by this mission we started so many years ago, because WE BELIEVE. We have hope. We have love. We have compassion.
The NICU SUCKS, but you are not alone! We are here for you!
Bonjour! I'm Amy!
I'm Amy, and I'm the lucky gal who gets to be called Auntie Amy by the original Potato Head babies (Hayden & Dylan). The founder of the PHP is my sister Kristin Moan and I'm the President of The Potato Head Project. You may have seen me at events, a post from time to time, or you may not know me at all. So, let's get to it!
I've been with my girlfriend for 8 years and we have one pup and one cat! I love traveling and going to concerts or sports games! I have 8 nieces and nephews and I love spending time with them!
I am passionate about the PHP because of the community it creates, and the void it fills for families going through some of the most trying times in their lives. Although not a parent myself, (unless you count my dog, Rocket Dog, and my cat, Mochi), I have an enthusiasm for helping. If I can help support you in any way, as a non-parent, reach out at anytime!
HEYYY!
I'm Megan!
Hello! My name is Megan, another one of the PHP Board members. I have been married to my hubby since 2012, we have 2 beautiful daughters (born at 29 weeks) and two playful pups. I love crafting and being outside in nature! I help organize and manage all of the leg warmers that we send out in our packages.
I actually learned about PHP well after our NICU discharge with our twins, but immediately felt how special this organization was after learning about it and was excited to get involved. I started out as a volunteer in late 2017 leading up to the first All the Small Things event and shortly after the event joined the Board of Directors. That event, in particular, solidified for me how meaningful The Potato Head Project really is.
I've always wished we had known about it back when we were in the NICU. I experienced so much wonderful community at that event even as it was going on and wrapping up we were getting a reminder about what #PreemieLife can mean... even years after busting out of the NICU. One of my twins was admitted to the PICU later that day with preemie lungs that were struggling to keep up with a respiratory infection. The community from that event and the group of women I serve on this Board with meant so much to me as I went through that and all the other bits of the roller coaster that continue after Discharge Day, that I knew it was where I was meant to be. I love having the opportunity to be a part of The Potato Head Project and see it make a difference in peoples lives and NICU experiences day after day!
HI! I'm Molly!
My name is Molly! I have been married to my husband since 2014 and we have two of the sweetest and spunkiest girls in the world! Just like their personalities, their entrance into this world was dramatic and over-the-top. They were born at 29 weeks, and our lives were never the same again! I came to know the PHP in a very awkward and hilarious way. I’ll save that (short) story for another day. But once I started to realize why *she* did the PHP I realized I needed to help. What made me realize why she did it?
This - I saw my tiny girls. I felt the heartbreak. The tiny joys. The mini milestones. The awful set backs. The rollercoaster feeling. The As &Bs. The cords and monitors and lingo and acronyms no parent should have to understand let alone have an acute awareness and deep understanding for. I realized I needed a someone who had been where I was. Who could offer empathy, a shoulder to cry on, and someone to share in the joys. Because she had been in the depths and understood what the tiny joys really felt like.
And then. Then I came out of the deepest depths and saw the ones who came after me needing the same as I once did. That connection to a simple toy. That means so much. That still sits in a place of honor displayed in our house. A constant reminder of the place from which we came. Where we started.
Howdy!
I'm Abigail!
Im Abigail! The 'newest' board member for PHP! I've been married since 2012, we have 3 beautiful children and I am a photographer by trade! In the winter of 2013, we learned that we were having identical twins. This was the moment that changed the entire trajectory of our lives. Our daughters were born at 37 weeks, which is considered full term. But for whatever reason, they were born just a little small. For this, we spent 6 days in the NICU. This gave me just a tiny sliver of understanding and a whole lot of sympathy for those that spend months in that place. As Kristin always says, the NICU sucks no matter the situation!
I believe it was in the summer of 2015 or 2016 that I volunteered for a shift at the Potato Head Garage Sale. I had met Kristin a few times before, but our relationship didn’t go beyond acquaintance. Slowly it became something I became heavily involved in. Those casual relationships I had made slowly became family.
I love the Potato Head Project for the work it does. The way it brings HOPE to families helplessly engulfed in the NICU. Those tiny little babies - and those fragile parents who just need an army by their side. We want to love on you DURING and AFTER your NICU journey. Bringing light to a dark situation.
But, I also love the Potato Head Project for the women who volunteer. These are my best friends and I cherish them dearly. If you have a passion for helping families and a desire to give back your time, we are always looking for more volunteers to help with the day-to-day operations. You might make a friend or two!
Hello! I'm Heidi!
Hey! My name is Heidi, and I've been on the board for The Potato Head Project for many years! I've been married since 2010 and we have two great boys! I love traveling, hanging out with friends and the sunshine!
I believe The Potato Head Project is such a great mission that supports families that are experiencing the NICU. These tiny babies and their fragile families - going through one of the most difficult trials of their life. I love the work that Kristin and her family started! I love this community and being apart of it!