Archive for Babies

Romania Reborn – A Family is Possible

Under communism, the country of Romania, and in particular the Gypsy people group, severely suffered.  Children of certain groups in the country suffered more than others, causing them to be abandoned and also neglected.

God was at work when Jayme Metzgar’s mission trip brought her to Romania and also to the apartment of Corina Caba.  At that time Corina, right our of college, was caring for seven abandoned babies and working toward placing them in adoptive families.  After Jayme returned home, Romania Reborn was founded with the goal of supporting the work of Corina both financially and in prayer.  I should add here that I recall that Jayme was right out of high school when she went to Romania and her life intersected with Corina’s. (So we see Jayme, right out of high school and Corina right out of college.)

Since its inception, Romania Reborn has remained solidly focused on the children of Romania.  They are able to find safe homes for abandoned and neglected children and assist families in adopting these children as their own.  Romania Reborn also has foster families who are willing to care for children for the long term who are unable to be adopted due to legal and cultural issues.   Romanian law dictates that only Romanian citizens can adopt Romanian children, which is why children can only be adopted by Romanian families.

Romania Reborn has several ways we can help.  Donors can join the Family Support Team, where their donations go directly toward adoption expenses, such as court costs, home studies, etc until a child is placed in the home of their new family.  Also, donors can become a Foster Sponsor, which enables children who are prevented from being adopted, to be cared for by a loving foster family.

From Romania Reborn’s website, “Our goal in ministry is not only to save children from abandonment, but also to share the beauty and power of the Gospel at every opportunity.”

I learned of Romania Reborn years ago, directly through Jayme as we attended the same church in West Virginia.  Her passion for the work there is evident every time I hear her speak.  Jayme and Corina were so very young when Romania Reborn began, which is a great testament that the Lord will give young people whatever tools they need when they set out to accomplish His work!

 

 

Cassidy Crowley: The Baby Toon

Cassidy Crowley is a young entrepreneur from Hawaii who invented a product called the Baby Toon. The Baby Toon is a rectangularly shaped feeding tool for infants that also functions as a teether. The product is silicone based and flexible, eliminating the choking hazard and possible harm, such as poking an eye, that comes with regularly shaped spoons. The feeding utensil can easily be grasped by a baby with the rectangular shape and can be attached to a baby’s shirt using a pacifier clip to avoid spoons being thrown on to the floor.

Cassidy came up with the idea when she was seven years old after watching her mom struggle with feeding her baby sister with a regularly shaped spoon. At age seven, she took part in the Honolulu District Science Fair, which went on to receive notable mention from the event. She presented a prototype that she later learned how to make in a silicone, flexible material, and brought the product to the market.

Cassidy landed a spot on Season 11 of Shark Tank, pitching her idea with the hope of a $50,000 investment for 50% of her company. Cassidy accepted an offer for exactly what she wanted from Lori Greiner. Sales for the Baby Toon skyrocketed after appearing on Shark Tank, bringing in $100,000 in revenue a month after its premier. With the help of Lori, the Baby Toon made a deal with Munchkin, a leading baby and children’s product manufacturer, which put the product in over 5,000 stores. The Baby Toon is available online through Amazon and Munchkin, as well as stores such as Target and Walmart.

Cassidy is proof that no matter how old you are, starting a business and being successful is achievable. As of 2024, the Baby Toon is worth over $1 million, something that Cassidy never could have imagined, but couldn’t be prouder of!

– Kaitlyn Kuscevic

Cassidy Crowley & “The Baby Toon”

Cassidy Crowley was only 7 years old when she identified a problem that sparked the beginnings of her company, “The Baby Toon.” She had entered a Science and Engineering Fair at her school and needed to find a problem in order to enter the fair. At home, she noticed that her baby sister had a tendency of chewing on the hard back end of her spoon. This would always concern her mother; she didn’t want the baby to choke or hurt herself.

To solve this problem, Cassidy came up with “The Baby Toon,” a 2-in-1 baby spoon and teething toy made of soft FDA silicone and designed to eliminate the long, hard spoon back. Instead, The Baby Toon comes in a variety of animal shapes with rounded corners and edges, making it safe for babies to chew on as well as a helpful teething device. This newly-patented shape also allows parents and/or younger siblings to easily hold the spoon and feed the baby without the spoon accidentally going too far into the baby’s mouth.  

Cassidy notes that The Baby Toon is also educational for babies, as it comes in a variety of colors (blue, pink, and green), shapes (rectangle, square, and circle), and animals (elephant, alligator, and koala). The Baby Toon is a new, fun, safe baby spoon and teething toy with various benefits.

At age 10, Cassidy appeared on season 11 of Shark Tank (2019) to pitch her business idea. She received a deal with Lori Greiner for $50,000 and 50% equity. Today, “The Baby Toon” has grown into a successful company with around $1 million in revenue each year. The Baby Toon is now sold through several major retailers, including Munchkin, Target, Walmart, and Amazon.

Cassidy Crowley’s entrepreneurship story is truly astounding, especially given that she started her business and appeared on Shark Tank at such a young age. Cassidy should be a reminder to all young entrepreneurs that the key to a successful business is finding a problem or need in an extremely niche area, and then solving the problem in a way no one else has before while providing several benefits.