Tiffini Hein is honouring her son Archie’s life, by installing reading nooks called “Archie’s Archive” in hospitals around Gauteng.
Gauteng, South Africa (16 August 2023) – Archie Gray Hein is celebrating his first birthday in Heaven today, watching over his parents as they spend the day honouring his life, by adding “Archie’s Archive” reading nooks to hospitals around Gauteng. Mom Tiffani, found a feeling of peace in reading to Archie when he was a sickly baby in the ICU and she hopes to share that peace with other struggling families.
Archie was born on the 16th of August 2022 and diagnosed with a congenital heart defect shortly after his birth. The medical team told Tiffani and her husband that he only had a few weeks. The couple were devastated and spent every waking moment with Archie.
At the time of his diagnosis, Tiffini had a baby book with her, and she started reading it to Archie. Every day, she brought a new book to read to him and before long, he started to get strong. They felt that the reading soothed Archie. In November 2022, Tiffini reached out to Good Things Guy to share his story of hope. Archie’s fight and recovery inspired the family to start collecting books for children. They called it “Archie’s Archive“.
The Hein family found hope in Archie’s recovery and strength. Their community rallied and showered them with books to read to him each day. Sadly, Archie’s strength could only carry him so far and he passed away on the 8th of December 2022.
The loss rocked Tiffini and her husband to their cores. Words couldn’t begin to describe the pain of losing Archie and it never will. But Tiffini continued to find comfort in the words of the authors who wrote the children’s books she read to Archie.
To honour Archie’s life, Tiffini started collecting more children’s books. Cleaning and sterilising them, and placing them in bags so they can stay clean until a family is ready to read them to a child fighting illness in the hospital.
For his heavenly birthday today, the family are installing Archie’s Archive libraries at several hospitals in Gauteng. Each will get 114 books, to symbolise the 114 days the Hein family got with Archie.
The hope is that by the end of today, there will be a total of ten archives in Gauteng to help families in need of comfort.
Each book pack has several reading options to enjoy as well as a message from Tiffani and the Heins.
If you have books you would like to donate to the cause, you can reach out here to find out more.
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