PHOTO PROVIDED Shown in this family photo is newborn Coy Shade, along with his mother, Vanessa Soo; his father, Seth Shade; and his big brother, Cooper Shade.

BEECH CREEK — It’s been often said that “it takes a village to raise a child,” and people of this community have certainly stepped up to take care of a newborn just like he was our own.

Coy Shade was born Aug. 5, 2025, six weeks prematurely, and weighed just 2 pounds, 13 ounces. He spent several weeks in the NICU at UPMC in Harrisburg before being life-flighted to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh where he had to undergo open heart surgery.

As word spread of the birth of Vanessa Soo and Seth Shade’s second son, named Coy, and then of the heart surgery on the tiny baby boy, many prayers were uttered. But folks just felt they needed or wanted to do something more!

So a basket benefit was planned for Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Beech Creek-Blanchard Fire Company social hall. The benefit would raise money to help the family with travel expenses, medical expenses and other income needs since Vanessa had not been working since giving birth to Coy and had been caring for Coy and their five-year-old son, Cooper. The couple’s income had been stretched thin, since Seth had been juggling his HVAC business clients to be able to be at the hospital, then to take Coy to doctor appointments while also spending time with Cooper.

As word spread quickly through the little towns and valleys about the basket raffle and its aim to help baby Coy, people of the community rallied with an amazing show of support for the family. Folks signed up to donate kitchen items and foods that were needed for the benefit. Several folks made a variety of baked goods that were sold at the event. People gave money to buy supplies needed for the raffle event.

The evening before the benefit, the social hall was a hubbub of activity. Last minute food drops were made, tables were set up, and people brought an alarming number of items for the basket raffle, 186 baskets, gift cards and prizes along with 21 “Big Ticket” items that were higher valued and coveted by want-to-be winners!

On the day of the event, held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a steady stream of individuals dropped by the social hall to buy tickets and donate to the cause of helping Coy and his family. One individual came to the back door of the social hall and offered a donation that touched the hearts of those there. The lady had shared that she’d been between jobs and didn’t have much money, but she wanted to give a small donation to benefit baby Coy. We don’t know her name, but to us she is simply an angel.

During the basket raffle event, Coy and Cooper’s grandparents, Travis and Jamie Shade and Heath and Gretchen Soo, along with some of their great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family members were all on hand to help where needed, to greet visitors and to thank those attending the event for all of the donations, love and support and the prayers that had been said for baby Coy.

Needless to say, the basket raffle was a huge success, raising a considerable amount of money that will definitely help Seth and Vanessa breathe a little easier financially, as they continue to take care of their two sons.

Vanessa and Seth had shared a post on Facebook in an attempt to let everyone know that they are deeply touched by the many acts of love and support that have been shown to them over the past several months.

That post reads, “From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to everyone who organized, volunteered their time to help and attend Coy’s benefit. Your support and generosity have left us speechless. We are so overwhelmed and touched by everyone’s incredible support. Because of you, we were able to raise a significant amount of money to help pay for medical expenses and gas for traveling back and forth to appointments. It means the world to know that we have such an incredible community. To the organizers, your hard work and passion made this event a huge success. We are eternally grateful.”

Coy recently had check-ups with his doctors at the hospitals in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, and he is doing well. He is healing from the surgery and growing, and has now made the 8 pound, 6 ounce weight mark.

In a few years, when we’re watching Coy run the bases lickety-split at his Little League games, this “village of folks” will all look back and remember how tiny he was when he was born, but most of all, we will remember how, as a tiny baby, Coy brought the local community together in an absolutely amazing way.