Mom Celebrates Arrival of Her Baby With Raising a Reader Program

Angelle Candrian welcomed her daughter into the world earlier this month. Along with her bundle of joy, she left HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake with information and resources to give her child a great, healthy start in life thanks to the Raising a Reader program. Raising a Reader is a pilot program designed in partnership with healthcare professionals from HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake and HCA Houston Healthcare West to educate and equip parents to be their child’s first teachers.

During her stay in the labor and delivery room, Angelle viewed content developed by our team, about brain growth and early language development, practical tips for talking, playing, and singing with newborns, developmental milestones of what babies should do by age two.

As Angelle cradled her newborn in her arms, nurses also spent time talking with Angelle about the importance of healthy brain development and early learning and provided her with a Raising a Reader bag containing informational resources, a library card, a list of 100 best books for babies and an indestructible book, to get her family started on a pathway to create positive daily habits and establish a culture of reading success.

“Gifting these resources to new parents helps give an extra nudge on the importance of reading to your baby early and instilling literacy habits. It will only help our children in the long run.”

– Angelle Candrian

This remarkable woman is more than just a new mom, Angelle is the founder of Upward Twist, a nonprofit organization that sends healthcare workers around the world for medical missions. Her dedication to improving healthcare globally has earned her the Good Samaritan Award, highlighting her commitment to making the world a better place.

November is National Family Literacy Month, an opportunity for families to learn and read together. This special month also celebrates the work of literacy programs that kick-start families by providing their children a path to success. We are excited to launch Raising a Reader with HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake and HCA Houston Healthcare West and proud of our Young Professionals Group for investing funds for more than 900 families through the end of this calendar year.

To learn more about Raising a Reader visit: www.BarbaraBushHouston.org/raisingareader.