Welcome
The John D. Gomke Charity, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was created in John Donald Gomke’s honor by John’s parents Steve and Jessica Gomke after John became an angel on January 6, 2010, at only 33-days-old.
Three days earlier, on John’s 1-month birthday, during the ride home from the store, John stopped breathing. Terrified, John’s dad instantly started CPR from what he remembered learning years before.
A neighbor came and applied chest compressions. Though John never woke up the immediate response gave John’s family three more days with him in their arms.
After learning first hand the heartache and crushing pain that makes you not able to breathe, shattering a parent’s world with the loss of a child; John’s parents want to help sick infants and the families who have lost an infant while they are going through this shocking and agonizing time. So they started this charity.
CPR Awareness: John’s Charity is holding free CPR & 1st Aid classes. These classes are open to the public and train participants in Adult, Child & Infant CPR, 1st Aid, and AED. The classes emphases on children & infants.
Keepsakes: During John‘s 8 days in the NICU & 3 days in the Pediatric ICU (PICU) there were several things that helped comfort John’s family. John got a plush puppy that stayed with John during his entire stay in the PICU.
John had never been alone so it helped knowing his puppy stayed with him when he had to leave his parents’ arms. John’s parents were also made molds of his tiny hands and feet, along with a booklet full of ink prints. John’s Charity wants to make sure all parents get these opportunities and keepsakes.
John’s Charity will work with hospitals, support groups, and other organizations to help families get through the painful time.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or have a special child in your life you can imagine what a difference this could make in the life of another child and family!
Where the money we raise goes:
The John D Gomke Charity is organized 100% by volunteers. All proceeds go back into the communities to assist families. The money we have raised as of June 30, 2019, has been used to do the following:
We have donated 53 Defibrillators (AEDs) into 10 area school districts. This includes having one in each building and at least one or two to travel with and be on the sidelines at sporting events.
Including these schools districts: Adel-De Soto-Minburn (11), Nodaway Valley (3), ACGC (7), Panorama (3), Van Meter (1), Winterset (8), Dallas Center-Grimes (5), Woodward-Granger (7), West Central Valley (2), Des Moines Schools (5)—North High School, Roosevelt High School, Lincoln High School, East High School and Hoover High School
We continue the upkeep of replacement pads and batteries every two years for the infant pads and every five years for the adult pads. If a set of pads has been opened and used we will replace them also.
We provide the sole funding through the John D Gomke Bereavement Fund for keepsakes to families who suffer a loss of a child (19 & younger) at the Mercy Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, IA. This includes, but not limited to, hand and footprint molds, the child’s thumbprint pendant, ink prints and the child recorded heartbeat (if possible).
We honor Angel Babies at our events, sharing their story, saying their name and naming a Star after each of them. We will continue to remember each of these Angels in years to come.
We adopt families to help them get through their first Holiday Season without their Angel each year.
We welcome all families with Angel Babies to join us, as much as they are comfortable and are honored to remember those babies every year.