Jewish Community News

News: November 2007

Guggenheims welcome daughter Allyson Hope

Shannon and Scott Guggenheim, owners of the National Jewish Theater Festival,  Yavneh Day School parents and active members of the South Bay Jewish Community, are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter Allyson Hope Guggenheim.
     The Guggenheims are even more thrilled to report that after nearly 6 weeks in the hospital, Allyson came home on Monday, October 29.
      Allyson had a difficult start. Born by emergency C-section, she was intubated immediately after birth and the family was faced with a tremendous unknown. In her first few weeks, Allyson suffered from seizures, could not breathe independently and would not cry or eat.
   “The first few weeks were horrifying,” said Shannon. “She was hooked up to everything. I was pretty sure we would have a child who would never do all the things that a normal child does.”
   Then Allyson began to master one skill after the next.  First, she was taken off of the ventilator. She began to regulate her body temperature and make urine and stool. Next she took a bottle, than nursed. Before returning home to her mother and father and sister Lily, she had even began to cry.
    Shannon attributes Allyson’s amazing recovery, in part, to the tremendous positive thoughts and support of the community.
     “I certainly never put the same kind of value to prayer and thoughts until now. Every person who has reached out and done something kind, and said ‘she will pull through’ or ‘you will make it,’ or ‘she will be okay.’ I think it being said enough times. I think that they are responsible,” said Shannon.  “I truly believe that because of the amazing number of people thinking of her and thinking of us is the reason for her doing so well.”
     Shannon said she and Scott have been overwhelmed by the supportive emails, phone calls, meals, cookies, carpool rides, flowers and visits. Shannon said she knew the community could respond to wars in Israel and international humanitarian crisis, but was grateful and overwhelmed by the support her family received. At home with baby Allyson, Shannon and Scott are optimistic about her recovery. “I don’t want to sound naïve like we don’t have a long road ahead, we may. But for today, she’s totally getting all this stuff; she just seems about a month behind.”