Meet Gina Dockal | Zoey’s Mommy & Co-Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gina Dockal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gina, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“Focus on the Ladybugs.”

This has now become my life motto and an important lesson and reminder for so many. The best way to explain it is by sharing a journal entry from when it came to be.

A message from our Zoey:
Journal entry by Gina Dockal — Nov 10, 2012

So thankful that I got to see my Zoey last night and hold her again!! It’s been so long…Too long…She is such a big girl now…but still so beautiful and so cuddly…I got to rock her in my arms and sing “You are my sunshine” to her once again… As I was holding her, I felt her tell me (not in words), “I didn’t know I was so close.” I told her, “You are always this close…always loved…and never forgotten.” She still fits so perfectly in my arms and I loved feeling her sweet head tucked in my neck once more. But there was more to her dream visit…she was there to give me a message…in another part of my dream, Mike and I were laying in bed. When I sat up Mike realized I had put my head in a spider web and that I had spiders all over my head. We both immediately got annoyed, then angry…then felt a sense of panic, and had a feeling of disgust…all we wanted to do was rid of them and kill them…As we frantically reacted, something told me to look up…when I did, I noticed a giant spider web covering the ceiling and it was full of spiders…all different shapes and sizes…as my mind and body were getting ready to go through all those terrible feelings once again, I noticed that among all the spiders there was also a ladybug…so I looked more closely…I noticed another ladybug…and as I kept looking I began to see tons of ladybugs…small and big…all beautiful…I started to focus on the sense of happiness and peace that came over me as I noticed more and more ladybugs and realized they actually outnumbered the spiders…I realized Zoey’s message then… FOCUS ON THE LADYBUGS! The “spiders” in life, from annoying to scary, can distract us, sting us, and even leave a mark…but the “ladybugs”…they bring happiness and peace…look closely and you will start to see that there are more ladybugs than spiders in your life…FOCUS ON THE LADYBUGS!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Zoey’s Angels is a 501(c)(3) charitable, non-profit organization. Zoey’s Angels was founded to bring comfort to families who lose an infant child (up to age 1 including but not to exceed the first calendar birthday) due to illness or disease after a lengthy stay at Texas Children’s Hospital – Texas Medical Center. While Zoey welcomes her new angel friends to Heaven, her angels here on Earth will support the families left behind. Through financial assistance and practical support, Zoey’s Angels will allow families to concentrate on grieving and healing, physical and emotional well-being, and honoring their beloved little angel.

Zoey’s Angels provides financial assistance for medical bills, burial/funeral expenses, or other related financial burdens. In addition to offering financial support, Zoey’s Angels offers families assistance by providing a support network through connecting families in similar situations, educating families about other organizations that may offer additional support, and brainstorming with families to identify ways to honor their angel baby as they work through the grieving process.

When Mike and I first left the hospital without our Zoey, we didn’t have a clue of what all we were about to face when we reentered the real world. No one was talking about losing a baby. No one told us what to expect when we planned her funeral, emotionally or financially. We were young and she was our first baby. Thankfully, we were both able to keep our jobs and our insurance. We also had so many, including family and friends, supporting us emotionally and financially with donations. When our family began the conversation about creating what would soon become Zoey’s Angels, we knew we wanted to do two things; support families emotionally and support families financially. It broke our hearts knowing that this could be happening to others yet they may not be as fortunate as we were in having a strong and supportive village. Many families lose their jobs or insurance. One donation we personally received from someone was in the amount of $5000. This big gesture brought us so much comfort knowing there were people out there willing to give in such a big way. That donation gave us the opportunity to purchase a beautiful marker for Zoey’s burial site. This is what led to us deciding that, through Zoey’s Angels, we would gift families who have lost an infant a $5000 contribution. While we know it doesn’t refill their pockets or the holes in their hearts, we hope that they know in a big way that they are not alone.

Continuing to work towards fulfilling our mission has been challenging. We never know how many referrals we will get from TCH – TMC and how many of them will match our requirements. One year we may have 12 families and then the next year it could be 24. We have to be smart and creative in finding ways to continue our fundraising efforts year round as we only hold one fundraising event each year. We never want to have to turn down a family. It can also be emotionally challenging at times. We know the pain our families are going through and every time we receive another referral, we remember that pain all too well. But, we know that our work is needed and that the pain we may feel is simply our reminder of why we do what we do.

Our motto is “Help Us, Help Others.” This organization was started to help our own family navigate through this journey of child loss and continues to be a way for our family to personally grieve out loud sharing Zoey’s story and connecting with other families who understand. Of course, our main purpose is to help others like us find their way through their own grief journeys after the loss of their baby.

Our hope is to give families the chance to grieve how they choose and be supported in that choice. While we respect that some families may choose to grieve privately, others want to talk about their angels and share their stories. We provide that opportunity. We want our families to know that their angels will always be loved and will never be forgotten. Most importantly, we want our families to know that they never have to walk through this journey alone.

Our hope is to give families the chance to grieve how they choose and be supported in that choice. While we respect that some families may choose to grieve privately, others want to talk about their angels and share their stories. We provide that opportunity. We want our families to know that their angels will always be loved and will never be forgotten. Most importantly, we want our families to know that they never have to walk through this journey alone.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Our home away from home is The Phoenix on Westheimer. The owner and staff are good people! We love their menu and they have great drinks, too. If you are a sports fan, they’ve got a ton of tvs all around the pub. If you can go on a Thursday evening, they have a great steak night. Mandola’s Deli is another amazing family-owned restaurant with delicious food. We also really love Phoenicia Specialty Foods downtown. I love walking around the gourmet market and picking up a few things to try. You can enjoy your purchases right there in their dining area. MKT Bar is now on the first floor as well. They have great food and often have live music. The Houston Zoo is one of our favorite places to visit with the family. We also love the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Museum of Natural Science. Post Houston has great food selections and usually has a market going on for a fun and unique shopping experience. After your bellies are full and your wallet is lighter, you can head up to the rooftop for some amazing views of the city.
And of course, if you are in the Houston area in June, be on the lookout for our annual Zoey’s Angels Fun Walk. It’s a family friendly event raising funds to support our angel families.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people to thank for the success of Zoey’s Angels. My brother, Paul Gonzales, really wanted to create a legacy for Zoey and wanted to ensure our family came through this tragedy together. He originally had the idea of organizing a fundraiser to help support us and others like us going through the loss of a baby and the conversation began and led us to start our own non-profit in memory of Zoey. My sister, Sonja Gonzales, and my father, Joe Gonzales, played a vital role in getting Zoey’s Angels, Inc. up and running using their experience working with non-profits. Our past and present, all volunteer based, board of directors have been amazing giving their time, talent, and hearts and helping us continue our mission; most including our family and friends who really felt the magnitude of our mission deep in their souls. We would also like to recognize the Social Work staff of Texas Children’s Hospital – Texas Medical Center for utilizing us as a resource and connecting us to families who have lost an infant. Our Zoey’s Angels families have helped validate the need for connection between those who are going through a similar journey. We are grateful for their courage in sharing their own angels’ stories and continuing to be a part of our Zoey’s Angels family. Our annual fundraising events would not be possible without the help of our registrants, volunteers, vendors, and sponsors. One of our biggest supporters has been the owner of The Phoenix on Westheimer, Vu Truong, who has been the host for our in person event for 10 years. I am also greatly appreciative of the support from my husband, Mike, who also serves on the board, and Zoey’s little sisters, Jozie and Gizelle, who always say that one day they will be taking over Zoey’s Angels. Of course, everything we do stems from our love for Zoey. She is our inspiration and keeps us focused on our why.

Website: www.zoeysangels.org

Instagram: @zoeysangels

Facebook: facebook.com/zoeysangels

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