At Christmas we received a card, an email on Mother's Day, and a preemptive email for Father's Day. And since the whole organization is built to support families who have children that have been diagnosed with T18, and therefore support many grieving families, they know exactly what to say. They really get it. It is seriously so refreshing to open a card/email and have it be spot-on. I remember I cried with the Christmas card because it was exactly where we were. It was as if their card put in to words exactly how I didn't realize I'd been feeling.
Christmas Card:
Dear Ann,
We know how difficult this holiday season is without your precious Noah Patrick Every day without our babies is hard, but the first holidays hold a special emptiness. We want you to know that we are here to remember Noah Patrick with you, to grieve with you and to share memories with you.
We will not let Noah Patrick be forgotten because we believe that every child with Trisomy 18 ... no matter how fragile or brief their days, forever changes our world.
May you and your family find some peace and joy this holiday season.
With warm wishes from all of us,
Trisomy 18 Foundation Staff and Volunteers
On Mother's Day:
This Sunday, as we celebrate all mothers in the Trisomy 18 community -- we recognize that every child...no matter how fragile their life or brief their days...that child transforms a woman into a mother -- forever.
To all our mothers, we honor and celebrate the blessings of your special love for your very precious child impacted by Trisomy 18.
To extended family members, friends, and caregivers, we encourage you to reach out to the mothers you know in your community to acknowledge them as the amazing Mothers they are. Remind them of their gifts and how much they've given to all their children -- those still with us today and those that have gone ahead of us from this life to the next.
From all our hearts to yours, have a gentle and loving Mother's Day,
Victoria J. Miller
Executive Director (And Isaac's Mom...forever)
And on Father's Day:
Join us in Honoring all Fathers we know who love a child with Trisomy 18 this Sunday. . .
When we think of a father, the following words often come to mind: strong, protective, problem-solver, loving, and wise. A father takes on these roles with his children, wife or partner.
Often, a diagnosis of Trisomy 18 causes a father to set side his own feelings while caring for his affected family. It can be difficult to share his feelings about Trisomy 18 and how it has impacted his family, including himself.
Whether you are expecting, raising, or grieving the loss of a child with Trisomy 18, we know that you are a father — today and every day.
If you are the family member or friend of a father who has been touched by Trisomy 18, please take time to acknowledge him on Father's Day. While his journey may be different than most, he still is a father.And so for many reasons we will always be lifelong supporters of the Trisomy 18 Foundation. Because they rock. One way we do that is through yearly monetary donations. Another way we support them is by using GoodSearch. If you haven't heard of GoodSearch, it's a search engine powered by Yahoo - but each search donates money to the organization of your choice: We chose Trisomy 18 Foundation. They've a sister site called GoodShop in which a certain amount of your purchase is donated.
http://www.trisomy18.org/
http://www.goodsearch.com
http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx
