A common bond that I find in the preemie and NICU community is a intense feeling of gratitude. While each person, each story has devastating heartbreak, disappointment, guilt, and fear there are greater stories of triumph and gratitude. It can often take a long time to find that gratitude but it is usually there. For it is through that heartbreak, disappointment, guilt and fear that makes each of us grateful for what we do have. Grateful for who we are with on this journey. Grateful for where we are. Grateful for what we have become.
Last Friday I was honored to be a part of a March of Dimes fundraiser that centered around gratitude. It was the brainchild of my friends Brooke and Kevin, who selflessly and passionately organized and engaged the local family teams community to create a fundraiser that benefited each family team. The evening centered around our common bonds and celebrated the reason that we all come together for the March of Dimes. Family teams were encouraged to invite friends, family and coworkers to the event but to also bring along someone that they were grateful for during their journeys. It was truly a beautiful (and successful!) gathering of family, friends, supporters, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, NICU mentors, and March of Dimes staff.
Below are the two videos that were shown during the program. No words can explain the the heartbreak and gratitude better than these images.
video courtesy of Seven Gables Photography
A common bond that I find in the preemie and NICU community is a intense feeling of gratitude. While each person, each story has devastating heartbreak, disappointment, guilt, and fear there are greater stories of triumph and gratitude. It can often take a long time to find that gratitude but it is usually there. For it is through that heartbreak, disappointment, guilt and fear that makes each of us grateful for what we do have. Grateful for who we are with on this journey. Grateful for where we are. Grateful for what we have become.
Last Friday I was honored to be a part of a March of Dimes fundraiser that centered around gratitude. It was the brainchild of my friends Brooke and Kevin, who selflessly and passionately organized and engaged the local family teams community to create a fundraiser that benefited each family team. The evening centered around our common bonds and celebrated the reason that we all come together for the March of Dimes. Family teams were encouraged to invite friends, family and coworkers to the event but to also bring along someone that they were grateful for during their journeys. It was truly a beautiful (and successful!) gathering of family, friends, supporters, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, NICU mentors, and March of Dimes staff.
Below are the two videos that were shown during the program. No words can explain the the heartbreak and gratitude better than these images.
video courtesy of Seven Gables Photography
Brooke, April and Alyssa
photo courtesy of Seven Gables Photography
In addition to sharing her story through her video, April of Lily's Amazing Grace passionately talked about her family's journey with prematurity and loss and why her heartbreak and gratitude has made her passionate about helping others. She is a NICU nurse, a March of Dimes Ambassador, and honors her daughter Lily everyday through her own non-profit.
I am so grateful to have Brooke and April in my life. They have both endured far more than one can even imagine, yet each find the strength, resolve and gratitude to give back. Thank you for all you do for this community. We are grateful for you!
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