Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Candles

We are taking pre-orders which will be available after the holidays but in time for Awareness Day - March 31st, 2011.  We are still working on the pricing - we hope to keep under $10 each and this will not include shipping.  If interested, please email us at elizabeth@breathofhopeinc.com - when available and we know more - we will contact you with all details.

National (International) Children's Memorial Day - Sunday, December 12th

Sunday, December 12th is International Children's Memorial Day.  This campaign was started by Compassionate Friends in order to honor and memorialize all children who were taken too soon from this earth.  Just light a candle at 7 PM and extinguish it at 8 PM so the light circles the world from one time zone to another. 

Breath of Hope would like to issue a challenge of sorts.  If you know someone who has a child die from anything, you may have been at a loss of what to say or do for them - light a candle.  You can further this by taking a picture of your candle and send them a message with the picture.  Tell them you thought of them and their child.  Trust us, this will mean the world to them!  Thank you!

PRESS RELEASE: 2010 Breath of Hope Scholaships Awards Announced

For More Information Contact:
Breath of Hope, Inc. 1-888-264-2340
Website: www.breathofhopeinc.com

BREATH OF HOPE, INCORPORATED SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
ANNOUNCEMENT

Breath of Hope, Inc. (BoH) a 501 c 3 nonprofit public charity is pleased to announce the following
scholarship awards to the following individuals:

• Devin Dye of LeRoy, West Virginia is the recipient of the Miracle Scholarship which will be applied to his education at West Virginia University
• Lauren M. Real of San Carlos, California is the recipient of the Miracle Scholarship which will be applied to her education at California State University
• Erin McInnis of Madison, Mississippi is the of the Hope Scholarship which will be applied to her education at Harding University
• Jacob Boyd Womack of Madison, Mississippi is the recipient of Beyond Measure Scholarship which will be applied to his education at Mississippi University
• Alex Mourtsen of Flagstaff, Arizona is the recipient of the Miracle Scholarship which will be sent to further his education at Northern Arizona University

Breath of Hope would also like to thank GMAC Financial who through their grant made these scholarship awards possible for these amazing individuals.

To learn more about Breath of Hope, please visit: www.breathofhopeinc.com call them toll-free at 1-888-264-2340.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Here's to lying, stealing, and cheating!
May you lie to save a friend;
May you steal the heart of the one you love;
and may you cheat death.

~
We're on this Earth together,
And if we would be brothers,
Fight not just on your own behalf
But for the sake of others.
~
May your past be a pleasant memory,
Your future filled with delight and mystery,
Your now a glorious moment,
That fills your life with deep contentment.

May you work like you don't need the money,
Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like no one is watching.
~
May your troubles be less
And your blessings be more.
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door.
~
May God grant you always...
A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

Vermont has issued their Proclamation for March 31st to be Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day!

Thank you Tiffany, Syren's Mommy!

It is beautiful!  Not as beautiful as these children but close!

2010-2011 Breath of Hope Scholarships

BREATH OF HOPE – SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Breath of Hope, Inc. is offering five scholarships for a one time payment to institution of higher learning for tuition and books for scholarship winners. These scholarship awards were made possible though Breath of Hope’s Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness® Day Campaign and a grant from GMAC Financial.

1. Miracle Scholarship – for a survivor of the congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect.

2. Hope Scholarship – for any family member of a child who had a congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect.

3. Faith Scholarship – for anyone who is going into or furthering their education in Nursing

4. Beyond Measure Scholarship – for anyone who will be furthering their education to become a Medical Doctor.

5. Wisdom Scholarship – for those furthering their education in PhDs, or any graduate degree which would further the research, care and awareness of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Each scholarship is a one time payment of $1,000 and will be sent to the institution of higher learning the recipient will or is attending. As with any scholarships, we request all funds are for the tuition and/or books for the recipient’s education and if the recipient is unable to use the funds that they are returned to Breath of Hope so that the funds can be reinvested to continue to benefit future scholarships.

Scholarship Applications are being accepted now and will be reviewed in May 2010 to be awarded by August 31, 2010 for the 2010-2011 academic school year. Complete packets must be received by Breath of Hope by April 30, 2010 in order to be reviewed and awarded on this timeline.

Please feel free to email us at boh@breathofhopeinc.com for the application and further instructions. To see the list of recipients for the 2009-2010 awards please click here.

Breath of Hope Scholarships for 2009

Breath of Hope, Inc. is offering five scholarships for a one time payment to institution of higher learning for tuition and books for scholarship winners. These scholarship awards were made possible though Breath of Hope’s Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness® Day Campaign and a grant from GMAC Financial.

1. Miracle Scholarship – for a survivor of the congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect.
2. Hope Scholarship – for any family member of a child who had a congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect.
3. Faith Scholarship – for anyone who is going into or furthering their education in Nursing
4. Beyond Measure Scholarship – for anyone who will be furthering their education to become a Medical Doctor.
5. Wisdom Scholarship – for those furthering their education in PhDs, or any graduate degree which would further the research, care and awareness of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
   

Each scholarship is a one time payment of $2,000 and will be sent to the institution of higher learning the recipient will or is attending. As with any scholarships, we request all funds are for the tuition and/or books for the recipient’s education and if the recipient is unable to use the funds that they are returned to Breath of Hope so that the funds can be reinvested to continue to benefit future scholarships.

For the Miracle Scholarship and the Hope Scholarship we must have a signed letter attesting that you are either a congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivor or a family member of someone who had/has the congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect.

Requirements for all scholarships are a minimum of a 2.0 GPA and write a 500 word essay on your chosen career path and goals. Scholarships are awarded to those who are well rounded students who have been involved with community and philanthropy. Breath of Hope, Inc. may publish all or part of your essays and your name and the college you will attend utilizing this scholarship.

Scholarship Applications are being accepted now and will be reviewed in April 2009 to be awarded by April 30, 2009 for the 2010 academic school year. Complete packets must be received by Breath of Hope by March 31 in order to be reviewed and awarded on this timeline.

To receive the applications please contact boh@breathofhopeinc.com in the Subject please enter "Scholarships"

Quote...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

GoodSearch for Research

Breath of Hope, Inc. launched its Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness® Campaign in July 2007. Members of Breath of Hope’s support forum, their families and the general public made March 31, 2008 the first Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day™ in thirty-one states. This successful event gave those affected by CDH an arena to share their stories with their communities and speak for those who could not.

The Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia birth defect has been affecting infants since the 18th century. Until the Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness® campaign, no other efforts had been made to educate the general public about the severity of this birth defect. The first time many families became aware of the defect was at an ultrasound appointment.

Awareness brings funding for research and better treatment for the condition and/or birth defect. Take a look at the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and see how it has evolved. Because of the efforts of those affected, everyone sees a pink ribbon and thinks about breast cancer. Through their pink ribbon campaign, many companies now donate a portion of their profits to Breast Cancer Research.

The Turquoise Ribbon represents the Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness® Campaign for Breath of Hope. It is not teal, it isn't pink or blue – it is Turquoise. The symbolism behind that color and stone clearly support these children, families and the health professionals out there who care for them. The Turquoise stone has been around for centuries. Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia has also been around for centuries and has been found in Egyptian Mummies.

Just ten years ago the frequency in pregnancies of CDH was 1-3500 to 5000 and it was considered rare. Today, the frequency is 1-2000 to 2500 – Breath of Hope stands by the 2000 because many of those figures do not include pregnancies that resulted in stillborn, miscarriage or were heartbreakingly interrupted. We consider those babies as part of our statistics, giving a truer reflection of the entire picture.

Breath of Hope encourages research for this devastating birth defect. To assist in furthering research, Breath of Hope will fundraise and donate funds to the medical researchers who need money to continue their efforts. Any donation earmarked for research, will be forwarded to these researchers. The Board of Directors of Breath of Hope, Inc. recently approved the donation of funds to Johns Hopkins where a surgeon is painstakingly researching lung growth. The lungs are the key for these unborn, just born and growing children.

GoodSearch for CDH Research:

• Breath of Hope has established an Endowment Fund for Medical Research of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
  


• Breath of Hope pledges all Funds generated through GoodSearch for Breath of Hope will go to this Fund and then will be redirected to Medical Research.
  


• Any Funds Donated to Breath of Hope earmarked for Research will also be added to this Fund.

One day we hope our awareness efforts will further government funding for research, increase in the survival rate and improve the lives of congenital diaphragmatic hernia families.

We encourage other organizations that support Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia families and research to use the turquoise ribbon as well.

We ask you to join our mission.

To GoodSearch for Breath of Hope - see the bottom of the blog for a GoodSearch GoodShop link to take you directly to the GoodSearch Page. Or go to the page and choose Breath of Hope - Charlottesville, VA - start searching or shopping. You can also check on our progress throughout and see how much will go to funding Medical Research efforts for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia!

If you do Internet Shopping - GoodSearch has many retailers which will donate a percentage of your purchase (at no cost to you) to Breath of Hope and it will in turn fund Medical Research for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.

What Donations Do - Actions Speak Louder Than Words...

© Every Breath They Take Is Our Breath of Hope

The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps -- we must step up the stairs. --Vance Havner

Many non-profit organizations will ask for donations. It is what sustains their existence. Few will tell you exactly what your donation does.

A donation of $10 will provide a grieving family with information to help them through this tragic life-changing event.

A donation of $15 will provide an expectant family with a blanket to wrap their CDH baby in as well as a hand print to keep as a memento of their child's first moments on earth.

A donation of $50 will more than cover one mailing at non-profit bulk rate of our Newsletter.

A donation of $100 will provide a Hospital or Medical Center with our printed materials to share with families.

A donation of $150 will help us provide 1,000 Awareness Ribbons for friends, families and the medical community. Breath of Hope provides these free of charge to everyone.

A donation of $25,000 will go towards our Scholarship Fund for these children to have a college degree, future health professionals to be and any one in the general public that wishes to further their education.

At Breath of Hope....

• We don't use an ad agency
• We don't use a Public Relations Firm
• We don't use a Marketing Firm
• We don't pay Executive or Professional Salaries
• We do our mailings in-house
• We don't rent mailing lists
• We mail at maximum discounted bulk non-profit rates
• We do our graphics in-house
• We are Tax-Exempt in the Commonwealth of Virginia and purchase office supplies without paying sales tax
• To maximize our expenses, we purchase office supplies using coupons, sales and reward certificates and utilize Good Search to get a percent back at the end of the year.
• Prizes are sponsored
• We virtually have no overhead
• Our Accounting is done in-house
• Most work is done by talented volunteers

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM started with Breath of Hope's campaign to have each and every state in the US to Proclaim March 31 as Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness® Day. This year we had 31 States. Governors and local officials all over the United States became aware of CDH. Senator Clinton became aware of CDH. In nine months we accomplished something no other had done before. We will continue to work towards a Perpetual Day that will recognize March 31 as a day to pause, reflect and learn of this birth defect that every week 5 families hear about for the first time. We want to change that fact.

Breath of Hope, Incorporated© 2008

PRESS RELEASE / ANNOUNCEMENT - BREATH OF HOPE RECEIVES GRANT FROM GMAC FINANCIAL

We are pleased to announce that Breath of Hope, Inc. has received a grant from GMAC Financial. This grant is for an Endowment Fund to award scholarships to people attending colleges and universities with an interest in raising awareness, developing treatment options, increasing the survival rates, and giving our children born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia ("CDH") a better quality of life. Scholarships will also be available for survivors of CDH.

Breath of Hope wants to give back to those who further our cause. We want to help them with their education so they will be able to lessen the residual affects that plague families affected by CDH.

Thanks to the generosity of the public, Breath of Hope has generated enough funding to cover our operational expenses for this year. Breath of Hope keeps it's operating expenses to a minimum and by doing so, we have maintained enough funding to set aside and start this fund.
This generous grant from GMAC Financial will further the education of those children born with CDH, as well as people who are interested in increasing awareness, treatment and knowledge of the congenital diaphragmatic hernia birth defect.

Breath of Hope is currently creating a Scholarship Committee that will review the applications and help contact colleges and universities to get the word out that there will be awarded scholarships for the 2009-2010 year.

If you have knowledge of any available grant programs which you would like Breath of Hope to apply for, or if you would like to contribute to this scholarship fund, please contact Elizabeth Doyle-Propst at Elizabeth@breathofhopeinc.com or 888-BOH-CDH0 (888-264-2340).