Keeping Hope Strong - Update - Rochester, New York

If anyone is in this area, knows someone that may be in the area of Rochester, New York please consider going to this Event. Despina (Mason's Mommy) has worked extremely hard to make this absolutely fabulous!

www.keepinghopestrong.org

Tickets are only $25 and it WILL BE a wonderful celebration of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness!

Please come join us - 4:00PM till...

JB Quimby's Public House

3529 Winton Rd. South, Rochester NY

585.272.9780

(located in the Win-Jeff Plaza)

Live Auction(7:00pm)
Raffles (all night!)
Live Music
Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

For more information contact Despina Mitchell at: despina@keepinghopestrong.org or 585.703.6088

A Rochester CDH (Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia) & Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong benefit event held by Keeping Hope Strong.

Mother Joins National Effort to Raise Awareness of Daughter's Birth Defect

Today, in Iowa there was an article in The Hawkye paper writen by Shawna Richtner which features one of the Breath of Hope Director's and her beautiful daughter.

http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/CDH_Day_011508

Absolutely Inspiring And Spreading Awareness!

Thank you Shawna Richtner - wonderful article!

JustMeAndE

One of our amazing members who was inspired by her precious son, Elijah sent me this and I had to share.

http://justmeande.weebly.com/index.html

Just beautiful Lyna!

Keeping Hope Strong

On February 9, 2007 there will be a fund raiser in Rochester, New York that will be huge and wonderful. Despina, Mason's Mommy has done an awesome job doing this!

A Rochester CDH (Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia) & Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong benefit event held by Keeping Hope Strong!

http://www.keepinghopestrong.org/

And the most ironic thing about this whole thing - I went to visit the Department Head at the University of Virginia's NICU yesterday and he came from Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong!

What a way to Keep Hope Strong and Promote Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awarness.

Update on Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM Day - The States!

Alabama
Connecticut
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Hampshire
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Wisconsin

Pending - we have heard they will sign soon:

New Jersey
New York
Oregon
South Carolina
Virginia

Cities/Towns that have Proclaimed March 31 as Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day!

Charlotte, North Carolina
Schaumburg, Ill
Cincinnati, Ohio
Huntsville, AL

This is amazing - we started this in September - for those of you who sent in letters and have not heard yet - I encourage you all to contact them and see where it is in the process!

We also still need these states:

Alaska
California
Montana
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Washington
Washington DC
Wyoming

2008 - The Year of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness TM

Those who are fired with an enthusiastic idea and who allow it to take hold and dominate their thoughts find that new worlds open for them. As long as enthusiasm holds out, so will new opportunities. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

The quote above clearly has made many enthusiastic about Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness TM Day and their enthusiasm is contagious. It is so long overdue - CDH needs to be brought to the public forefront. It affects too many families out there, too many infants are born with it, too many die from it and too many have more challenging lives because of it too.

Why - 2008 is the Year of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness TM - one state at a time and in the future one Nation at a time. We can't do it alone but together we can accomplish this massive goal.

Wishing All a Healthy & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas - Breath of Hope and ALL

A Very Merry Christmas to all from Breath of Hope, Inc.

Senator Hillary Clinton ~ Informed of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM & Breath of Hope

This week as I posted, Terri (Ava's Mommy) was able to attend a speech which Senator Hillary Clinton made in Iowa. Terri was able to speak with Senator Clinton for a few moments and told her of Ava, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM Day and that Iowa had issued a Proclamation.

Please note - not political here - this is just about raising Awareness for this birth defect that affects 1 in 2,000 births here in the United States, which translates to almost 5 families every week hearing their child has this birth defect. At the moment of diagnoses - that is usually the FIRST TIME anyone hears of it - Breath of Hope is seeking to change that fact!

And Thank You Senator Clinton and all others out there that have accepted our information, issued Proclamations and are making note that we are making a difference and changing things!

Terri, thank you and your sister and your family for letting you go out and raise Awareness - they are also key in this too!

Breath of Hope, Inc. is a public non-profit organization does not endorse candidates for any office.

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day Proclaimed

The following states have issued Proclamations or are pending to issue them:

Mississippi

Iowa

Pennsylvania

Virginia - pending

Maryland

Nebraska

New Hampshire

Alabama

Georgia

Michigan

Maine

Wisconsin

Indiana

Connecticut

Missouri

Tennessee

Rhode Island

New York - pending

Oregon - pending

This is 19 States of 50! Over 38% and we have - since September - these states have Proclaimed March 31, 2008 as Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM Day! A few have Proclaimed the WHOLE MONTH of March as Congenital Diaphragmatic AwarenessTM Month!

Thank you all who have wrote letters and sent in the sample proclamations! THIS is the action needed to spread Awareness! This gives us a platform to tell our stories and to raise awareness!

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM on A NATIONAL Level!

Yesterday evening one of our Directors, Terri who is in Iowa, went out to see Hillary Clinton speak. This has nothing to do with politics or political affiliations. Terri was thrilled to meet this First Lady and Candidate for President. As anyone would be, this woman has made history.

Terri was able to tell her that her beautiful daughter, Ava, is a survivor of congenital diaphragmatic hernia and that Iowa has signed a Proclamation for March 31, 2008 as Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia AwarenessTM Day. Which Ms. Clinton, replied, "A Proclamation, that is wonderful." Terri also handed her one of Breath of Hope's AwarenessTM Day brochures.

This in itself is spreading awareness - but it can be done by anyone - everyone - from Presidential Candidate to Mayors to the person waiting in line with you doing holiday shopping - can be made aware!

Breast Cancer Awareness did not get as big as it is now - overnight - it takes small steps, one by one to get it to the level it is now!

Breath of Hope, our members, our friends and our volunteers are doing this! One step at a time.