Show Us Your Support!

Beginning on September 1, 2010, Breath of Hope, Inc will be holding an online auction to raise much needed funds.

We need your support!

We're asking you to participate in one of the following ways...


How You Can Help:

Donate.
We need Auction items to add to our auction. If you have valuable merchandise, rare collectibles, business or personal services or access to unique events, we need your contribution today. Click here to Donate.

Be a Sponsor.
Contact us at breathofhopeinc@biddingforgood.org or 888-264-2340 to take advantage of promotional opportunities for your business or to pledge your individual support.

Tell Your Friends.
Do you know someone who would be interested in supporting our cause? Please share the news of the online auction with your friends so they can be part of the excitement. Refer a Friend to our auction so they can get involved.

Thank you in advance for your continued support! We look forward to your item donation and online bids!

View All Auction Items

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.

August 19 - A Day of Hope...

Many people don't want to talk about an infant that died.  It is sad thing, but for the parents, grandparents and their sisters and brothers they do remember the joy, the hope and the beauty of that child who was theirs.  These are miracles too and no one should be ashamed or embarrassed to talk of these amazing miracles who blessed this world for a short time. 

On August 19 - it is a day of Hope and a day to remember and speak of these amazing angels.

Please feel free to visit here and be proud to display these beautiful photos in honor of these children and their families.

Make Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day 2011 in Your Area!

Every day you live you project congenital diaphragmatic hernia awareness.  Sometimes you do this silently and sometimes very vocally.   You always are aware and you wish all others would be too.

A parent of a child who is surviving this birth defect, your child does something you never thought they would do when they were in the NICU and it brings you to tears.  “I never thought my child would ever color like others”.   You savor every moment and you fear every turn that maybe you will wake from this dream and it will become a nightmare again.

As a parent of an angel who fought valiantly and chose wings, you see signs in the butterflies that land on your nose or the rainbow that suddenly fills the sky when you are at your bluest blue.  Still these babies can make our heart soar.  You savored each moment and treasure your memories.

Both know the real normal is just a setting on the washing machine.  Both were shocked at the news that their infant had this birth defect that when laid out seemed bigger than they would ever be but they both fought like warriors we read of in novels.  That alone makes us pick up and move forward, telling our stories to make others aware.

You tell others to educate them that congenital diaphragmatic hernia happens just as often as spina bifida, cystic fibrosis and congenital muscular dystrophy.  Others have heard of those and know of them but few have still heard of CDH.  Many dismiss it as a “hernia” and ignore the simple fact that still today over all the survival rates are 50%.  You know that 1800 families each year have their child diagnosed just as you did.  You know the fear, helplessness and hope these families go through each and every moment.  You know what they will face.

This is why each year we ask our states and localities to issue a Proclamation for March 31^st to be Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day.  It is a day to celebrate.  It is another day to add to our own children’s birthday or birthday and angel day.  It is a day to have our government officials to acknowledge that this birth defect still needs more education, awareness and more research to improve the survival rates, to lessen the residuals survivors and their families endure.  We need more families to burst into tears when their child jumps for the first time because they once thought they never would.

Each year, more and more people are becoming aware – and it is because of the families who take an hour of their time to sit down, edit a letter and mail it with a sample proclamation and perhaps pictures of their own child.  You then will receive this astounding document an acknowledgment that government works for the people, by the people and for you.  You hold this tangible piece that states you made others aware that may never have been otherwise.  

Please contact us at cdhawareness@breathofhopeinc.com for a sample letter and proclamation, we will be happy to send them to you and ask all you do, is send us a photo or a scan of the document when you receive it!  When at times you have felt powerless in this journey with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, you have the power to do this!

Requesting Funds for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research & It Will Raise Awareness Too!

One of the most amazing people we know, Shannon, has taken on running in the New York City Marathon on November 7, 2010.  Twenty-six miles representing congenital diaphragmatic hernia awareness through the City of New York.  This marathon is the marathon that all want to run.  They say crossing that finish line in Central Park is like no other accomplishment they ever experienced. 

The New York City Marathon also attracts runners from all over the world, media from all over the world and spectators!  Every cent raised by the runners on TEAM GCDH NYC Marathon will go to Dhreams - Diaphragmatic Hernia Research & Exploration.  The runners are doing this for these children, families and to prove something to themselves - that they can reach from within and accomplish this without quiting - after all, these children are not given that choice.

Your donations are tax-deductible and every cent raised helps!   You can donate at the link above for TEAM GCDH NYC Marathon to any runner or any of the organizations and indicate that the funds are to the NYC Marathon for CDH Research!

Shannon - thank you - and all the other runners too!  Global CDH - thank you for this opportunity and may we all help raise some awareness and some funds for congenital diaphragmatic hernia medical research!

July 10th - Zumba for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness!

Thank you Sara (Joey's Mom) for organizing this event!

Quote about Pediatric Medicine...

"These are tiny humans. These are children. They believe in magic, they play pretend, there is fairy dust in their IV bags and they cross their fingers and they make wishes and that makes them more resilient than adults. They recover faster, survive worse. they believe. In Peds, we have miracles and magic and in Peds, anything is possible." ~ Grey's Anatomy

The "Doers" of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up sort again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those colds and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat. - Teddy Roosevelt

This quote reminded me of not only the work we do to help families, we give them hope and follow their stories each different.  As parents we don't always have the answers, we are lost, we stumble and then we also learn.  As an organization we have learned along the way and we keep moving forward.  We have had some great victories with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day and educated many and many more are out there to educate.  It doesn't end with Resolution 204, it will continue until we can have not only the Senate issue a resolution but the House too - and the President sign it - to make March 31 a day we all celebrate that we raise awareness each and every day.

The quote above also reminds me of the health professionals and researchers who are on the front lines trying to overcome this birth defect.  Searching for better treatments, sometimes they are frustrated along the way.  Half of their patients die after fight valiant fights.  If they fail - they fail while daring greatly.  In their failure is also victory.  Each and every CDH case gets us one step forward.

Wishes all Fathers a Happy Father's Day!

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.  ~Mark Twain, "Old Times on the Mississippi" Atlantic Monthly, 1874

Dad, you're someone to look up to no matter how tall I've grown.  ~Author Unknown

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.  Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass."  "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply.  "We're raising boys."  ~Harmon Killebrew

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.  ~Clarence Budington Kelland

Breath of Hope is listed as a "Circle of Care" Donor

From Saint Louis Children's Hospital 2009 Annual Report.  Please view the middle row - Breath of Hope is listed as a "Circle of Care" Donor. 

Breath of Hope is an organization that supports Medical Research which will assist in furthering the care of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.  We are not medical researchers, we are parents who run a very efficient nonprofit organization.  Less than 18% of all revenue is used for Administrative costs.  We continue to help support Medical Research and put funds to work to do this.