Helpful Resources

Throughout the year I often get emails from heart parents about different resources they have found helpful or situations where they've learned something that may be good for others to know.  I would like to share a couple of these items with you today!

1.  "Heart of the Matter" is a documentary produced by the Children's Heart Foundation that takes an in depth look at CHD.  To learn more please visit www.congenitalheartdocumentary.com

2.  "Heart Warriors" a book written by Amanda Rose Adams, a CHD parent, is an honest and very personal narrative about the fight against congenital heart disease.  You can learn more about her story here.

3.  One of the realities of CHD is that parents and children have to cope with a diagnosis no one ever wanted to receive.  The life you live becomes much different than the one you imagined, and while many can find the blessings within this journey, there are also a lot of emotions that may be challenging for families.  "Coping with Childhood Chronic Illness" was recommended to me as a resource that is very informative and validating for parents.

4.  Tip from a heart mom if you are flying somewhere:
Most airlines do not provide oxygen on board anymore (Delta) as they used to so watch for extra paperwork, allow more time and budget for rental of equipment.  Virgin and British Airways both provide oxygen free of charge.

If you have tips for others that you'd like me to share, please feel free to email me at angela.heidelberger@lastingimprint.org! 

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Enjoying Summer

Wow, where has the time gone? I can't believe it is July already!

It is amazing how the summer months fill up so quickly. There are many days I wish I had more time to see the people I always talk about making plans with, especially when it comes to our Lasting Imprint families! I know life gets busy for all of us but I would like to invite you to some special events coming up. This month we have discussion groups happening in Mankato and Eden Prairie, a picnic in Alexandria, and a zoo outing in Sioux Falls. In August we are hosting the annual Twin Cities picnic at Crystal Beach Park in Burnsville! Check out their website here. We are renting the park for the whole day so feel free to come out to eat, swim and relax with us!

Gatherings like these are great opportunities for parents and children to connect!  In fact, they are one of the things most requested by our heart families. The Lasting Imprint staff and I look forward to enjoying this summer with you!

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Two weeks and counting!

I seriously cannot believe we are only two weeks away from "Our Community has Heart! 2012"! We are so excited to have new activities at this year's event including a 5K run and balloon artist for the kids. Our goal of reaching 300 registrants has almost been met! As of the time of this post, 288 people plan to attend! We are well on our way to reaching $20,000 also. It's not too late, encourage friends and family to register by April 25th to take advantage of the early registration fee! You can visit the event site here. Huge thanks to our official event sponsor, Downs Food Group! We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

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They're Here!

Last year the staff of Lasting Imprint decided we wanted to purchase (on our own) jackets with the LI logo on them to wear to our events. After opening up the opportunity to any Lasting Imprint supporters, the order was finally placed and the jackets are in! Professional and eye-catching, we couldn't be happier with how they turned out!



I have already received requests from people wanting to get in on the next order! The cost is $41 per jacket, men's and women's sizes are available. Email me at angela.heidelberger@lastingimprint.org if you are interested in getting one for yourself!

In other news, we received word from a local foundation that we have been awarded a $3,000 grant to help with the cost of our CHD Family Kits! Awesome job to our grant writer Carrie Meyer and many thanks to the HickoryTech Foundation!

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2012

Is it really the middle of February already? This year is flying by and boy, are things off to a great start for Lasting Imprint!

A quick update for our readers:

*We have two new board members! Dr. Tawnda Andrews is a chiropractor with a special interest in pregnancy care and will be a huge asset in building and strengthening the support of Lasting Imprint here in Mankato. Jill Beithon is manager of ultrasound services and will be an incredible resource in our efforts to make a difference with early detection. We are excited to welcome you to Lasting Imprint and are grateful for your willingness to contribute to our cause!

*We have added another regional coordinator! Amy Smith, heart mom and now staff volunteer, will be serving families in the Sioux Falls area. We are excited to have her passion and drive be a part of the Lasting Imprint team!

*This year for CHD Awareness Week (Feb.7-14) we sponsored two events for our heart families. We had great turn outs at both and a lot of fun as well! Below is a picture from our Mankato event thanks to ID Photography. (Can you believe we received over 25 proclamations this year from cities and states declaring CHD Awareness Week? Amazing!)


I look forward to posting more often as we draw closer to our big events, see advances in pulse ox screening and early detection, and anything else that comes up along the way. We may even have a guest blogger starting come March so stay tuned for that!

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You just never know

Yesterday, thanks to family, I was treated to a girl's day which included a trip to Liv Aveda for a facial. This is a once a year treat (if that!) so I was excited to relax and be pampered.

As the woman began she asked me about my pregnancy and if this was my first baby. I said no, it was not my first. "Oh, do you have a little one at home?"

Such tough questions for anyone who has lost a child. Having also lost a second child through miscarriage after Hazel, I never know how much to say and yet I can't help but acknowledge my children.

She could tell from my pause that something was wrong. I answered "I have two children in heaven" and she replied "me too." The conversation then turned to if I work and what I do. I mentioned my job at the bank and that I am also the executive director of a nonprofit organization. Little was said after that as she dimmed the lights and I closed my eyes.

When the facial was over she came back into the room and asked if I had any information I could give her. Apparently the business likes to choose a nonprofit to raise awareness for each month and they raise money by letting the employees wear jeans and the color of the cause. I handed her a business card and immediately she asked, "Does this have to do with hearts?" I replied yes and she went on, "I know a little boy who is five years old and has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. I don't know if you know what that is but he has had four open heart surgeries, has a pacemaker, and is looking to receive a heart transplant this next year."

I looked at her stunned. "Yes, I know what HLHS is, that is what my daughter died from. Most people have never heard of a congenital heart defect and you know what HLHS is? Incredible!"

I'm hoping they do choose Lasting Imprint as their nonprofit some month in the future, but the biggest thing I took away from that meeting was that you just never know who has or who will be affected by CHD...

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Shout Out!

In the spirit of the holiday, Lasting Imprint has much to be thankful for! I wanted to take a moment to give a shout out to some awesome people and companies!

THANK YOU to Carrie Meyer our grant writer who received word that our grant application to Coughlan Companies (Capstone Press) has been approved! This grant means we will receive over 1,000 books for our CHD Family Kits! Enough to keep us supplied for one year!

THANK YOU to Ryan Roles who helped me get paperwork to TCF Bank for their community giving program. Lasting Imprint has received a $500 grant from this local foundation!

THANK YOU to Andrews Family Chiropractic in Mankato! Dr. Andrews informed me that after hearing my presentation at a Kiwanis meeting, his office has decided to make Lasting Imprint the nonprofit organization they raise money for in 2012! We look forward to working with you!

THANK YOU to everyone that submitted a paragraph for the KARE 11 contest held this month in honor of Veteran's Day! Sarah Sohre's entry was selected and Lasting Imprint will be receiving $1,100!

THANK YOU to our board members, volunteer staff, and event volunteers for making this organization so amazing! Your dedication has allowed us to accomplish great things this year. We couldn't have a better team!

THANK YOU to our heart families that participate in events, communicate your needs, and inspire us to keep fighting. It has been so wonderful getting to know you and your stories!

Lasting Imprint cannot say thank you enough for all the support and encouragement we have received this year. We wish you all a safe and blessed holiday season!

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