Almost the end of July!

It is hard to believe it is the end of July! Where has the time gone?

I need to apologize for not writing yet this month. I knew starting this blog at the time I did would be a little difficult for me, but I'm hoping now I will have more time to write!

What has kept me so busy? You may or may not know but another title I have aside from being a "heart mom" is an "army wife". With my husband going on his first deployment, the past couple of months have been a rollercoaster of emotions. We just recently said our last goodbye which really made me reflect on what the word "freedom" means and how my idea of this has changed. Isn't this how it goes with so many things in life? Situations and circumstances come up that we never thought much about or didn't think would happen to us. I never imagined I would be the spouse of a solider or a heart mom without her child. I'm guessing that many of you, heart parent or not, can look at your life and recognize moments or things that you never thought you would experience. Yet here you are.

Maybe the trouble is that we are raised to think our lives must follow a set path and that any variation of this route means our life is less fulfilled. But I believe the opposite is true. When we are taken off the busyness of the main road, it is then that we see and experience the most real and beautiful things about life. It reminds me of the poem, "Welcome to Holland."

I guess what I've realized is that although I would have never imagined this path or asked for it, my journey through life is turning out to be an incredible experience. And I'm not only okay with it not being the same as others, I love it! Because it is my story, complete with ups and downs, and it is teaching me things about life I never would have known otherwise.

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June updates

Goodness, it has been awhile since I posted! June has been a busy month for Lasting Imprint!

A handful of volunteers put on a garage sale at the beginning of the month to raise money for the organization. Huge thanks to Dana, Nicole, Emily, Jennifer and Jolene! Their hard work brought in over $500!

On June 20th I had the opportunity to speak to our local Kiwanis club. One of my favorite things to do is share the stories behind Lasting Imprint and watch as people are impacted by them. Individuals came up to me afterwards to ask questions and even make donations! We are slowly spreading awareness and building support in our local communities!

This past weekend we had a booth at Heartbeat5000, a 5K walk/run to benefit Children's Hospital of Minneapolis. It turned out to be a perfect morning! It was fun to visit with hospital staff, meet new families, and talk with familiar faces. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say "Hi!"

One of the most exciting pieces of news from this month is that Lasting Imprint has officially received our 501c3 status from the IRS! This paperwork is crucial in applying for grants and receiving donations from large businesses.

We are certainly off to a great start to the summer and we hope you are too! Enjoy your holiday weekend and have a Happy 4th of July!

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So much more than a discussion

This past Monday we had our monthly discussion group here in Mankato. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to these nights! What started as a group of people looking for shared experiences has turned into something so much more. As you talk about what brought you into the CHD world, you share so much more than just a simple story. You share a lot about what has made you the person that you are. It is truly an incredible journey not only getting to know heart families, but seeing how quickly you become part of each other's lives. There is nothing more comforting than to know that you aren't alone. There is nothing more encouraging than being listened to by people that understand.

I am excited to announce that a discussion group will now be held in the Twin Cities! I know many people have been looking forward to it and we are so excited the details have come together. Check in with us on Facebook or visit our website to learn more! These meetings are for ANYONE that wishes to support someone they care about. I promise you will leave encouraged and inspired. We hope to see you there!

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A Giving Spirit

I received an email from a woman the middle of May. She is retired but felt the nudge that she should do some volunteering in her community, she just wasn't sure what. Unexpectedly, a paid position fell into her lap and she knew this part time job was where she was meant to be. She hadn't planned on the extra income so she was writing to tell me she would be sending her first paycheck to Lasting Imprint. Her adult son was born with a congenital heart defect, and she believes the work that we are doing in the hospitals as well as the support to the families means everything.

I was literally blown away and didn't know what to say. What a generous heart! What a giving spirit. We've all heard that one person can make a difference in the world, but we always assume that one person will be somebody else and not us. It's almost as if we think we aren't capable or worthy enough!

Thank you Betsy! Your kindness will make a difference in the lives of many and is a reminder that any gift of the heart can change the world!

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Sharing Stories

I think most people can agree that there are lots of changes that need to happen in the medical community when it comes to congenital heart defects. Pulse ox screening, early detection, and more education for medical professionals, especially in community hospitals. But I think we also know how hard (and expensive!) it can be to bring about such changes, especially in large health care systems. Sometimes the very thought of it all can be overwhelming - can we even make a dent?

During the "Our Community Has Heart!" event, a woman came up to me and introduced herself. She had worked for years as the patient care manager of our hospital's OB floor but is now teaching nursing classes at Rasmussen College. She found out about our event and gave her students extra credit to not only attend, but to give blood as well. How awesome is that?!

She told me that she was just starting to teach her LPN students about congenital heart defects and wondered if I might come speak to them. Of course I agreed, what an opportunity!

A few days later I walked into a class of 20+ students all curious on what I was going to talk about. Now I'm no medical professional, but isn't it incredible how much we as heart parents quickly learn about the medical field? More than we ever wanted to know! I began with sharing Hazel's story, very intimate details that brought tears to my eyes. I ended with the stories of Amayah Thomas and David Tesch (I was given permission by their parents of course) and opened it up for questions.

At first there was silence as people processed all that had been said. Then the questions started. We discussed the signs of CHD to look for. I shared how nurses quickly become like family as they often know more about your child and experience than most. And I stressed how important it is to listen to a mother expressing concerns of something being wrong, even if they can't make sense of it. How many of you were dismissed after voicing an opinion when your gut was telling you something was wrong?

I left that day full of hope. Twenty more people were told about CHD in a way that a textbook could never make real. And I realized that that is how Lasting Imprint is going to make the greatest impact. There are so many things I love about this organization, but it would be nothing without the people. Without your stories. Each of us has a story that is unique and inspiring. And sharing those stories with others is what is going to bring about the awareness and change that we need.

If you know of opportunities where someone could speak to share our message, please let me know! And thank you to each of you for sharing your story with others!

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Welcome!

Welcome to the blog of Lasting Imprint!

Many of you may be familiar with or even attended our first big event “Our Community Has Heart!” held last month. It was a family event to raise money to help in the fight against congenital heart defects. I hope I can speak on behalf of those in attendance when I say that it was an incredible day. Thank you to everyone that came out!

Although part of Lasting Imprint is focused on holding great events like this to bring awareness to our local communities, we are also doing a lot of other things behind the scenes to pursue the many goals we as an organization wish to accomplish. It is my hope that this blog will allow me to share exciting news with you as we work together to leave a Lasting Imprint here in Minnesota!

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