A Special Night

Every year, I have to put together an event that takes place over the course of 3 days and we have vendors fly in from all over the country to present to the group. So I have to sit in 2 full days of meetings- yuck! However, our meeting days are split by a day of fun where dealers and vendors will play golf, go fishing, or take a tour- while I get to go to the outlet malls (did I mention we have done this event for the past 3 years in St. Augustine?) Yet, somehow, the highlight of my day isn't the shopping, its later that evening when we have a CMN (Children's Miracle Network) dinner to help raise money for the local hospitals. The dinner is always fun and we nave a miracle family come and share their story- it really puts things into perspective when you hear what other families have to go through and especially kids!! I am reminded a good reminder when I think about how blessed we have been to have a healthy baby and that there are families going through things that are so much harder than my child waking up at night and wanting to play for and hour and a half or when she is cranky because she hasn't slept good....I feel so ungrateful when I hear about what other people have went through. I think it is good for everyone to get a reminder of how even the worst part of what we are going through hits us- other people still have it harder. Which is why I would like to introduce you to Elijah :)

Elijah, was diagnosed with LUTO (Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction) at 13 weeks gestation in 2005. They discovered this problem when Georgi (his mom) had an ultrasound and they saw that his bladder was bigger than his entire body. Most babies drink the amniotic fluid and pee it out and the cycle continues. Elijah however was drinking it, but not peeing it back out- the pictures she had to show us were amazing. Elijah was blessed to have life saving fetal surgery at 16 weeks gestation. When I say surgery- I mean they went inside the womb and performed surgery at 16 WEEKS gestation- technology is truly unbelievable and Georgi was awake the entire time watching it on the screen. I am sure she was holding her breath. Anyone who has been through a pregnancy understands the magnitude of someone being able to perform surgery on a fetus at 16 weeks! Today, Elijah is doing quite well despite facing kidney conditions and Prune Belly Syndrome. Prune Belly Syndrome affects 1 in 40,000 births and is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life- but his mom reiterated that despite all of these difficulties he has remained a normal little boy who is very loving and a true miracle!

****note- for those of you who run- the Fetal Hope Foundation will be hosting a 5K this October (at Jax Beach) and Georgi is in charge- She and I would both LOVE for you to come out and support this event. This foundation helped raise the funds to discover the technology needed to perform the surgery on Elijah.

Elijah, his mom and grandmother came to our dinner and while many of these children's stories do not have as happy endings- Elijah's does (he doesn't want to be called Eli- he let me know this right away!) He and Ava made fast friends and I think he encouraged her to take her first steps (3 of them). I will also use this time to put in a plug for CMN- they are a great foundation and do a lot for families and kids who are in the hospital or receiving medical treatment- they really try to think about the little things families need while still providing funds for medical equipment that help out the hospitals who would normally not be able to afford the equipment due to budget constraints. I hope the next time you see the CMN balloons or someone asks you to donate to CMN you think twice before you pass up the opportunity to help a family like Elijah's.

www.cmnjax.com