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Did You Know?
Janelle Sorensen
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
When I was pregnant with my first child, I went in for a regular prenatal check up and found out that my unborn baby had an irregular heartbeat. I was told to go straight to the hospital, get hooked up to a fetal heart monitor, and have an ultrasound to see if her heart was developing properly. When we arrived, we were immediately hooked up to the heart monitor, but there wasn’t a doctor available to do the ultrasound.
My husband and I sat for three hours listening to the monitor, to our baby’s erratic heartbeat. Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, pause. Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, pause. Those pauses were deafening.
It was the first of many moments of fear, uncertainty, and absolute powerlessness; the feelings every parent experiences when a child is very sick, seriously injured, or emotionally inconsolable. My daughter’s heart ended up healing itself through development. And, thankfully, she and her younger sister have made it through other similar scares that resulted in emergency room visits and nights in the hospital. Every mom has her list of tear-jerking stories. What we learn over time is that life is precious and unpredictable. And, as parents we do everything we can to avoid the unpredictable, to act with caution in order to prevent harm.
Even before that first moment in the hospital, I had begun my journey as a precautionary mommy. Like many parents these days, it started when I first became pregnant and realized that everything I ate, breathed, and drank ended up in my body – the sacred space where my baby was growing. One of the first resources I turned to for help understanding the issues and identifying easy ways to create a safer, healthier environment for my children to grow in was Healthy Child Healthy World.
Back then (almost ten years ago already!), Healthy Child helped inform and empower me to protect my kids. Even more, the story of the Chuda’s, who started the organization after their four year- old daughter passed away from an environmentally caused cancer, inspired me to start spreading the word and to create a healthier world for all children. Now, I’m on the other side, working for the organization I first turned to, doing whatever I can to help parents.
But, guess what? We need your help, too. I know these are tough times, but we are asking for everyone that relies on us to give just a smidge. No amount is too small because when a lot of people give a little bit of money it makes a BIG difference.
We have so many amazing opportunities ahead of us. Between our exciting partnerships and the increasing power of our virtual community of parents and advocates, I believe 2009 is going to be a pivotal year. But if we are to achieve the grand goals we’ve set for next year, we’re going to need your support.
Please understand how vital you are to us. Please donate a little today.
