The year 2022 was a year of many things for me. As many of you may know, after an otherwise healthy pregnancy, I developed HELLP syndrome and on my own birthday, delivered our son Henry George at 28 weeks + 5 days. Becoming a mom to a preemie warrior was nothing like I ever imagined…It was challenging emotionally, physically and mentally.

And while these moments are important chapters to our journey, it is only a chapter. A chapter that helped me grow in ways that I could never have imagined. It’s redefined my outlook on life…like celebrating every tiny milestone, appreciating the small things, and accepting the journey that I am on. I truly trust the process.

I also LOVE being a mom and there is nothing more magical than a smile or giggle from a tiny human. 

This experience has me love and appreciate every moment and every person in an unsurmountable way. I am still in awe with the amount of support we have received by every single person in our circle (yes, you!). 

We also were so grateful to receive support from Ronald McDonald House Charities. While Henry was in the NICU for 51 days, we stayed at the Ronald McDonald house of providence so we could stay close to Henry. So close, that we could see his window from our bed at RMHC. 

Which is why I’ve decided that on October 8th, I will be representing Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) at the 2023 Chicago Marathon! As a member of Team RMHC, I will be training, fundraising and ultimately running 26.2 miles to help keep families together.

When we showed up with our suitcases at the RMH in Providence, RI, we were scared. We didn’t know what the upcoming days would look like, we didn’t know how long we would be there, or how life in the NICU worked. RMH welcomed us with loving arms and made us feel at home, and more importantly we were reassured that things would be okay. At the time, that’s all we needed to hear. 

In our room was a generous gift donated by families with handmade blankets, toys for Henry and prayer beads.  Our room was spacious, immaculate, and cozy, serving as a place to stay (and a place for me to work) all while being a 2 minute walk from Henry's room. The wonderful volunteers of RMH cooked us dinner nightly and always greeted us with warmth and love. We even got to meet many therapy dogs!   

The RMHC helps millions of families each year do the same. They offer families the space to focus on the needs of their sick child, allowing them the ability to spend more time with their child and not have to think about the day to day tasks. 

It costs approximately $100 to give a family one night of comfort and support.  Your donation, of any amount, will not only help me achieve my goal, but will help children stay close to their families when they need it most, just like RMH did for Greg and I for 51 nights during the summer of 2022. 

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Join the 51 club! In honor of our 51 night stay at RMH Providence, donate in a denomination of 51 and you will be added to a private shared album with pictures, videos and updates of Henry and I during training!

(ex: $00.51, $51.51, $75.51, $100.51…. ).