Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

MiracleMoms

Believe in Miracles

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A few weeks ago, I shared The Story of Ryder, and let you all know that I had joined MiracleMoms – a group of influential, passionate, and motivated women eager to tell the stories of families who use, or have used the services of the Children’s Miracle Network or Children’s Miracle Hospitals.

Then, I introduced you to Madison – the sweet, special little girl treated at Sick Kids.

Today, I am once again asking you to help me raise $500.00 for the MiracleMoms Program for The Hospital for Sick Children. I am asking my readers to help me, to join my team, to help me raise $500.00 by following the link to my personal #MiracleMoms Donation Page and making a donation now.

All contributions will benefit Sick Kids Foundation through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Donations of $20 or more will receive tax receipt.

Thank you so much to everyone who donates, shares this page, or helps spread the word about Children’s Miracle Network. You are all totally awesome.

I am part of the MiracleMoms program and receive compensation for my participation in this program. All thoughts and opinions reflected in this post are my own.

And THAT’s Where Your Donation Goes.

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I know you know this: I’ve joined #MiracleMoms to help raise funds for the Hospital for Sick Children.

(Think I don’t have a personal connection to the cause? Read The Story of Ryder.)

I’m often asked where fundraising dollars go. To tell the truth, I don’t have the entire answer. But I can share this video with you – hopefully, it will clear up any questions… and touch your heart.

Today, I am asking my readers to help me, to join my team, to help me raise $500.00 by following the link to my personal #MiracleMoms Donation Page and making a donation now.

All contributions will benefit Sick Kids Foundation through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Donations of $20 or more will receive tax receipt.

Thank you so much to everyone who donates, shares this page, or helps spread the word about Children’s Miracle Network.

I am part of the MiracleMoms program and receive compensation for my participation in this program. All thoughts and opinions reflected in this post are my own.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

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I used to believe that miracles were the work of a divine authority; that prayer, sacrifice and perseverance would somehow set in motion an event contrary to the laws of nature.

And while I still believe in divine intervention, I also believe that miracles can be manufactured by people just like you and me.  I believe in that certain individuals – namely, the doctors at The Hospital For Sick Children – have the skill, knowledge and passion to give hope, ignite faith, and change lives.

A few weeks ago, I shared The Story of Ryder, and let you all know that I had joined MiracleMoms – a group of influential, passionate, and motivated women eager to tell the stories of families who use, or have used the services of the Children’s Miracle Network or Children’s Miracle Hospitals. Since our local Children’s Miracle Hospital happens to be SickKids, I thought the program would be a splendid fit.

Today, I want to introduce you to Madison – the sweet, special little girl picture right. In May 2005, Madison was on a walk with her kindergarten class when she passed out and was taken to hospital. She returned home for the weekend, but was brought to her paediatrician for tests and x-rays the following Monday and Tuesday. The x-ray revealed that Madison’s heart was enlarged so she was transferred to The Hospital for Sick Children.

There her family received the devastating news that Madison was battling a terminal disease called pulmonary hypertension. In this condition, there is increased pressure in the pulmonary artery which connects the right side of the heart to the lungs. The increased pressure makes the right side of the heart get bigger because it’s working harder to pump the blood which can lead to heart failure. Doctors estimated her lifespan would be three to five years with the possibility of a future heart or lung transplant….

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The Story of Ryder

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It is 9:13am on Friday morning. The boys are enjoying a late breakfast of Cheerios and a sliced banana, and I am typing away from my kitchen office.

(Yes, I have a kitchen office. Where else do “working moms” handle their biz?)

The sun is shining through an open window; the sound of giggling and Treehouse in the background. And I am wondering why – after four long years – I am finally ready to tell the story of Ryder’s birth.

Perhaps it’s to reach out to fellow “Androids”. Perhaps it’s because my sweet little boy will be 4 years old in less than two weeks. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because of a video I watched this morning, which included three key phrases:

Pediatric Neurosurgeon.
Sick Kids Hospital.
Miracle Story.

And it is undoubtedly the way I felt in November 2008 when I left the neurosurgeon’s office for the final time, with a spring in my step and a profound wish to never see the hospital again, that I am riddled with equal doses of guilt and thankfulness Ryder is one of the “lucky” ones. Because not every parent exits Sick Kids with a spring in their step; and certainly they do not have the option of “never again”.

The Story Of Ryder

It is shortly after 11:00pm on Thursday, May 8th and I am experiencing tummy cramps that ebb and flow. Our little baby is not due for another three weeks, so I am confused as to why the cramps are taking on a predictable pattern – every 10 minutes or so – with equally predictable intensity. I decide to call Telehealth Ontario, my go-to resource for everything from a paper cut to a raging migraine. After I explain the symptoms and how far along in the pregnancy I am, the nurse (who to this day I picture to look like Aunt Jemima) chuckles and says, “You’re in labour, honey!”…

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