It's been quite a month for our family and I felt it was important to fill everyone in :) This blog isn't as long as usual because there are so many things that have happened or are currently happening but I wanted to give you all the cliff notes version. If you want to read more just click on the links attached and look for a 10 month update soon. Ahhhhhh!!!!
Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraising Event:
On July 19th we had our fundraising event at Buffalo Wild Wings and it was a huge success! There were a lot of people who were able to make it out, eat and see Carter, and 20% of their bill went towards the foundation. We also had information about Spina Bifida to share with people there and t-shirts from our open swim in case anyone was interested in purchasing or donating for a t-shirt. For the entire day we raised $735.00 between people eating and getting shirts and are incredibly thankful to everyone who was able to make it. We may do another in the future but were very happy that we could raise more money for MOTT.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1437289309913673/
NICU Bags to MOTT:
Bags were ordered and Ashley, who was amazing, came up with the idea and helped with all of this; met with me once the bags were in and we stuffed them full of goodies to give to new MOTT NICU families. I wrote personal notes for each new family, loaded them into the car, and took them to MOTT. Altogether we had people donate enough money to purchase 33 bags to give away. Take a look at the pictures to check out how adorable these bags are! Wish I had purchased one for myself when school starts ;).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/462164617296661/?fref=nf
Foundation:
The Carter & Friends Foundation is officially up and running! We received word from the state this week and they approved our application. Carter & Friends Foundation is a working foundation with a board, website, and future event planned. I must say that I am so grateful to Jacob Brown who is a web. designer and incredibly tech savvy. He willingly donated his time and talent to create our website so it looks well put together and professional for people to learn about who we are and what we are doing to raise funds and awareness for Spina Bifida. Without his help there is no way I could make the site look how it looks now. Please check it out to find out what we are doing for SB!!!
http://www.carterandfriends.org
Black Tie Event:
We have our first Carter & Friends Foundation Gala on Friday October 23rd at the University of Michigan Union Ballroom.There will be a walking dinner with a silent auction to help raise money for Spina Bifida Research within C.S. MOTT Children's Hospital. I am THRILLED to announce that we have two keynote speakers; the surgeons that performed Carter's fetal surgery Dr. Treadwell, our MFM doctor who was with us every step of the way, and Dr. Maher, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery on Carter July of 2014 and his shunt surgery December 2014. Invitations are made, stuffed in envelopes and just needs some stamps before they are sent out! If you or anyone you know is interested in attending please contact me and I will send you an invitation.We are also currently contacting businesses to see if they would like to donate anything for the silent auction. We have been pretty successful so far and are hoping that it continues. If you would like to help out in anyway with getting donations please contact me! I will be sure to keep you posted on our progress as the date for the event gets closer.
Meeting with a Michigan Representative:
Last but certainly not least, I am working with other moms of children with SB to get the laws in Michigan changed! Currently, not all doctors offices within the state are aware that fetal surgery is an option or that is is an option in our own state at MOTT! We are working to change that, and have a law made where doctors offices give newly diagnosed parents information to options they have between fetal surgery, surgery post-birth and support groups that they can contact to reach out to families of children with SB, I know that I get the best information from parents who have been there and done that so by sharing that information they can get real life information from people who have lived it and gone through what they are going through. The representative I met with this week was very receptive and said that he would love to work with us moms and get this into the system (hurray!!!!). I am so thankful for him and his willingness to get a law made to help others with the SB diagnosis. This is still a very new process and we don't know how long it will take but step one was finding someone who wanted to support this cause and that step is complete!
Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraising Event:
On July 19th we had our fundraising event at Buffalo Wild Wings and it was a huge success! There were a lot of people who were able to make it out, eat and see Carter, and 20% of their bill went towards the foundation. We also had information about Spina Bifida to share with people there and t-shirts from our open swim in case anyone was interested in purchasing or donating for a t-shirt. For the entire day we raised $735.00 between people eating and getting shirts and are incredibly thankful to everyone who was able to make it. We may do another in the future but were very happy that we could raise more money for MOTT.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1437289309913673/
NICU Bags to MOTT:
Bags were ordered and Ashley, who was amazing, came up with the idea and helped with all of this; met with me once the bags were in and we stuffed them full of goodies to give to new MOTT NICU families. I wrote personal notes for each new family, loaded them into the car, and took them to MOTT. Altogether we had people donate enough money to purchase 33 bags to give away. Take a look at the pictures to check out how adorable these bags are! Wish I had purchased one for myself when school starts ;).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/462164617296661/?fref=nf
Foundation:
The Carter & Friends Foundation is officially up and running! We received word from the state this week and they approved our application. Carter & Friends Foundation is a working foundation with a board, website, and future event planned. I must say that I am so grateful to Jacob Brown who is a web. designer and incredibly tech savvy. He willingly donated his time and talent to create our website so it looks well put together and professional for people to learn about who we are and what we are doing to raise funds and awareness for Spina Bifida. Without his help there is no way I could make the site look how it looks now. Please check it out to find out what we are doing for SB!!!
http://www.carterandfriends.org
Black Tie Event:
We have our first Carter & Friends Foundation Gala on Friday October 23rd at the University of Michigan Union Ballroom.There will be a walking dinner with a silent auction to help raise money for Spina Bifida Research within C.S. MOTT Children's Hospital. I am THRILLED to announce that we have two keynote speakers; the surgeons that performed Carter's fetal surgery Dr. Treadwell, our MFM doctor who was with us every step of the way, and Dr. Maher, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery on Carter July of 2014 and his shunt surgery December 2014. Invitations are made, stuffed in envelopes and just needs some stamps before they are sent out! If you or anyone you know is interested in attending please contact me and I will send you an invitation.We are also currently contacting businesses to see if they would like to donate anything for the silent auction. We have been pretty successful so far and are hoping that it continues. If you would like to help out in anyway with getting donations please contact me! I will be sure to keep you posted on our progress as the date for the event gets closer.
Meeting with a Michigan Representative:
Last but certainly not least, I am working with other moms of children with SB to get the laws in Michigan changed! Currently, not all doctors offices within the state are aware that fetal surgery is an option or that is is an option in our own state at MOTT! We are working to change that, and have a law made where doctors offices give newly diagnosed parents information to options they have between fetal surgery, surgery post-birth and support groups that they can contact to reach out to families of children with SB, I know that I get the best information from parents who have been there and done that so by sharing that information they can get real life information from people who have lived it and gone through what they are going through. The representative I met with this week was very receptive and said that he would love to work with us moms and get this into the system (hurray!!!!). I am so thankful for him and his willingness to get a law made to help others with the SB diagnosis. This is still a very new process and we don't know how long it will take but step one was finding someone who wanted to support this cause and that step is complete!
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