Friends of Prentice
I am honored, humbled and beyond proud to be joining the board of an incredible non-profit, Friends of Prentice. My families history with Prentice is deep and lasting.
Many of you know my personal story, many of you don’t. But Prentice Women’s Hospital has played a crucial role in it since 2017. When our daughter was born and a nurse there noticed that her chest was retracting and breathing seemed difficult. Mere hours later the Prentice NICU were able to tell us she had Laryngomalacia.
It usually goes away over time, but Kenzies didn’t. At 3mos she had throat surgery. Thanks to the team at Prentice we knew where to go, how to help her and could ensure she had the best care. During her recovery at Lurie’s, a doctor discovered her heart murmur, and at 1yo she had open heart surgery.
Another testament to Prentice and Lurie Children’s Hospital. She is doing great now, with nothing but her warrior scar as a reminder of her battle.
In 2019, after a textbook pregnancy our son Spencer was born. He was blue upon arrival and immediately went to the Prentice NICU. He stayed there for 6 weeks, receiving the best care, the best doctors, the best of everything.
At 6weeks old, he lost his battle with multiple rare, non familial, undetected, genetic conditions.
He was 43 days old.
We said goodbye to our son in a room at the Prentice NICU. The only place he ever called home.
The nurses, doctors, staff and everyone at Prentice during that time with us, saved our lives. That statement is as true today as it was when we lost our son. Their dedication to us and our son was immeasurable. The care, attention, understanding, everything they gave us, was so far beyond the standard, it is incomprehensible. I can not imagine going through our time with Spencer and surviving it, without the Prentice team.
In 2020 I again headed to Prentice, this time during a global pandemic, to have our third child. Despite living in the suburbs, I knew Prentice was the only place I would go. Emerson was born, happy and healthy. The only thing I had ever wanted, for all of my kids. The team who had known Spencer, celebrated Emerson with us. They had our backs, again.
To help ensure the people and hospital that mean so much to my family are honored each day, for the rest of my life, I am proud to join this incredible non profit and continue to support Prentice and their research efforts for all women, at Prentice and beyond.
I know I am privileged to have been served by the amazing teams at Prentice in my greatest challenges, and now I am honored to serve them in their needs and help make an impact on their work and impact the lives of women everywhere. Especially in the world today, we need more advocacy, attention, funding and overall awareness of women’s health and the challenges we face. Please check out @Friendsofprentice and their incredible mission.
Spreading the word, sharing on social, and donations are always welcome. I will share my fundraising page once it is created, closer to our annual gala, and I know you will all help us knock the goals out of the park.
For Spencer, for Kenzie, for Emerson and for women everywhere, I hope we can be an example of incredible work that can be done when friends come together.
#friendsofprentice #nmbetter