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Year FIVE!

Donate Now

Hi Bennett's Buddies!

It's hard to believe this news clip aired almost FOUR years ago! We have come a long way!

Last year, with your generous support, the walk raised over $800K.  I am humbled and grateful to everyone that donated.  Family, friends, collegues, and kind souls I've never even met went above and beyond and helped Bennett's Buddies have another successful year!

For those of you that may not know, Bennett is a medically complex warrior who has navigated through his first four years with more courage, grace, and resiliency than I could ever have.  He truly is a medical miracle. 

To summarize the last four years...

  • We received a diagnosis of situs inversus in utero. His major organs are transposed. (For example, his heart, stomach, and spleen are on his right. His liver and gallbladder are on his left. His left lung has three lobes. His right lung HAD two lobes.)
  • In utero we also received a diagnosis that Bennett had a condition called a CCAM congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation / CPAM congenital pulmonary airway malformation (language used interchangeably). From there, we had bi-weekly ultrasounds to monitor the growth of the masses/cysts on the lung. (If it grows too large or too fast, scary stuff can happen to the baby. We were very very fortunate to have minimal growth through the remainder of my pregnancy.) 
  • Bennett had a complete lobectomy at 4 months old. He has one-half of a right lung.
  • After his lung collapsed post-surgery, his little body couldn't sustain breathing. He was placed on a ventilator in the Pediatric ICU for four of the longest days of my life. He spent a total of 7 days in the PICU.
  • He had a second surgery at 6 months.
  • Bennett spent 3 weeks inpatient in his first 5 months. Dan and I literally moved into the hospital and didn't leave the entire time.
  • Bennett spent five months in a helmet to correct his plagiocephaly.
  • Bennett has hypoplasia of the right cerebellum, meaning his right cerebellum is mildly underdeveloped.  We monitor him for anything that may be attributed to this, such as motor function impairment, seizures, etc.
  • He was diagnosed with a condition called Duane syndrome.  He doesn't have full right eye motion to the left or right. 
  • He recently underwent his third surgery.
  • He will have another surgery in the next few years for something called a 'sprengle deformity' (a rare congenital skeletal abnormality where one shoulder blade sits higher on the back than the other).  
  • Due to his numerous congenital anomalies, he has been seen by genetics, oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, plastics, cardiology, pulmonology, pediatric surgery, endocrinology, cranio-facial, and urology.
    He has had 2 MRIs, 4 CT scans, and at least two dozen xrays.
I have an incredibly special little boy.  He is loving, affectionate, funny, and smart.  He is my everything.

Katie Couric once said, "Sometimes you find your calling, and sometimes your calling finds you." I never in a MILLION years would have thought that our lives would have taken the twists and turns that it did. But here I am, with an unyielding desire to help kids see the future they deserve.

Community fundraising helps UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh provide hope and healing to sick kids and families. Your support can help Children’s Hospital continue to be a leader in pediatric health care – advancing research of childhood conditions and diseases, and developing new and improved therapies.

You can help me reach my fundraising goal by making a donation on my fundraising page.

Thank you for your support as I Walk for Children’s!


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My Personal Web Log

Topics

Donate Now
Bennett's Buddies
Achievements
TeamRaiser Achievement Badge
$1,000 Milestone
Raised $1,000 or more!
Personal Progress:
of Goal
$2,410 Raised
$1,750.00
Fundraising Honor Roll
Tammi Kramer
$200
Jan Bamford
$150
The Weaver Family
$150
Turcovsky Family
$100
Bill & Jo Smith
$100
Meredith Cotis
$100
PNC Foundation- Matching Gifts
$100
Karen Picard
$100
Anonymous
$100
Luanne Carletti
$100
The Alexandrowicz Family
$100
Melody Daniel
$75
Amanda Allen
$50
Kelly Brennan
$50
Brian & Stacey
$50
Beth & Ameet Karambelkar
$50
Diane Morris
$50
Catherine S. Kramer
$50
Jackie Allridge
$50
Margot Stopansky
$50

 
1189244

By Tammi Kramer

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  • About
  • Donations

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Donations for Tammi Kramer

DONORS
Tammi Kramer
$200
Jan Bamford
$150
The Weaver Family
$150
Turcovsky Family
$100
Bill & Jo Smith
$100
Meredith Cotis
$100
PNC Foundation- Matching Gifts
$100
Karen Picard
$100
Anonymous
$100
Luanne Carletti
$100
The Alexandrowicz Family
$100
Melody Daniel
$75
Amanda Allen
$50
Kelly Brennan
$50
Brian & Stacey
$50
Beth & Ameet Karambelkar
$50
Diane Morris
$50
Catherine S. Kramer
$50
Jackie Allridge
$50
Margot Stopansky
$50
Jerry Pasierb
$50
Kara DeCarlo
$50
The Bagiatis Family
$50
Sarah Zlockie
$50
Ranita Roy
$50
Catherine S Kramer
$50
The Littles
$50
Harper Hutchinson
$35
Bonnie Kisty
$25
Janet D.
$25
Chrissy Cox
$25
Rebecca DeFazio
$25
Roxy Hutchinson
$25
Smeltz Family
$25
Barb Wehn
$25
Emily & Luka
$25
Mrs. Tammi Lyn Kramer
$25
Hobaugh
$25
DONORS
Melody Daniel
2 donations
Jackie Allridge
1 donations
Turcovsky Family
1 donations
The Weaver Family
1 donations
Anonymous
1 donations
Diane Morris
1 donations
Jan Bamford
1 donations
Beth & Ameet Karambelkar
1 donations
Chrissy Cox
1 donations
Bonnie Kisty
1 donations
Brian & Stacey
1 donations
The Alexandrowicz Family
1 donations
Karen Picard
1 donations
Kelly Brennan
1 donations
Janet D.
1 donations
Amanda Allen
1 donations
Luanne Carletti
1 donations
Rebecca DeFazio
1 donations
Emily & Luka
1 donations
Barb Wehn
1 donations
The Littles
1 donations
Roxy Hutchinson
1 donations
Catherine S Kramer
1 donations
Ranita Roy
1 donations
Harper Hutchinson
1 donations
Tammi Kramer
1 donations
PNC Foundation- Matching Gifts
1 donations
Sarah Zlockie
1 donations
Smeltz Family
1 donations
The Bagiatis Family
1 donations
Meredith Cotis
1 donations
Kara DeCarlo
1 donations
Jerry Pasierb
1 donations
Mrs. Tammi Lyn Kramer
1 donations
Margot Stopansky
1 donations
Catherine S. Kramer
1 donations
Hobaugh
1 donations
Bill & Jo Smith
1 donations
Goal: $1,750.00
$2,410.00 Raised

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Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation
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4401 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Phone: 412-692-3990
Email: walkforchildrens@chp.edu

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