My journey began late on a Thursday evening, November 20, 1986, during the first severe snowstorm of the Northern NY winter. Soon after I was born via emergency C-Section it was determined that I needed a much higher level of care. By Friday morning, I was in Watertown, NY at the next tier hospital closest to us. By Saturday morning I was at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, as my condition had continued to deteriorate. By Saturday evening, I was diagnosed with Persistent Fetal Circulation, a potentially fatal condition in which the newborn’s circulation changes back to circulation of the fetus, where much of the blood flow bypasses the lungs and makes them unable to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. I arrived at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh early the next morning, as it was the closest facility that offered an experimental treatment that gave me about a 60% chance of survival. Happily, after 3 days on ECMO, I came off it with flying colors. However, it took another 3+ weeks for me to heal from the effects of the ever increasing aggressive therapies administered to keep me alive during my journey. In the end my parents were able to drive back to our small, Northern NY town with a healthy baby girl.  I am now 35 years old and doing just fine. In January 1988, my parents took me back to Children’s to see the doctors and nurses who saved my life. I took my first steps towards Dr. Ann Thompson. (My photo is of this moment).

If you have children, you may somewhat understand what my family experienced and why we have been supporters of Children's for the past 35 years. If you don't have children, please be thankful that there is such an incredible facility as Children's, right in our "back yard".

If you so desire, 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 on June 4th.

Community fundraising helps Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC 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.