Scranton Times Volunteer Week

My blurb made it into the paper to Support the March of Dimes. 

Each year on October 11, I receive two phone calls. Both expressing love and saying, “I remember.” A very simple statement, yet it always made quite an impact on me. Remembering Aria’s birthday, which was twenty weeks too soon, is not easy for most people. My beautiful daughter was too small to open her eyes and too small to cry, but she had a strong heart and she blessed my life for two hours. Unlike some moms, I had the opportunity to say hello, and then goodbye.

Sadly in 2011, my aunt died unexpectantly from complications associated with lupus. Within a few months, my mom also died, from lung cancer. The two people who were not afraid to remember Aria, are gone. Now more than ever I realized that keeping my daughter’s memory alive is very important to me. Similarly, I wanted to celebrate the lives of my three NICU graduates, Cole, Athena and Alexa. All of my pregnancies had complications, which resulted in premature birth, despite up to date medical interventions. With this in mind, I started a March of Dimes family team; Team Wendo: In Memory of Aria. The March of Dimes embodies everything that is important to me. By volunteering and raising money for the March of Dimes I am helping a mom stay pregnant longer; I am helping a baby’s lungs develop quicker for a better chance of survival; I am giving support to families with babies in the NICU. Knowing that I can help one baby, one mother and one family makes volunteering a worthwhile experience.