Help the Child, Help the Mother

TODAY'S THE DAY! I am honored to be working with The United Nations Foundation as a contributor to their month-long Blog Relay - Blogust - as part of their Shot@Life Campaign. Yesterday, the relay baton was held by Liz from This Full House, and today it's my turn. For every comment left on this post, $20 will be donated to the United Nations Foundation and 4 life-saving vaccines will be given to a child in need - $20 per comment up to a maximum of $200,000 to reach 10,000 children . PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND SHARE TO SPREAD THE WORD: COMMENTS HERE ARE WORTH $20 AND ARE SAVING LIVES TODAY!

Throughout my years of blogging, I’ve been inspired by so many people, not just who write their own blogs, but who participate in the conversation through their thoughtful comments.

Each October since 2005, I’ve written about the loss of my son Taylor. Those who have contributed to that conversation have brought peace to my mind and heart, not only at the time they initially commented, but over the years as I’ve reread their words of support. I thank all of you who have contributed to that peace.

Today, it’s our opportunity to share that peace, that support, with mothers around the world.

One thing I remember my doctor telling me when doing his best to explain the circumstances surrounding my son’s death, is, “There’s nothing you did to cause this, and there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it.” That idea has rolled around in my mind for years: as a mom, I did everything I could to save my son’s life, and that idea has brought me a measure of comfort.

My desire has been, for almost 12 years now, to help those who are dealing with the loss a child, whether a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or an infant, toddler, or child death. Earlier this year, I learned that there are areas in the world where the death of children (from easily preventable diseases) is so commonplace that when it happens the mothers of these children don’t even cry.

Did you catch that? The mothers, when their children die, don’t even cry. Because death is a probable, even an expected, part of childhood in their part of the world.

This idea knocks the breath out of me. Those mothers. I want to hold them and tell them it’s okay . . . knowing full well that I don’t know their world, I don’t know their culture. I still have a desire to help them, to do what I can to prevent that loss for them.

Many of the diseases from which so many children pass away are easily preventable with immunizations. You may not have $20 to donate to help, but you have your words. Your comments, today, are worth $20 each -- $20 to donate to the United Nations Foundation to give 4 life-saving vaccines to a child in need.

Life-saving.

With your comment, you’re not only helping the child, you’re helping the mother. Your kind word will help, as my friend Tara’s words have helped me through the years. She made this comment in October, 2007, and I think the words apply to our Mother friends around the world:

Thank you, Tara! Thank you, All! Let's get as many comments as we can today, and we'll help comfort and strengthen mothers around the world. 

Tomorrow, the relay baton shall be passed to the lovely Ana from SpanglishBaby. Don't forget to head over there tomorrow to comment (and therefore donate) more!

Please feel free to share this post on twitter, or facebook, or any other way you feel comfortable doing so. To learn more and join the conversation, you can follow Shot@Life on Twitter, or like Shot@Life on facebook.