

Josie's Stocking Fundraiser for AHF
This Giving
Tuesday and during the Christmas season we are raising money for The Allo Hope
Foundation. Many of you joined us last year in filling Josie’s stocking through
these donations and it was so meaningful to see her stocking full of cards from
the people who love her on Christmas morning. I have been looking forward to
doing this again all year. It helps us honor Josie and it helps save other
babies’ lives. Please join us in sharing HOPE with those who need it most by
contributing to Josie’s Fundraiser. If you would like to hear more about our
story, keep reading, if you’d like to see how to make a donation and where your
funds go, skip to the end! Each donation made, no matter how small, puts a card
into Josie’s stocking!
Our Story
Our daughter
Josie Anne died from untreated HDFN as a result of missed prevention followed
by a missed diagnosis. With proper care she might have lived. Josie would have
been a year and a half old, celebrating her second Christmas with us this year.
The Allo Hope
Foundation has been our biggest support since Josie died. They have walked with
us through our darkest days, joined us in honoring Josie’s first birthday with
our biggest and most special blood drive yet, shared Josie’s story to medical
professionals around the globe to prevent losses like hers from happening to
other families, and they helped us navigate the complications we faced in our
next pregnancy with Noah.
Noah is one of
so many babies whose life was saved as a direct impact of the work the Allo
Hope Foundation does. They connected us with the best medical experts and gave
us a complete roadmap for how to ensure Noah received the right care from
preconception to pediatric care. My pregnancy with Noah required 8 surgeries (4
of which were fetal blood transfusions), 21 IVIG infusions, 6 rounds of
plasmapheresis, I spent the 3rd trimester admitted to the hospital under
continuous monitoring before finally welcoming our miracle a month early! But
our journey didn’t stop there. We then spent 2 weeks in the NICU. Noah received
a round of IVIG at 12 hours old, 7 days of intensive phototherapy, and has
since received 3 more blood transfusions. At 4 months old he finally had his
blood counts rise on their own for 2 blood draws in a row (a sign that we are
now able to put his HDFN journey behind us forever).
Alloimmunization
(mom’s condition) is largely preventable and HDFN (baby’s condition) is very
treatable with great outcomes, even if some of the more severe pregnancies like
ours take a lot of intervention. But these babies can only be saved if patients
and providers are aware of the right care and monitor/treat in time. This is
where the Allo Hope Foundation has been crucial. AHF has helped entire
countries make leaps and bounds of progress in a very short amount of time.
Just this month (Nov 2024) specialists from all over the US came together to
create Consensus Guidelines for the management of this condition. This is
monumental for care in America!! The Allo Hope Foundation was instrumental in
making this happen and advocating for the right guidelines.
Where your
money goes:
Your donation
will be used to provide access to prevention and care for alloimmunization and
HDFN worldwide. This year’s fundraiser will focus on supporting underserved
patients and proceeds will go towards providing support, resources and
education to patients in both the United States and around the world.
Donors to
Josie’s Stocking will have their name written on a card and placed inside her
stocking on Christmas Eve, so that it can be full this Christmas alongside
Noah’s stocking. If you would like to add an optional message for the card in
Josie’s stocking, please use the “words of support” option when donating
through Facebook or the “make a tribute gift” when donating through
Flipcause.
Where does your
hope go? Last year’s stocking funds were used to support the following
initiatives and provide lifesaving resources to those who need it most:
1. Rhesus
Solution Initiative (RSI): Organization that supports awareness and
administration of Rh Immunoglobulin for Rh-negative pregnant women to help
prevent HDFN in Nigeria.
2. ICT
Testing: Funded accurate antibody screening for 19 women in Kenya, necessary
for diagnosis.
3. Rh
Immunoglobulin Doses in Kenya: Provided 5 doses of Rh Immunoglobulin monthly to
Rh-negative pregnant women, helping provide access to a medication that is
otherwise often unattainable due to cost.
4. Saving
Njeri: Assisted in relocating a mother to Ethiopia for life-saving treatment,
resulting in the successful birth of her daughter, Njeri. Quote from Essie,
Njeri’s Mother: “I want to take this chance to thank the Allo Hope Foundation
for the way they walked with me throughout my pregnancy and even after
delivery. If not for their support both financially and emotionally I don't
think my baby would be alive. My baby girl is now one year old and very
healthy, I will forever be grateful to God that I met this group after having 2
stillbirths my hope was restored. My heart is full of gratitude.”
5. Collaboration
with the O Negative Foundation: Contributed to a network of O-Negative blood
donors in Kenya, improving access to emergency blood donations for IUTs
and post birth transfusions
Thank you so
much for your generous gift. We hope you have a beautiful and hopeful holiday
season.
