BENEFITING: Americans for UNFPA, Inc.
EVENT DATE: Oct 08, 2010
DEADLINE TO GIVE: Oct 31, 2010


HERE'S THE STORY:

For nearly a year, my life has been consumed by two passions: my job and my blog. The former, as a midwife, and the latter, as an undying fan of The Ellen Degeneres Show.

Nine months ago, on the eve of my 29th birthday and after many failed attempts at securing audience tickets through Ellen's website, I decided to embark on an alternate journey, titled 365 Days of Dear Ellen. Every day since then I have written to Ellen via my Wordpress blog with the goal of being granted tickets to see her show on my 30th birthday, this coming October 8th.

It has occurred to me that this endeavor is an entirely selfish one; it only seems right, should I actually accomplish this writing feat and spend my 30th birthday with Ellen, that I give something back. This is where my passion for my career as a midwife comes in.

I've devoted my life to caring for women, infants, and their families, and it just so happens that my birthday falls during National Midwifery Week, the first week in October. Across the globe, a huge injustice exists: every day, women and their newborns die or suffer life-altering complications from childbirth that are almost always preventable. In an instant, the most joyful time in a woman's life becomes an unthinkable and unnecessary tragedy. The resources that allow for safe childbirth are not costly nor insurmountable. A little goes a long way.

I have decided to raise money for a wonderful cause, the United Nations Population Fund. Through this organization, $50 can provide prenatal care for 10 women; $55 pays for treatment to help prevent the transmission of HIV from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth; $60 pays for one cesarean section in an emergent situation. This is only a sliver of the work that the UNPF strives to do.

I'm driving across the country, with or without Ellen tickets in hand; I'll take my chances :) The drive from New Haven, CT to Ellen's studio in Burbank, CA is 2,859 miles. A donation of $1 sponsors one mile of this trip. Twenty dollars would get me from New Haven west to Bridgeport, CT...and so on. My goal is to raise $3000 for the UNPF: one dollar for each mile to Ellen's doorstep. Though, most importantly, with the hope to promote National Midwifery Week, advocate for midwives in the U.S., and raise awareness of the contemptible childbearing conditions in impoverished countries around the world.

Please support me, but mostly, please support Mothers. Thanks!