Thank you!

The Lincoln Classic was Sunday and I can’t thank everyone enough for making it a success. Thank you Maria and Brian. You’re amazing, and a force to be reckoned with. Unstoppable. Thank you Kerri, Alison, Kristy, Lindsey, Andi, Missie, Bri, Erin, Kelly, Charissa, and everyone else who made the Lincoln Classic possible. For asking businesses for gift cards, for putting together raffle baskets, for sending donations, for taking time out of your day to come play golf and have dinner with us. Thank you John and Brian for doing the public speaking when I couldn’t pull it together to say it myself. Thank you!

We received so much support and love and it’s humbling. The donation amount is not yet final, pending final invoice from the Hamilton Elks (a beautiful golf course, by the way). But it’s safe to say we’re over $8,500! We were told by folks at Children’s that this was not a small event, and it’s not a small amount of money to have raised. We agree! I want to take a moment to tell everyone who participated what you’ve done.

1)  You’ve raised money for the Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Why is this such a big deal? I have a friend who is always saying “Money buys science, and science saves lives.” I believe that wholeheartedly. By giving resources to the folks at CCHMC you allow them to keep poking and pushing at their boundaries, making them question why the boundaries are there and how to get around them. The more they poke, push and question, the better they get at saving babies like Lincoln. And babies like Lincoln need saving.

2)  You reminded Lincoln’s family that we’re not alone. The grief of losing a child is isolating because it’s a pain most can’t relate to. Which is a good thing. We don’t want anyone else to know the kind of pain we know. But it’s lonely. Seeing so much support from friends, family and even folks we’ve never met reminded us we’re not alone in our grief. People are still standing by us, loving Lincoln.

3)  You allowed us the opportunity to continue to parent Lincoln. The thing is, when you lose a child you don’t lose the need to take care of them. That ache in your heart that says you need to watch over your baby and make sure they’re ok? Still there. But you lose the ability to take care of them the way your heart tells you to. It’s an incredibly helpless feeling. Make no mistake. Maria and Brian did the bulk of the work for the Lincoln Classic. But John and I were able to pick up small pieces of the work and it let us feel like we were doing something to take care of Lincoln. We were honoring him and helping people remember him and it took away a piece of that helplessness.

These things are a big deal. Thank you. You’re amazing. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Lincoln Classic!