April is a big month. Lots of causes and events that are close to my heart, including Anniversaries and angel babies.
Light it up blue for autism awareness!
April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. I have many friends who are personally touched by Autism, and I want them to know they have my support. They have really opened my eyes. I see how amazing they are with their children, and their kids are truly inspiring to me! Children are so resilient, and many of those with Autism have exceptional intelligence and abilities. They can excel and go far in life. The sky is the limit. I commend my friends for being such awesome parents, and I am in awe by their children’s strides.
In the US, 1 in 88 children are on the autism spectrum. It is a a challenge every single day for the child and the parents. Not only that, but most people don’t recognize or understand the struggles of people living with Autism. Outsiders look upon them in judgment and ridicule, at times. No child deserves that. If more people create awareness, there could be increased development in effective treatments, as well as better understanding and compassion for the child/individual and parents involved. Find out more at AutismSpeaks.org.
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April 21-27 is National Infertility Awareness Week! Personally affected by infertility, this is a cause that I feel passionate about. For a condition that affects 1 in every 8 couples, there are still a lot of unknowns, stigma, ignorance, and insensitivity. Not to mention, most couples are left without financial means or insurance coverage to treat infertility.
Millions of men and women are struggling everyday with loss, heartache, confusion, lack of compassion, and serious debt for medical conditions that can be treated. There is no cure, but there is hope. Just like any other cause, disorder, or disease – we want to create awareness, provide education, and seek better options to end people’s suffering – or at least help them cope.
In my case, technically there was only minimal medical intervention needed, but it took us many years, several losses, and thousands of dollars to find the true cause and underlying issues. Infertility is so complicated, but it doesn’t have to be THAT complicated and difficult. To make things worse, we dealt with road blocks, financial problems, and lack of support and understanding from medical professionals, employers, insurance companies, and everyday people who knew nothing of infertility.
This problem is not going away. And we will not be ignored.
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Speaking of infertility awareness, I’ll never forget our struggles to get where we are today. April 12th is our 11 year Anniversary (and 5 year Wedding Anniversary)! We are so lucky to have each other. But it’s also our “TTC Anniversary” month. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant, this would mark our 6 year TTC Anniversary (but I count the last 4 years the most, since we were trying the hardest then). Every passing year, I wondered if it would ever happen for us. And it’s something you live with everyday. My thoughts and my heart go out to those still waiting. I definitely understand the pain and uncertainty of facing that type of Anniversary – or facing each day – period.
I’ll always keep my other babies in my heart. I had 2 early losses in April – in 2010 and 2012. One of my other angel babies was due in April 2012 right around our anniversary. RIP my sweet angels. As you can see, April is a bittersweet month for me. It’s important that I remember where I came from and what I went through, without letting it overshadow my future. This is why I feel even more blessed and appreciative to have something wonderful to celebrate now. I never truly imagined I would get here. But there is always hope!
I will do my regular weekly update for more info later today or tomorrow. 
