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Holidays and Heartache

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. A time that was long rooted in family and joy for me is now a time where I try to enjoy the moments while holding my breath.

Connor’s health journey is a wild rollercoaster ride. We are never quite sure when it will jump off the track or how long it will take to get back on once the unraveling begins. Up to this point we have been extremely fortunate to have not spent any major holidays in the hospital. Unfortunately, other families are not so lucky.

The past two years life has taught me many lessons. I personally feel the most important lesson is to share gratitude and give back. Even in the face of medical troubles and adversity, I can still see that our family is extremely blessed. We are surround by the most kind, caring, thoughtful family, friends, and community. When we are down, they pick us up, and when we reach out, they are always there to help in any way possible.

At the moment, one of my biggest fears is Connor’s health declining during the holidays and us having to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas apart from our family. If, Heaven forbid, that does happen we will make the most of it, but I’d be lying if I said that thought didn’t keep me up some nights. Our family and friends would help us ensure that all of our kids felt the magic of the holiday season regardless of how different the celebrations would be from years past. Sadly, not everyone faced with a hospital stay over the holidays can say that though.

This is where the “gratitude” and “give back” comes into play. As most of you know, Jason and I started the Connor Pensack Foundation as a way to raise funds to support Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP); particularly Connor’s doctor’s research on VEO-IBD. Our mission doesn’t stop there though. CHOP runs a variety of fundraisers that they invite patients, families, and community members to take part in. Last year, we held our first Virtual Toy Drive to benefit Child Life at CHOP. This year we are joining in the fun again. The 2023 Virtual Toy Drive will focus on accepting monetary donations that will be used to purchase toys/gifts. Caregivers of patients will then be able to “shop” free of charge in order to provide some holiday cheer for their kids who have to spend the holidays in the hospital. If you are willing and able, please visit Connor’s Virtual Toy Drive page (https://chop.donordrive.com/campaign/Connor-s-Christmas-Toy-Drive-2023) and make a donation. Every little bit helps. If you are unable to donate, please share this page so that it spreads far and wide.

As the holidays approach, I’ll continue to count my blessings and hold my breath. Thank you all for being a part of our journey, for your never-ending support, and for helping us spread a little holiday cheer. We appreciate each and every one of you more than you will ever know!

 


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