Saving Grace: Reports back

[fiona]

I'll start - and apologies for the lengthy post.

What an honor and a privilege it was to attend Saving Grace in D.C. Coming face to face with a group of women I have known only online for the past four years, was both humbling and energizing. If I ever doubted it before, I am now convinced that what we do here is unique and precious. Between our compassion, commitment and sheer determination to inform, educate and support others whose lives are hit with preeclampsia, we are sitting on a powerhouse of potential to make change and impact lives.

I would like to formally thank Leslie, the Chair of our board of directors for the tremendous work she puts in quietly and behind the scenes to keep the wheels of this foundation oiled and moving forward.

I would also like to thank Eleni, Lauren, Tom and everyone else involved in organizing and making Saving Grace a wonderful meeting of minds and emotions. Sitting amongst the medical community devoted to figuring out this disease and making our pregnancies safer filled me with hope and gratitude.

I had not seen the quilts first hand before. They are beautiful. All of those who have honored their children this way are telling the story of preeclampsia in the most immediate and poignant way: thank you. Many thanks to Rosemary for all her hard work. I hope we continue to create this memorial to lives lost and devastated.

Many thanks also to Melissa, for continuing to support the PF with the beautiful jewelry she designs in honor of her sweet daughter, Kelsi.

We held a meeting with all the moderators able to attend, and I am thrilled to say we came up with a number of initiatives to strengthen what we do here on the forum. Expect to hear more about these in the coming weeks – as well as a call for your input and suggestions.

Finally, thank you to every member of this community for your continued participation: you are the Preeclampsia Foundation. And this story is your story.

[bonnie]

I would like to echo Fiona's sentiments. It was an huge honour for me to be able to attend Saving Grace and be in the presence of such brilliant minds.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Leslie, Eleni, Lauren and Tom for making it a night to remember.

Thank you all for everything you do.

[laura]

Hear, Hear! I'm so sorry to have missed it, but all my love and support and warm thoughts were headed that way.

Can't wait to hear how the auction went and if we raised lots of money to keep going in this wonderful direction.

[kara]

I was in no way prepared to attend Saving Grace. You can't be. But I'll never miss another one. A beautiful, emotional, and most importantly, hopeful evening. A weekend where many of us "old friends" got to meet, face to face, for the first time. Surreal. Such limited time that most of us didn't take time to sleep, as we were busy talking, exchanging thoughts and ideas, committing to the future of the Foundation, our mission, and these web boards.

It was an amazing venue, amazing weather, with extraordinary people. Those who planned and made it happen, those who attended, donated time, effort, money to the cause, and those who've devoted a lifetime to research and caring for "us". I left the event truly thankful to be a survivor.

Saving Grace was trult a Night of Hope.

[denise]

Thank you ladies for sharing your SG experiences. I was thinking of you all Saturday evening.

[annegarrett]

There is nothing I can add that hasn't already been said. Thank you all--thank you. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider my moderator suggestions?! SURE? Fiona? :) What a pleasure to meet each of you and to spend not enough time with each of you. Chicago is on the calendar for me already.
Loads of love--hugs--and all the best! We would not be what we are today without you.

[mada]

Chicago??? Are we doing it in Chicago next year??? Holy crap if we are let me know...I can get some stuff ont he burner for silent auction!!!

[aundapenner]

Chicago? REally?!? It could be possible that I could attend ... it's not that far from Cleveland!!!

[meg hanrahan]

The event was amazing and truly moving. I ran out of kleenex by the second speaker. I was at a table with other women, including Pat Etheridge, the one who developed the video that we got as gifts, and who is a friend of Elizabeth Cohen. I was the only survivor at the table and they were eager to hear my story and how I was affected. I don't often share my story, I cry too much, but it was great for others to see how our experience stays with us and becomes a part of us. And regarding the auction - great items! I won the bid for the movie walk-on so I'll be sure to let you know when I make my Big Screen debut (I'll probably end up on the cutting floor but that's okay.) A wonderful evening!!

[catherine]

Meg, I could kill you...... how did we not meet??