“Too many women around the world do not have access to essential maternity care, and more than 800 women a day die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Almost all global maternal deaths are preventable.” –…
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Dear Welly First Aide, I’m a blogger who writes about my family’s day- to- day life with medical complexities. I recently wrote a post titled “The Botched Blood Draw Part One” that led me…
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“Go run out the stress from that blood draw,” Maggie says to me from the couch as I adjust my ponytail, position an ear bud snuggly in one ear and step out the back…
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“I will make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life.” -Elsie de Wolfe My Nora is asleep. Finally, after six days of treatment in this hospital bed – IV antibiotics, oxygen…
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To the woman who did two U turns to pull over and ask me, “Are you okay?” when you saw me sobbing, doubled over, hands on my knees, staring at my red running shoes…
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My dear friends, One year ago, when I re-launched and re-organized this web space, I quite honestly had no idea what I was doing or why. All I knew was that I wanted to…
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I follow the respiratory therapist to the door of my 4-year-old daughter’s hospital room. The therapist stops at the door, near the waist-high grey trash can, and tugs at the paper yellow gown that…
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This post is dedicated to my Papa, Dr. James Costanza (November 26, 1935 — October 9, 2015) My arms are glowing. There is glitter everywhere. Glimmers of gold dust sparkle from my wrists to my…
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I stop running as I reach the end of the sidewalk, where the concrete meets the asphalt, under a large bright red STOP sign. I walk in tight circles, with my hands on my…
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It’s 5:00 PM, I open the duel panels to the refrigerator, glancing at one side and then the other. I crouch down to the lowest shelf and see what I’m looking for– a long…
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I walk through the open sliding glass doors – leaving Children’s Hospital. Tyler moves ahead of me with all of the gear we need to make it through a lengthy post-hospitalization pulmonary appointment: our…
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In our office there’s an old wooden desk facing the window. The desk is tall, airy, with a deep surface and enough room to pile books, accommodate a large succulent and a computer. It‘s…