Media Contacts

[Jean Lewis]

This is my first post to the web site so bare with me on probably posting to the wrong area but I wanted all volunteers to know this information.

I recently spoke to my cousin who is a retired newspaper editor. She told me the best way to get the CDH awareness out to newspapers is to find out by name who the Medical or Health reporters are for all of the newspapers in each state. Then contact them by phone/letter to find out if they would like to report a story on CDH awareness. Sometimes they prefer personal stories along with the statistics on CDH. When you contact smaller newspapers, just ask for whoever does medical or health stories. Sometimes it is put in the community news.

I also talk to people that I see daily and/or know in our small town along with the churches. One of the ladies groups at a local church has watched the CDH video of my granddaughter, Shelby Grace Olivarez. I also gave them the Cherubs web site and the youtube CDH support web site so that they can watch all of the Cherubs videos. They all keep Shelby Grace on their prayer lists daily.

I think that if volunteers will start locally around them to get the word out then one day CDH will be well-known. I also sent everyone in my email address book Shelby's video, web site, and Cherubs web site. I have email friends in many different states. Every little bit helps. God Bless you all!! Shebly Grace's Memaw

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Jean, this is an awesome idea!!!!!! Very good advice here!!! Thank you!

[StephanieOlivarez]

I missed this post!!!!DUH!!
Jean (Memaw) is trying very hard to get CDH Awareness spread through-out Alabama. Which is AWESOME!
It is good advice about writting to the medical/health reporters. Never thought of that.

[Corin Nava]

Thanks Jean for the tips! What a wonderful family little Shelby has

[Jean Lewis]

Great News! I had to share with you all. I got a call from Dave Parks, Medical Reporter, for the Birmingham News in Birmingham, AL. He asked me a few questions about CDH while he was looking at Cherubs web site this morning. I also sent him the youtube videos web site and the ATV magazine web site and Shelby's fundraising web site. I am so excited. I will let everyone know when his article comes out. I also stopped in at our local newspaper office today (it covers 3 towns in our county) and left a CDH flyer there and got their email address to send all of the same links to the editor just like I did with the Birmingham News. Thank God for wonderful cousins like mine (Sue Cronkite) with connections and ideas. As I paid my bills, I handed out CDH flyers to people in town. Every little bit counts more than we think. I will always carry some flyers with me in my purse when I go any place to shop, pay bills, or visit anyone from now on. I am a determined grandmother (Memaw) of Lexi, Morgan, Taylor, and Shelby Grace Olivarez.

[StephanieOlivarez]

You are God Sent Memaw.
I hope you realize that spreading CDH Awareness to everyone and anyone is SO VERY IMPORTANT. You are doing this everyday and I cannot Thank you ENOUGH!!!!
Oh, if the world only knew how very devasting CDH is and can be...what a great world we would all live in.
CDH Awareness is so important and the more we all fight to make the general public aware of it--the more we will get the fight for this birth defect in the public eye. This is the only way we can let people know what families go through on this journey.
Thank You Memaw and Thank you to all the CHERUBS members - that will never let this fight go to waste.
We can accomplish GREAT things - if we all fight for what we believe in.
Someday - I truly believe - we will ALL make a difference. Keep fighting for CDH Awareness and the possibilities are ENDLESS!!!