Letter to Babytalk magazine

[AshleyKnight]

What do you have to do to get on your local news?

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Ashley, just call them and say that you have a story you'd like to share.

Happy Endings.... really, really push how you're volunteering, turning around something beautiful but sad into a way to help others. Give your story a title to catch their attention like "Local mom channels grief for her son (or daughter) into helping others and raising awareness around the world" or "Local mom helps to raise awareness for deadly birth defect after losing her child". Every reporter wants to see their name under a headline that catches attention.

Mother's Day is coming up so maybe try to use that for an article about that day. Like "When You Would Give Anything To Get a Daisy Seed In A Paper Cup or a Handmade Card For Mother's Day From Your Child". You have to pull on heartstrings because ultimately... they want to sell papers or magazines or up their tv ratings. It's sad but true. Survivors... adjust titles to fit your stories like "The Mother's Day Miracle That Almost Wasn't".

[Amy Rademaker]

Sarah,

Ok, I'm a criticism queen, so please don't take it personally.

I would change the slant you have on never finding the CDH cause... change the wording a little bit to say that we do not know the cause, and that there is very little research being done etc.

Just my thoughts.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Oh, I forgot to add that CHERUBS is all caps. Don't ask me why... I was 22 when I started CHERUBS and it sounded like a good idea at the time and now it's our legal name and what we're known by.

[Corin Nava]

When You Would Give Anything To Get a Daisy Seed In A Paper Cup or a Handmade Card For Mother's Day From Your Child"

I like that idea- maybe if I can find a bit of extra time I will try and send some out!

[KateC]

Mother's Day (augh...) that is a good idea though Dawn. I guess I could try again. Question though, when we write them, should we write them as if we were writing the article for them and include a headline like you had said? I guess I just find it hard to make Shannon's story appealing.

[sarah.deskins]

It is hard to make the non survivor stories sound appealing....we either come of as writing simply for pity or angry. I was trying to convey awareness of the day to day for people fighting it but it always come out wrong. theres too much you want to say about it to make it make sense. If i had found a great deal on a diaper wipe warmer Id be in there.....

[Katie Mixdorf]

Hi Sarah.
My name is Katie and I just found CHERUBS not too long ago. I just wanted to let you know how great I think your letter is. You are right that there is nothing out there to educate people about CDH and it makes me so sad. I was just wondering if you had thought about the American Baby, Pregnancy, and Parenting magazines too. I know I never read BabyTalk but all the others I did while I was pregnant with my son, Shawn. Just a thought.

[sarah.deskins]

Hi Katie:
haven't read any of those, but im not pickey. I could probably just send the same letter after I find some addresses. Im going to leave this one up for a couple more weeks before I send it.

[Patti Bechtold]

What a beautiful letter you wrote. I hope and pray your letter gets national attention. Our little angels have purpose.
Patti ~ Angel Autumn Nicole's Meema ( Gramma)