CHERUBS, a non-profit organization founded to help families of babies born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia CDH has climbed an uphill battle for 15 years to raise awareness and studies fund and to continue to finance help services. Now, they battle alongside other charities to fight for funding within the Pepsi Refresh contest. On first of each month, for seven months, up to a dozen volunteers stayed awake until midnight when Pepsi Refresh opened the application process for new projects. Feverishly clicking their computer keys to be one regarding the 1000 application accepted within the 3 periods the system was reveal each month prior to the application limit was reached. Finally, in July 3 applications created it through and they were within the August contest; $25,000 to give financial assistance for families hospital venture expenses and $25,000 to give easy-to-understand details for hospitals.
For CHERUBS, the contest now began. Coming off the all-summer long APX Sends Return contest, in which they they won 2nd location nationally for a prize of $30,000, CHERUBS members and voters were tired but diligently went return to work to try to win a Pepsi grant. Not ever did we expect to be in 3 huge contest back-to-back, nor have this incredible opportunity to try to win funds of this size. But here we are and we are so excited for the chance to be can fund so many greatly wanted projects spoke about CHERUBS President, Dawn Williamson. The contest grew even bigger for CHERUBS when 4 more projects created it into the September contest; $250,000 for studies funds, $50,000 for an awareness campaign and $25,000 for like packages for families.
With their previous 3 projects creating the top 100 and rolling over to another month's voting, CHERUBS now has six projects in Pepsi Refresh. contest, an unheardof accomplishment. six projects are a lot, but we did not plan this and this is six opportunities, not six sure wins. We hold very many of work to do to win even two of these project grants says Williamson. These projects are laid out, every cent won has plans attached to it to help babies and families affected by Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
All six of these projects should help 1000's. 30,000 babies are born with CDH every year and 15,000 of those babies don't ever survive. There exists 100's of thousands of CDH families who need help. This is the largest grant possibility for these families that was ever available. We are excited about this opportunity to do so many good! CHERUBS members are excited too.
The charity's web location shows photos of babies holding up signs and asking for votes, while wearing wings and holding cans of Pepsi. Facebook is littered with adorable profile photographs of more babies asking for votes. There exists videos, bumper stickers, flyers, banners, signs in yards, college projects and 1000's of posts on-line to raise awareness and votes. The excitement is contagious. Our members are so happy to be can do something to help other CDH families.
CDH creates you look so helpless, we don't ever often get opportunties like this to really make a difference by doing something as simple as voting. And to be can use our own children's photos and stories to raise awareness on such a huge position is thrilling for so many of us! says Williamson. CHERUBS not only raising awareness and voting for cash for their cause but an added bonus is networking with other causes. We are so excited to be in this contest and to be within the business of so many other wonderful charities and projects! We have learned so many about other causes and became colleagues with many. No reason who wins this contest each month, we shall all return out as winners.
This was a wonderful platform to raise awareness for all of our causes. Founded in 1995 by Mrs. Williamson and based here within the Triangle, CHERUBS is the world's first and largest CDH organization with over 3400 members in 38 different countries and all 50 states. Dawn is the mother of Shane Torrence two or 28 or 93-9 or 11 or 99, born with left-sided CDH and multiple birth defects. Shane spent his first 10 months within the pediatric intensive like unit of Duke University and had many other hospitalizations and surgeries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
I miss my son every lone day; CDH took him from me and robbed him of any kind of normalcy during his brief life, spoke about Williamson. No mother's arms should ever ache for a child she can no detailed hold. Williamson created it her life's mission to help other families affected by Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. If there is any doubt of faithfulness to this mission you need only to view the glowing reviews families around the earth have posted all over the net about how CHERUBS has helped them through their darkest days, look all the services listed on their web webpages or count the over 12,000 supporters they have on Facebook. Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully form, allowing abdominal organs into the chest cavity and preventing lung growth.
It affects two in every 2500 babies, representing approximately 1600 babies within the United States each year, 1/2 of which don't ever survive. Some regarding the other half, like Williamson's son, who only lived until the age of 6, end up suffering through life with lasting well-being problems for example feeding aversions, gastrointestinal problems, asthma, allergies, scoliosis, or long-term pulmonary problems. In the USA, there exists annually more victims from CDH than tornados, hurricanes and lightening strikes combined. There exists more babies born each year with CDH than there exists babies born with Cystic Fibrosis or Spina Bifida, and consequently there is no known cure or typical treatment, there is still a significant lack of studies and awareness within the public and health related communities about CDH. Regarding to a Congressional Bill the charity is hoping to obtain passed for CDH Research, the estimated total annual economic impact of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia within the United States is in excess of $800,000,000 while annual grants allocated by the Local Institutes of Well-being for CDH at multiple studies facilities is currently estimated at fewer than $5,000,000.
Through this contest and other efforts, CHERUBS hopes to raise more awareness and funds for studies and family support. These babies are dying by the thousands and there is no known cause. The survival rate is only 50%. This just cannot be acceptable says Williamson. This contest has not only allowed us to dramatically raise awareness about Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia but it has offered us the opportunity to raise more money for our charity than we ever have before.
$375,000 can do so many things for the CDH community and we are so grateful to Pepsi Refresh and to everyone who is voting for us. For a mini charity powered by volunteers, donations and fundraisers and sprint in a spare room of Williamson's home to keep funds, $375,000 should indeed leave an extended way. We have over 3300 members and all of our services are free to CDH families. We sprint a very large web location with forums for families to gain details and help 24 hours a day, an annual worldwide Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia conference, the world's largest CDH studies database, we send like packages to new and expectant parents and so many, many other services on fewer than $35,000 a year. Our budget averages about $10 of assistance per family, that is ridiculous but we somehow pull it off.
Winning this contest should do so many for our ability to help more CDH families! says Williamson. Families affected by CDH agree. I vote due to the fact that my tasty baby Mallory has opened our eyes to a terribled condition that we knew nothing about at the time. And from the statistics we have learned about CDH it saddens me that this illness is so unknown. CHERUBS was my crutch from day two of diagnosis.
I cannot imagine going through all of this without the help and details I have gotten from the organization and its members. Mallory was born on Jan. 4th of 2010, and still going tough within the hospital, and CHERUBS was there for us every step regarding the way. The god bless you all, and thank you from the bottom of my heart says mom Sara Jimel Givent. I am voting in memory of our tasty Joshua who was born on March 26, 2010 and was with us 16 days.
We like him and miss him terribly. If CHERUBS can win the $100,000, maybe another family will not need to leave through this wrote dad Jeff Campbell. Voting for my son Brandon who was diagnosed with CDH 3 days prior to his delivery in 2004. The only details we should locate that even gave us hope was CHERUBS. His outlook was not good but he is tough and well this day due to the fact that of UNC Children's Hospital and Brandon's drive to survive.
Thanks CHERUBS for all the hard work and dedication that you give for families struggling with this horrible birth defect. You gave us hope when we had none and during the long wait within the hospital. This continued even when we were dealing with many regarding the issues subsequent to we finally got him home writes Fayetteville resident Cheryl Sandoval. The fight to help these families shall also be obviously apparent within the members of CHERUBS. When I was lost and all alone I turned to net hoping to retrieve someone who cared.
I located CHERUBS and a WHOLE BUNCH of FABULOUS someones who KNEW how I felt without me possessing to explain. CHERUBS was my lifeline through our journey with CDH. There is always someone there with a comforting phrase when you need it, or someone who listen to you rant and vent when need be. It's a WONDERFUL team of people who I am proud to call my CDH family. I'm so sorry we have all met due to CDH, but if we all stick together, there is no telling what we can do to help rid the earth of this terrible birth defect says Canadian mom Shana Kelly.
CHERUBS welcomes the community's help and votes in this contest. Whether you should like to help this organization you can vote through their web location at or through Facebook or text. Proceeds from the contest shall benefit CHERUBS Research, Awareness and Help Funds, and Williamson is hoping that the contest shall bring out many supporters and journalists to help gain recognition for most CDH and the organization's efforts. CHERUBS shall also gladly accept any donations to help distant their work. Tax-deductible donations should be created on-line at or mailed to CHERUBS, 3650 Rogers Rd no.
290, Wake Forest, NC 27587. To help raise more awareness and money for the organization, as well as funds to continue studies and outreach, CHERUBS should be hosting a key fundraising function this fall. The CHERUBS 2010 Masquerading Angels Ball should be a formal function held on October 30th at the Durham Hilton near Duke with celebrity guests, a live band, casino and an auction. More details on this function is available at is still so many studies that wants to be done. In 2010 this birth defect should not still exist, many fewer still have so many unanswered questions and so little research, spoke about Williamson.
CHERUBS wants to be can help as many families as possible, due to the fact that we understand the hurt and confusion that returns along with possessing a child with CDH. We need to spare other families from the devastating effects of CDH and we shall hold fighting, hold researching and hold raising awareness until the cause and prevention of CDH is found. About CHERUBSCHERUBS is a 501 c 4 organization located in North Carolina. CHERUBS serves families of babies and adults born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia CDH. As of June 2010, CHERUBS has over 3400 members in all 50 states and 38 countries.
Board Members with the founding father of in-utero surgery, genetic counselors, epidemiologists, pediatric surgeons and parents of babies born with CDH. CHERUBS is a volunteer-run organization and a United States Internal Revenue Service recognized 501 c 4 Non-Profit.
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