Compete 4 CMV

Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a common virus that infects people of all ages. Most CMV infections are "silent," meaning most people who are infected with CMV have no signs or symptoms. If a person does experience symptoms, it’s typically cold-like or similar to mono. However, CMV can cause disease in people with a weakened immune system and in babies infected before birth. 

Our 13 month old, Evelyn Grace, was diagnosed with congenital (present at birth) CMV only 24 hours after her arrival, which was the FIRST time we had ever heard the term “CMV”.

According to the CDC:

•       Congenital CMV (cCMV) infection occurs when a pregnant woman is exposed to CMV and the CMV passes from the pregnant woman to her unborn child, causing birth defects and developmental disabilities

•       CMV is the most common congenital viral infection in the United States

•       More children will have disabilities due to congenital CMV than other well-known infections and syndromes, including Downs Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and Pediatric HIV/AIDS

•       There is no drug licensed to treat congenital CMV infection and there is no available vaccine for preventing cCMV disease

A Call To Act

Because this virus touches so many but is discussed by so few, John and I are starting a non-profit organization to help facilitate communication and ultimately drive social change through the National CMV Foundation.

The National CMV Foundation is dedicated to promoting awareness, providing access to resources, and sharing prevention information to help eliminate congenital CMV.

While we recognize many strides have been made in recent cCMV research and trials, there remains tremendous opportunity to improve communication amongst women, their doctors, and their communities, to help prevent the risk of primary infection during pregnancy.

In order to kick-off efforts so we may effectively launch our 501(c)(3) foundation in 2014, John is running the Minneapolis Marathon on June 1^st, coinciding with National CMV Awareness Month. We ask for your generosity in helping us to raise money for this very important and extremely personal cause.

There are several ways to donate to our first “Compete 4 CMV” event:

• Visit this blog and transfer funds via PayPal
• Visit our Fundraising page
• Visit John, Evie and I and write us a check 

All donations will be tracked and eligible for charitable tax deductions before April 2015.

Please know how grateful we are to all of you for your constant support, friendship, and laughter through everything. We are so very lucky.