OneChild is one of the most donation-worthy causes I've ever been involved with. I volunteered there for a couple years, and even worked as an interim executive director before I started midwifery school. The organization is run by the family that Louis works for, and we try to go to all their events.
This fundraiser was held at a fancy restaurant and there was an impressive display of delicious food, especially the crab cakes. I think I ate about 7 crab cakes myself and O enjoyed the endless watermelon and honeydew.
While we munched, one of Louis' co-workers got up to speak about the organization, to introduce his parents as the ones who started it, and to play a short video about how OneChild works with families in need. After the video, he recognized some major donors and had their representatives go up and speak. He started with the $10,000 level and joked that if anyone else wanted to donate that amount as well, they should raise their hands. Nobody did, but the joke carried on to donors of the next lower level, and somebody did raise their hand!
When he got to the $500 level, Louis nudged me to raise my hand. What!? That's the most money we've ever donated, I think. I raised my hand and we got lots of applause from the crowd. I had to walk to the back of the room to pay, and I got lots of acknowledgement on the way. It felt good to 1) be able to donate money to a cause we believe in, and NOT out of obligation, 2) roll with the big kids, even if it was a relatively low amount, and 3) show the family of co-workers that Louis' hard work is finally paying off. It was a big moment for us.
Another couple of interesting things happened that night. One was that a friend of ours who is on the board of the awful hospital that shall not be named, came over and sat down next to me to excitedly tell me that said hospital was going to start hiring nurse-midwives. Maybe it was the donation that made me feel pretty bold, but my automatic response to her was,"Great, maybe now you can lower your awfully high cesarean rate." Oh, yes I did. She looked a little stunned for a second, but then said the reason their c-section rate was so high was because of the "Indo-Americans" who like to choose their baby's birth dates.
*snort*
"No, the reason the c-section rate is so high is because the doctors at your hospital don't practice evidence-based care." But way to go blaming women.
I continued. "I've been to a lot of births there and seen women lied to, yelled at, and assaulted. Do you know I have PTSD from going to births there?"
Silence. Then, "Yeah, I think it's going to be hard for the midwives at first."
Yes, I think it will be.
Later on I heard her telling her exciting news to Louis. She said it wouldn't affect me, because the midwives were going to be nurses, "you know, properly trained," so I couldn't apply. But wasn't it just great news!?
Lordy.
The other thing that happened was that one of my holistic mom friends and her 18 month old daughter were there and while our girls were having a blast dancing up on the stage after the event, my friend's mom came over and told me that my friend considered me one of the best moms she knows and that I was an inspiration to her. Now how awesome is that!? We had spent the whole day together at Fairyland the day before, and our girls love each other but it was nice to know she liked me, too :)
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