Since Max was a baby, I've been very open about what happened to him. Sometimes, it unnerves people how easily I can say, "He had a stroke." Marcela over at Pray For Nathan has come up with a card that she is thinking of handing out to people about her son. I think it's a great idea.
I've been a member of The Pediatric Stroke Network since the second week of Max's life. For the last few years, some member in the group has put together a quilt with faces of children who have had strokes and their birthdates. It circulates around the country from parent to parent, in hopes of raising awareness about pediatric stroke (it occurs in about 1 in 4000 births, so it's not as uncommon as you may think). We're in possession of the quilt now; that's Max looking at his picture of himself on it. Our local newspaper did a story about the quilt and Max, and I was really happy to do my bit to help.
I'm awed by the handful of moms in the network who have gotten tattoos to raise awareness. Jessica, mom to adorable Brendon, got a tattoo on her right foot, the same side her son's stroke affected him. I was was very touched by this video of Jessica getting her tattoo.
I will probably not get a tattoo in this lifetime, but I think it is really important to educate and inform other people about our kids. Agree?
