I’ve joined Strides 4 CMV in honor of my daughter, Lincoln. On May 30, 2025 we lost her to a congenital CMV infection when I was 30 weeks pregnant. Since losing Lincoln, we have been shocked to learn just how common congenital CMV (cCMV) is, and yet how little awareness exists. I was one of the 91% of expecting mothers who had never heard of CMV during pregnancy, until it was too late. 

1 in 200 babies are born with cCMV. Every day, more than 10 babies will develop lifelong disabilities such as hearing or vision loss, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, epilepsy, or microcephaly. For some families, like ours, CMV is fatal.

I wish I had been told about CMV. I wish I had known the simple precautions that may help reduce the risk during pregnancy. 

That’s why I’m taking strides: to honor Lincoln’s life, raise awareness, fund prevention efforts, and support families already impacted by CMV. The National CMV Foundation is working hard to change this, but they can’t do it alone.

Here’s how you can help:

• Donate: Every dollar brings us closer to prevention, education, treatments, and someday, a cure.
• Share: Spread the word. Awareness saves lives.

Thank you for supporting me, remembering Lincoln, and helping make CMV impossible to ignore.

In honor of Lincoln Iris, we must #stopcmv.