This January, our daughter Elsie Andrea was born at just 31 weeks after a high-risk pregnancy complicated by a congenital CMV infection. We had already experienced the heartbreak of losing our son Ford at 32 weeks, so I was being closely monitored and advocating for answers every step of the way. When all of the genetic testing came back normal, I pushed for infection testing—and that’s when we learned CMV was the cause.

CMV (cytomegalovirus) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects, yet most people have never even heard of it. For Elsie, CMV has meant hearing loss, high seizure risk, feeding difficulties, brain malformation, cerebral palsy and developmental delays. It has changed her life and our family’s life forever.

Walking in Strides for CMV is my way of honoring Elsie’s fight and making sure her story—and the stories of countless other children—help drive awareness, research, and change.

Your donation can help:

• Raise awareness so expectant parents know about CMV and how to reduce risk.
• Support research into better treatment options and ultimately a vaccine.
• Advocate for policy changes that make CMV education and testing part of standard prenatal care.

Every step we take, and every dollar we raise, brings us closer to a world where no family has to face what ours has.

Thank you for supporting Elsie, our family, and all the children impacted by congenital CMV. Together, we can make strides toward prevention and hope. ?

Together, we can #stopcmv.