Family and friends! I have joined Team Superstars and will be running Grandma's Half Marathon! Most of you will know that running is not on the top of my list of favorite things to do...but this time it will be for a cause near and dear to my heart - Children's Minnesota. More specifically the Midwest Fetal Care Center at Children's Minnesota.
The Fetal Medicine program gives all babies the best possible opportunity for a full and healthly life by specializing in diagnosis and treatment of congenital conditions and abnormalities in unborn infants, offering prenatal treatment and intervention, as well as open fetal surgery. Experts in fetal medicine include pediatric surgeons, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric cardiologists, neonatologists, fetal radiologists, genetics specialists and an entire team of clinical and psycho-social staff who deliver really amazing care. We are one of only a handful of advanced fetal care centers in the country, and while I may be biased, I think we have the best in terms of clinicians, physical space and overall patient experience.
In addition to prenatal diagnosis and surgery on babies before they are born to mitigate the impact of diseases like spina bifida or to remove complex tumors, our center is also leading groundbreaking research in gene therapy to CURE in born errors of metabolism of the liver. Yes. The team will CURE these dieseases (there are 35 total in born errors of metabolism like PKU and Tyrosinemia, effecting 1 in 1200 babies born)!
My dear friend and colleague (and Fetal Fundraising All-Stars teammate), Anna Haugo, has inspired me with her passion for this program so we are going on this journey together. I would be extremely grateful for your support -- every dollar counts and impacts this innovative and important perogram. Join me in supporting the future of medicine. It is happening right here in Minnesota!
Thank you in advance for your gifts. If you are interested in learning more about Fetal Medicine and the Midwest Fetal Care Center, watch this video of a story about the first open fetal surgery at Children's by KARE 11, or by visiting the website.
