A week inside...

(by Maria Godsey)

I think this week has been one of the calmest since I've arrived in Lausanne. As Tahira mentioned, most of the IMD babies, including some of the partners, fell ill. Unfortunately, that included Noah as well. This was his first time getting a fever and a totally new experience for me as a new mom… one that I hope I don't have to experience again for awhile.

Instead of our normal week of daily events with the partners, Noah and I stayed home to heal. I missed being outside and hated having to cancel on the partner meetings, events and dinners planned for the week. The weather was gorgeous here (and still is for that matter), so seeing the beautiful outdoors from the inside didn't help! Despite caring for Noah without help from Joseph, being indoors for days straight, and being away from the familiar (Noah's fantastic pediatrician in Germany, friends from home and a place where I could speak the local language), it was unbelievable how I never felt alone through this process. Numerous times a day I would get emails or texts asking how Noah and I are doing, partners offering up help to call doctors, volunteering to visit the pharmacy, and offering to come by to carry Noah to give my back a break! One of our partners, a doctor, even helped with medical advice!… the partner network continues to amaze me and truly a community of friends. I've heard from previous partners how great having the partner network is, but I never expected this.

Thank you to all the partners for their support and kindness! Noah is on is way back to his normal self and I'm looking forward to getting back into the mix again!