Farewell Dear Ava,

I will never forget the first time we spoke on the phone.  It was after my first miscarriage.  It had been weeks since my D&amp;C and I was still sad but was moving along with life.  I woke up one morning and was immobilized with the grief of losing my baby. I only stopped crying long enough to call in sick to work that day and later called the health unit nurse. She told me you had started a support group for mom's who'd lost a baby.   It didn't matter to me that I'd only been pregnant for 10 weeks I already had plans with my baby.   Your mom helped me get through that sad time and she allowed me to meet other women so I didn't feel so alone. Then I got pregnant again and called her with every little twinge I felt because I was scared. Sadly I had another miscarriage but your mom was there for me so I didn't have to go through it again alone. Your mom shared herself with me and other moms who were having trouble coping with the loss of our babies.

Besides being the most supportive person in my life at that time, Ava taught me something that changed my life. She taught me to be my own health advocate. She guided me through researching my miscarriages and then once I figured out what tests/treatments I wanted to walk into my doctor and tell him what I wanted.  So I did just that. I walked into my ob/gyn's office and told him I wanted him to prescribe me progesterone because I believed I was losing my babies due to insufficient progesterone production.  He told me it was a "placebo effect" but I stood my ground.  It was powerful and it worked!  My first baby was born in January 2000 because of Ava. I almost named my baby Ava, I wish I had.

Because of Ava, I have never had another miscarriage and I went on to have three beautiful children!

oday I am a woman's health advocate because of your mom. I help other women educate themselves about their health and advocate for themselves and feel empowered through my website www.hormonesoup.com.

Your mom and I lost touch because I moved to Nunavut and now live in Ontario. I didn't know she was sick and am sad that I never got a chance to tell her what I was doing was because of her. I was hoping to get your mom to contribute articles for me but now I will write an article about one of the most amazing women I have ever had the privilege of knowing - your mom. So even if I didn't get the chance to tell your mom, I want you to know and I want the world to know what a special person she was to me.

I never got a chance to tell you what I'm doing today all because of you. The impact of a single person on your life can be profound and for me that person has been you.

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