CMV Mom Hopes to Spread CMV Awareness at Mrs. America Pageant

CMV Mom Hopes to Spread CMV Awareness at Mrs. America Pageant

CMV mom Kelsi Gagne is participating in the Mrs. America pageant in April. She plans to use this platform to increase awareness and health literacy of cCMV. You can read more about her journey below!
 
My name is Kelsi Gagne, and I am a mother to two beautiful daughters. My daughter Hayley was born with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and as a result is profoundly deaf. Hayley passed her newborn hearing test. At around a year old we figured out Hayley was hard of hearing, and it was baffling. I was struck with mom guilt and more.  During this journey, I felt overwhelmed, as did my family, as we navigated the emotions and all the appointments/services for Hayley. Amid this “MEANtime,” I started to write.  I decided to write a book: The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow: What to Do in the MEAN Time. It is a realistic guide to take back control over your life and dreams.  It is dedicated to my two girls and all women and moms. After a 2-year writing process, this book finally launched on Amazon. The book includes a bit of Hayley’s journey and spreads a bit of CMV awareness. I hope it helps others feel less alone on their own journeys through MEANtimes!

I recently became my hometown’s Mrs. Freeport America and will be in the Mrs. America pageant in April. I plan to use my Mrs. Freeport platform for many things, but one main goal aims to increase awareness and health literacy of cCMV, so all pregnant women can be fully educated on this common virus.  I never knew about this virus when I was pregnant. I am an Occupational Therapist (OT) and am baffled to be a healthcare professional who was one of the 91% of women who do not know about this virus. We need to ensure all pregnant women are educated on CMV and the ways to prevent it and I aim to do this with my book and platform.

My book can be found on Amazon, and you can follow my Mrs. Freeport America journey as I continue to promote awareness of CMV and the National CMV Foundation’s vital work!