Blog

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. Read more about her journey.

Volunteer Spotlight: Brandi Hurtubise

Meet Brandi Hurtubise, our Community Chair Alliance from Buffalo, NY. Brandi's daughter Samantha was born with cCMV. 

CMV Vaccine Trial Testimonial

Hear directly from Meghan, a CMV advocate participating in the Phase 3 Moderna CMVictory trial, as she discusses her why and shares basic facts about enrollment.

Late-Onset Hearing Loss Awareness

Author: Diana Hanson, MS CCC-A Late Onset Hearing Loss (LOHL) is hearing loss that follows a passed newborn hearing screening up until age 5-6 years. LOHL Awareness Week was established in May 2021 to shine a spotlight on a population of young children who are often undiagnosed until later in childhood.

Volunteer Spotlight: Shelly Zappas

Meet Shelly Zappas, our Community Alliance Chair from Los Angeles, California. Shelly is a family nurse practitioner and currently, a professor and the program director for the MSN-FNP program at the University of Southern California. She has two children, one born with congenital CMV.

Volunteer Spotlight: Corey Clem

Meet Corey Clem, our Community Alliance Chair from New Home, Texas. Corey is an instructor at Texas Tech University and has daughter, Ellie, born with congenital CMV.

Perfect: A Journey of CMV, Love, and Resiliency

Author: Patty Cutshall

I wrote the book Perfect: A Journey of CMV, Love, and Resiliency, not only to celebrate what Brandon has done for me and others but to provide hope for those that are newly diagnosed and their caretakers and parents. I hope that this book, read aloud to your kiddo, will make you feel confident and empowered as their advocate and cheerleader. 

Parent Spotlight: Jessica Rachels

Author: Jessica Rachels My name is Jessica Rachels. I am from Idaho and I am a Christian, wife, mom, homemaker, caregiver to both my Dad and daughter who have disabilities, advocate for people with disabilities, and author of Natalie Bug: My Life With Cytomegalovirus.

Looking Back on 2020: The Year of Pirouettes and Pivots

Last year. 2020. The year that so much changed. 2020 was an unprecedented year that caused many of us to pause suddenly. We paused to think, shift, regroup, realign, and to quite frankly, survive...As 2020 showed us, we are preparing for the best and yes, we can pivot if needed. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Andy Jones

Meet Andy Jones, our Community Alliance Chair from Alabama. Andy is a lawyer by day and when he's not working, he's advocating for CMV education in memory of his son, Ross, and enjoying nature with his wife and two daughters.