What is the most rewarding part of being a mom?

The most rewarding part of being Ava mom is having to watch her grow and flourish into the child she is today with all of the obstacles she has faced since she has been born. I fell in love with my baby before she was even born. The whole 27 weeks I got to carry her in my stomach. Because I knew I had a fighter on my hands and we were going to fight together no matter the circumstances. I provide a safe space for her to feel safe in. I support her in all aspects of her life.

What is one memory of your kids that you will never forget?

One memory I will never forget is when Ava was in NICU for 113 days and she had finally got off of oxygen and the nurses told us we were going to go home. My baby fought so hard to be here I just knew we were going to go home one day and one day she shocked us all and started breathing on her own 2 weeks later we were able to go home and I was able to hold her and love on her that’s a memory I will never forget.

What would you do with $20,000?

I would be able to travel and take classes so that I can learn sign language so that I would be able to communicate with my daughter . There aren’t meany resources for Deaf Ed parents and sometimes it’s hard to communicate with her. And the work sheets aren’t working that the teachers send home and the workshops for parents are out of town and you have to always pay for the workshops and also pay travel expenses. Which can be costly traveling back and forward. Even paying for classes.