Verity's Village

Have you signed up for the Run for the Rare 2024? Sign up today!

We have less than three weeks to go until our annual Verity's Village fundraiser to support our mission to support parents who receive a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis for their babies. You are a vital part of our mission! Whether you join as a sponsor, team leader, or participant, you are bringing awareness to Verity's Village, funding care packages, counseling services, and our online support groups. Thank you for all you do!

Sign up here --> https://veritysvillage.com/run/

Any new sponsors will not appear on our t-shirt, but we welcome new sponsors! Please contact us to ask for details.

Sharing about the ministry of Verity's Village with attendees of the conference!

What is Labor Day?

Labor Day is a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people, in the US on the first Monday in September, in many other countries on May 1.

Our cute hat graphics in our post only cover a small amount of the "hats" working people wear. While we have examples of a cook or chef, fireman or woman, milliner or tailor, police officer, construction worker, and a nurse, we also recognize the electricians, janitors, plumbers, craftsmen, farmers, home builders, brick masons, welders, mail workers, and so many more professions that we CELEBRATE on Labor Day. Without each and every working individual in our country, we would not thrive.

For Verity's Village, we specifically recognize the nurses, doctors, surgeons, ultrasound techs, lactation specialists, doulas, midwives, and more working people who stand beside our babies with a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis. So many people work toward giving our babies a chance to spend precious moments in our arms, and for those who work FOR our parents and their babies in these moments, we thank you and recognize you.

Happy Labor Day!

We are excited to announce our SILVER sponsors for the Run for the Rare 2024!

Save the Storks , Peak Pelvic Health, And Then There Were None - Prolife Outreach, and Extra To Love have signed up to be Silver Sponsors supporting our Verity's Village community this September for our 2024 fundraiser, The Run for the Rare.

We are so thankful for each of the organizations that chose a sponsorship tier for our Run for the Rare event, and we look forward to supporting them with all of the Silver Perks for this tier of sponsorship.

Thank you again to Save the Storks, Peak Pelvic Health, And Then There Were None, and Extra to Love for your sponsorship, and we look forward to having you as such an important part of our event!

Hi, friends! As many of you know, a few years ago we launched a nonprofit ministry after walking an unexpected journey with our 9th baby. The mission of Verity’s Village is to change the narrative surrounding genetic anomalies from HEARTACHE to HOPE.

On September 21, we are hosting the "Run for the Rare" to raise awareness and support for families who receive a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis. I'd love to invite your families to join us for this special event! (You don't have to run, either! We will have runners, walkers, and folks pushing wheelchairs/strollers!)

If you are local, I'd love to see you at our Palmer Lake event! And if you're not local, I'd love to see you participate wherever you are! So far we have families and teams in MA, MS, WA, UT, CA, NE, NC, MD, TX, and Ontario...we are so very grateful for each of the registrations we have received so far.

Early bird pricing ends September 3, but registration is open all the way up until the day of the event. ALL funds support the ministry of Verity's Village! Because of the generosity of our sponsors, your registration fee is actually tax-deductible. 😍 Follow this link to register! https://veritysvillage.com/run/

At Verity’s Village, we have the privilege of walking families through the journey of receiving a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis. While our mission is to change the narrative from heartache to hope, the sad reality is that many of our precious babies do not live long on this side of heaven. Though there is grief in this journey, there is also so much joy in knowing and loving a precious child of God.

Though some of these children are no longer with us, all of them remain loved and remembered. During this year’s Run for the Rare, several families are running in honor of their loved one. You can flip through these graphics to see the individual names of the children these families are recognizing.

Do you have a loved one you want to honor through this year’s Run for the Rare? Follow this link to register for the race, and let us know in the comments who you are running for → https://veritysvillage.com/run/

We are excited to announce our GOLD sponsors for the Run for the Rare 2024!

ProLove, Hope for Trisomy, Hayes Property Group, Pikes Peak Citizens for Life, and Magnify Church have signed up to be Gold Sponsors supporting our Verity's Village community this September for our 2024 fundraiser, The Run for the Rare.

We are so thankful for each of the organizations that chose a sponsorship of our Run for the Rare event, and we look forward to supporting them with all of the Gold Perks for this tier of sponsorship.

Thank you again to ProLove Ministries, Hope for Trisomy, Hayes Property Group, llc., Pikes Peak Citizens for Life , and Magnify Church for your sponsorship, and we look forward to having you as such an important part of our event!

We are excited to announce our PLATINUM sponsor for the Run for the Rare 2024!

MGA Homecare has signed up to be a Platinum Sponsor supporting our Verity's Village community this September for our 2024 fundraiser, The Run for the Rare.

We are so thankful for their sponsorship of our Run for the Rare event, and look forward to supporting them with all of the Platinum Perks for this tier of sponsorship.

Thank you again MGA Homecare for your sponsorship, and we look forward to having you as such an important part of our event!

Visit their website here --> https://mgahomecare.com

How do you say, “Happy Father’s Day” to a man who has lost a child?

Today August 25th, is International Bereaved Father’s Day. Around the globe, we recognize all the fathers who have experienced the trauma and grief of losing a child or children. Instead of celebrating with “Happy Father’s Day,” it is a time to grieve, to heal, and to remember the children who died before getting a chance to grow up.

If you are a bereaved father, we honor the role you played in your child’s life and the love you still have for him or her. We recognize your fatherhood and the tremendous loss you went through. And we pray that God will be with you as you grieve and heal.

If you are struggling with the loss of a child today, we would love to walk alongside you in this journey. Please reach out to us at www.veritysvillage.com to find counseling and community.

Did you know that Verity's Village has been featured in the media?

Our vision is to change the narrative surrounding genetic anomalies from HEARTACHE to HOPE. This means we will not be silent, and we love having the chance to share this vision on radio shows, panels, live appearances, podcasts, and even for news articles. We are looking forward to having the opportunity to arrange speaking engagements to share about our Verity's Village community and their precious children while educating groups about steps they can take to support others in their community who experience a prenatal diagnosis.

For our vision, we are so excited to reach out to make new media connections!

Check out our past interviews or schedule an interview here --> https://veritysvillage.com/media-connections/

Don't miss this opportunity for your business to sponsor the Run for the Rare 2024! We love having small local businesses, as well as large businesses and organizations join us to support our yearly fundraiser, and we are excited to support those who join as a sponsor as well. For Silver level sponsorship and above, businesses and organizations will have their logo displayed on our run t-shirt!

If you've been considering supporting us this year, now is the time! Our sponsorship opportunities are closing soon as we must order our t-shirts for the event. Follow this link to choose your tier for SPONSORSHIP and check out our amazing perks!

https://veritysvillage.com/run/sponsorship-tiers-for-the-run-for-the-rare

Today is National Nonprofit Day! On August 17th, America recognizes nonprofits and their efforts to serve their local, national, and global communities.

Nonprofits, including Verity’s Village, work to raise awareness of specific needs and may offer various kinds of assistance to people who can’t afford the help they need. Nonprofits address many of the toughest challenges in our society today, and August 17th is a day to commemorate the hard work they do.

At Verity’s Village, our mission is to provide resources and support to families who receive a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis. We offer education, counseling, access to a parent care coordinator, and a world-wide community of families with similar experiences. If you or someone you know is journeying through a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, please reach out to us at www.veritysvillage.com.

While our work continues throughout the year, we would appreciate it if you took a moment to engage with us today on National Nonprofit Day! Would you leave a like and a comment about how Verity’s Village has helped you? And if you feel led, we would love a donation of any amount. By definition, nonprofits do not make any profit! We rely on generous donors like you to continue our mission. Even a gift of $10 allows us to send a care package to a family in need.

Donate now at --> https://donate.veritysvillage.com/donate

A few days ago, we shared about omphalocele, a condition where a baby’s intestines or organs are formed outside of their body. Omphalocele can accompany other rare diagnoses, such as Trisomy 18 or 13.

One sweet girl born with omphalocele is Aaliyah. Aaliyah was Rebecca’s fourth baby, and there were no indications of medical concerns during her pregnancy. However, after Aaliyah’s birth, the doctors officially diagnosed her with Trisomy 13. They also discovered other medical conditions: two holes in her heart and omphalocele.

The doctors performed surgery to correct Aaliyah’s omphalocele when she was two days old. The surgery was successful, and after only 30 days in the NICU, Aaliyah got to go home with her family. Today, Aaliyah is three years old, and is healthy and living a happy life.

Rebecca says, “I would tell other parents (getting a Trisomy diagnosis) to have faith and to be patient. . .The doctors were very wrong about Aaliyah. They gave her no chance, had no faith in her. But these children can thrive with a lot of love and patience.”

To read the full account of Aaliyha’s story, go to https://www.liveaction.org/news/little-glimpse-hope-three-trisomy-families/ There are multiple stories of hope in this article, and Aaliyah’s story is the second one.

What is Omphalocele?

Omphalocele occurs when the contents of the baby's abdomen protrude out of the abdomen due to a lack of abdominal muscles, tissue, and/or skin. Depending on the type of omphalocele, it can be located in different places and effect different organs. Omphaloceles are common in cases of chromosomal issues. Chromosomal abnormalities are present in 30-69% of all cases of omphalocele.

According to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, "Most babies with omphaloceles do well. The survival rate is over 90 percent if the baby's only issue is an omphalocele. The survival rate for babies who have an omphalocele and serious problems with other organs is about 70 percent."1 So by itself, omphalocele is not a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, but can accompany one.

Why do we educate?

At Verity's Village, we educate, because we believe that all life is precious. A baby who is born with omphalocele without a chromosomal issue, or with one, has value and the right to life. The value of life is not dependent on a diagnosis. Not one of us knows how long we will have in this life, we choose to treasure every moment of our own and of our babies.

If you have received a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis along with your omphalocele diagnosis, please join our From Diagnosis to Delivery group for support --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/diagnosistodelivery
1 -https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/o/omphalocele #:~:text=Most%20babies%20with%20omphaloceles%20do,organs%20is%20about%2070%20percent.

We invite our Verity's Village parents to share their stories to our Verity's Village blog. We have set up a website to streamline the process, which includes blog interview questions and our photo release form, along with other ways to share.

We value your story at whatever stage you are at with your prenatal diagnosis. We've shared pregnancy stories, including what parents are experiencing when they just find out. We've shared stories of babies who do not make it earthside, but leave mommy's belly too soon. We've shared stories of babies who have minutes, hours, days, or weeks with their parents. In addition, we sometimes have parents who are raising medically complex children or sometime the diagnosis is wrong. Those stories matter too!

Whatever your story is, please reach out to us when you are ready to share it. Access the link below to visit our "Sharing Stories of Hope" page.

Share your story here --> https://veritysvillage.com/sharing-stories-of-hope

Hey, friends, mark your calendars for our AUGUST Verity's Village Virtual Events! Note that this month we are not offering a virtual birth planning workshop, but our Village mamas can always schedule an individualized session with Kathryn, our Parent Care Coordinator. Please reach out if you are not yet connected!

If you are not in our From Diagnosis to Delivery or From Heartache to Hope support groups, please DM us for information on how to access these virtual meetings.

Prenatal Diagnosis | Pregnancy Support | Bereavement Support | From Diagnosis to Delivery

Introducing the 2024 Run for the Rare event logo reflecting this year's theme: Changing the Narrative!

We can't wait to see our logo on this year's race T-shirts and stickers. Be sure to register before the price goes up so YOU can get your Changing the Narrative shirt!

Changing the narrative surrounding genetic anomalies is not an easy goal. It will take more than one person, one family, one organization to do this. It will take MANY voices coming together in unison to tell the world that ALL lives have value! No matter what the genetic make-up! No matter how long or short their time on earth!

Verity's Village invites YOU to help us change the narrative that is out there in medical and social circles. How can you do that? So glad you asked! Here are a few ways!

✅ Share your story with your community and on social media. What makes you passionate about changing the narrative?
✅ Sign up for Run for the Rare 2024. Early bird registration (only $35) ends August 20, and then the price goes up!
✅ Invite your family and friends to join you. Each participant gets a race shirt and swag bag!
✅ Are you helping with this fundraiser in honor of someone special? Be sure to let us know when you register so we can honor them, too!
✅ Go the extra mile: coordinate a local event where participants will gather to run/walk together.
✅ Donate an item for our silent auction to be held along with the Run for the Rare event in Colorado.
✅ Become an event sponsor to help cover our event costs AND get the word out about your business/organization. (But hurry! We need to finalize our t-shirt graphics with sponsor logos!)
✅ Make a special donation in honor of someone special.
✅ Most importantly, PRAY for our ministry and for the families we are serving. Pray that together we will change hearts and minds by loving our babies and honoring their precious lives.

We absolutely could not do what we do if it weren't for the prayer and financial support of people from all over. The need is great...we are a small organization serving a big community, but we serve an even bigger God!

I found this quote online, and it has discussion value. We believe that at the first moment a mother knows she is pregnant, it is a mother's instinct to protect her baby. From the moment that baby has life in her womb, her desire is to protect her little peanut. For our mamas in our Verity's Village community, their desire is no less strong. A life-limiting prenatal diagnosis does not take away a mother's instinct to protect.

Many of our babies with a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis are with us for a short time, whether that is within pregnancy, for the minutes, hours, days, weeks after birth, or while receiving continued medical care as a baby and child. When our Verity's Village babies pass away, their mother's instinct is to protect their memory. Each memory is a cherished possession. Each baby with a diagnosis is not a burden, but a cherished life who passes on memories that will be remembered and protected.

If you know someone who is being told that their baby with a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis is going to be a burden or has no value, change the narrative with us. Remind them that the memories are not to be discarded, but cherished and protected. Make those memories. Protect the baby first and the memories that you still have. Every life is worth it.

Registration is LIVE for our Run for the Rare 2024 5K Fun Run!

Whether you walk, run, or cheer for those participating, sign up to be a part of our Run for the Rare 2024! Run by yourself or with a team! We have many options for registration, and adding participants as you form your team. Registrations will receive a Verity's Village t-shirt!

Our event will be held on September 21st, 2024, and early birds get special pricing!

Register here --> https://veritysvillage.com/run/

Don't delay, sign up today!

A diagnosis, such as microcephaly, does not define the worth of a child's life. We love to find the stories of hope that share the other side of the story. When Allyson learned of her little girl's prenatal diagnosis, she was devastated. She did not know what this meant for her baby. As they moved forward with specialists, she also found out that her daughter had a secondary diagnosis of an encephalocele, where the brain matter is outside of the skull. The doctor's said they would have to wait and see after birth to know what this would mean for her little baby.

When little Michelle was born, the doctors immediately took her to the NICU, and she went through many ups and downs. After an MRI, her doctor was confident that the encephalocele was operable, and the exposed brain section was able to be placed back into her skull. In pictures on the Children's Hospital of Orange County's website, you can see Michelle celebrating her first birthday!

Read more about Michelle here --> https://health.choc.org/microcephaly-encephalocele-michelles-story/

What is Microcephaly?

Microcephaly refers to a condition in which the head circumference is smaller than expected. Specifically, it refers to a head circumference three standard deviations below the mean head size for the baby’s gestational age. Often, microcephaly occurs along with a smaller brain size.

There are a variety of causes for microcephaly, including genetic, infectious, and environmental. As with many of our Verity’s Village parents, a diagnosis of microcephaly may occur in conjunction with another prenatal diagnosis. Microcephaly is estimated to affect between 2 and 12 out of 10,000 live births.

The photograph of the sweet child with microcephaly was published in the Community Eye Health Journal Vol. 33 No 108 2020.

How does Verity’s Village help?

At Verity’s Village, we provide support to parents who receive a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, such as microcephaly. Medical providers often believe that a baby with a diagnosis has less value, and this belief may affect the care that children with a life-limiting diagnosis receive. We offer education and tools to help parents advocate for the life and value of their child. Our parent care coordinator helps parents find the right hospital, providers, and possible interventions for their child’s unique needs.

If you or someone you know has a child with a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis, please check out our Facebook group, From Diagnosis to Delivery. In this group, you can connect with our parent care coordinator, counselors, and other parents who are also walking through a diagnosis.
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/diagnosistodelivery

Please reach out to us with any questions or prayer needs.

Are you ready to sponsor the Run for the Rare 2024?

We love seeing who joins us to support the Run for the Rare each year! Our run is our main fundraiser for Verity's Village to support our mission. Each and every sponsorship is vital to continue our support for the families who are impacted by a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis.

Today, we recognize our BRONZE sponsors!

⫸ McLain Group
⫸ The King & I Crafts
⫸ Birkholz & Company
⫸ The Sharing Org
⫸ Colorado Prolife Medical Professionals

Join us as a sponsor the Run for the Rare 2024 today!

Pick your tier --> https://veritysvillage.com/run/sponsorship-tiers-for-the-run-for-the-rare/