2 Hearts 2 Beat: A Mother’s Pay-it-forward Fundraising Run

by Rose Buenconsejo

UPDATE: A winner is picked! See below!

(We’re giving away 2 (two) race bibs (category of your choice) as our little help to the little angels. To join, simply comment a “<3 and tag the person’s name” you wish to run with at the facebook comment’s section below or at our facebook.com/runroo page. Announcement of winners will be on Thursday 10/11/2012.)

If you cannot join the run, you can drop your help at the following websites: https://www.facebook.com/heartofgabrielle, http://www.mavensheartfund.org/.

2 HEARTS TO BEAT – ONE RUN, TWO LIVES (2H2B RUN)
IT Park, Lahug, Cebu
October 14, 2012 (5AM)
Run Course: 5Km & 3Km
REGISTRATION CENTERS:
• NCR Cebu – IT Park (c/o Mike & Madz)
• Rudy Project – Ayala
• Runnr – Ayala
• Gold’s Gym – J Centre Mall
REGISTRATION FEE:
• 5Km – P400
• 3Km – P300
FOR MORE INFO:
• Nadz – 239.9445
• Madz – 239.9238
• Mike – 239.9932

The 2 Hearts 2 Beat is a fundraising event for the benefit of baby Maven (for his post-operation needs) and baby Gabrielle (for her open heart surgery). And, any extra proceeds will be used to put up a non-profit foundation that will help children with congenital heart defect (CHD ).

Hannah Amora, mother of Maven, helped in organizing the 2 Hearts 2 Beat run as her way of paying-it-forward for the overwhelming help she received to make Maven’s operation successful. She is also aiming to put up a foundation to help other children with CHD, in which urgent help is very important as prolonging an operation may cause irreparable damage.

Maven and Gabrielle with Hannah

Hannah Amora’s son Maven was born with a CHD, Tetralogy of Fallot (more detailed info at mavensheartfund.org website >>), in which open heart surgery is needed in 1 or 2 years per the first advice they received.

But when Maven turned 7 months, TET spells (difficulty in breathing which makes baby blue) occurred more often that they were advised by the doctors to have the surgery ASAP (as soon as possible) as prolonging it can cause irreparable damage to the heart . Hannah and Dominic had been preparing for the surgery, but they did not expect it to be that soon.

With the urgency of the situation, Hannah Amores got herself learning the art of fundraising to raise the P1 million needed for the operation within 3 months. I’ll share here the different activities they had for any one who needs ideas to kick-start fundraising activity.

* They set up the website mavensheartfund.org.

* They reached out to other people via Facebook and Twitter.

* They had charity mini concert.

* They had craft artists helped out by selling their creations for the benefit of Maven.

* They sell shirts.

* They hold garage sales.

* A facebook application, 1share1life, was created during a Startup Weekend event in Manila by a team headed by Albert Padin, founder of Spelldial. The concept of the application was for company brands to sponsor a cause while at the same promoting their brand.

* and many more.

Along the way, Hannah met other parents who had the same struggle, who were asking advice from her as to what to do. Thus, while she is busy fundraising for Maven, she was also helping other mothers to start their fundraising campaign for their babies with CHD.

This gives Hannah an idea to soon put up a foundation to help out babies with CHD. There are already existing foundations that can be tapped, but the problem, she said, is there are too many requirements to comply that takes so much time, which patients do not have the luxury of.

Her husband, Dominic, has also started Digital Lifeline, an online donation platform. Digital Lifeline will aid in making donations much easier for both parties — the sponsor and benefactor.

For our part, signing up for the 2 Hearts 2 Beat will go a long way. Or, visit the following websites on how you can help or donate:

* http://heartofgabrielle.webs.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/heartofgabrielle

* http://www.mavensheartfund.org/

Our winner:

I.j. Cubero with Gabrielle Reiana

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To get 2 free race bibs, simply put “<3 and tag the person’s name you wish to run with” at the facebook comment’s section below or at our facebook.com/runroo page.

We hope to connect with you, please LIKE our Facebook.com/runroo page and follow us on Twitter at @runroodotcom.

~oOo~

Rose Buenconsejo is an ultramarathon runner mom-of-three, who loves pounding the trails of Cebu, Philippines. She writes ‘thoughts from the foot’ at rawsole.com.