So many of you have asked why I’ve not jumped into the messy, mud-slinging mom v. mom little news-cycle drama that Time Magazine has set-up with this week’s cover story.
The why is simple — I’ve been busy with a REAL STORY. I have been celebrating five-years of fighting for improved pediatric emergency medicine and care for babies and children. I have been busy being honored for fighting for something that is not an outlier issue or something inflammatory – but rather at the CORE of parenting. There is a real crisis in Pediatric Emergency Medicine in this country. I have been working with the R Baby Foundation (and you should be to).
So Time Magazine – try this cover story:
What you Don’t Know About Emergency Rooms Could Cost Your Baby’s Life
That’s Right: Nearly 90 Percent Of Americans Are Not Aware That Most Emergency Departments Are Not Prepared For Babies Or Children
Truly, they are not – these numbers were released in a survey this week by the R Baby Foundation.
The survey showed that close to 100 percent of the Americans surveyed said they would expect that if an Emergency Department (ED) said they were a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) they would have pediatric emergency specialists as well as the appropriate supplies and equipment ready. However, this is not the case for many families across our country today. All PEDs are not created equal. There are varying degrees of trained specialists, equipment and supplies.
And there are volumes of research to support what we know to be true — until the crisis in pediatric emergency departments across the US are fixed we are ALL at risk.
Regardless of circumstance, geography, race, educational levels, income, etc. REGARDLESS- as long as we don’t know that emergency rooms are not prepared for our babies and children we are all at risk.
And Time Magazine – thanks in advance for the coverage of the one issue that affects all parents, unifies them and calls them to action for the greater good (oh and it will sell magazines too, I am sure).
This week I will be honored by the R Baby Foundation with their first-ever Champion Award. It is an incredible moment – not only to be marking five years of progress in improving the standard of pediatric emergency care though life-saving grants, self-advocacy education and of course, legislation/regulation – but also to be shining a brilliant light down the path of “what’s next”. As we progress towards clear standards in definition of pediatric emergency departments, greater tools available to doctors and EMTs, higher levels of parental and care-giver knowledge we will stop and remember.
We will remember how my friends Phyllis and Andrew Rabinowitz took the most tragic of moments, the loss of their daughter Rebecca Ava – and turned it into a powerful mandate to save babies lives. There is nothing that compares to the one-two power-punch of Andrew’s vision and determination along with Phyllis’ deep passion and methodical, well-considered approach. These two have taken harrowing loss and used the painful power of this experience for the greater good. Phyllis and Andrew have spent five years trying to assure that no-one suffers the loss their family experienced. They have been tireless and courageous. They are the real champions. I was just lucky to be invited along for the journey.
And so, today I sit, pen (OK MacBook) in hand trying to craft just the right words to say as I am brought in front of 1000 people at the Plaza Hotel on Wednesday night. How do I even begin to write this speech? What words are there really to express:
My gratitude for being recognized for the thing that means the most to me – using my voice, passion and authenticity to incite real change where is it needed most?
My deep appreciation to my beloved friends and colleagues who have been limitless in their support of my commitment to RBF – you show up again again with a level of care and commitment that is both real and impossible to ignore. Have you seen the PSA?
My unwavering belief in Philanthropic Moms – my hypothesis that the power of all of our voices to elevate the dialog is the way in which we see progress over and again.
My thanks for being asked to join RBF and be a part of change that will protect all babies and children in emergency medical situations – not only now but for future generations.
My love for my husband and children for making room for this in our lives — for what they may have scarified along the way (and for my kids, especially who have been educated via the blue tooth – listening as strategies were built, tactics were designed, plan Bs were conceived).
My love too for my own parents for instilling a deep sense of community in me from the earliest of ages (or should I thank Woody Guthrie and my mother’s late 60s lullaby of We Shall Overcome) and to al of the amazing mentors who have helped me hone in on these instincts, combining them will my skills and making it “easy” to step up and serve.
I don’t know where to go with this one. So I will wait for it to come, I know it will begin with the words: Thank you.
P.S PLEASE – sign the RBF petition and pass it on.
Behold the power of Philanthropic Moms – a community committed to positive change. Here we join our voices to help raise much needed awareness and help improve the quality of pediatric emergency care in the US. LOVED shooting with this amazing lot of women. Take a look and you will see why! Please visit R BABY to sign the petition, share your story and help make a real change today!
Having just spent some time deep in The Baby Bump (which, if asked, I would have titled, Bumping up Careers, One baby at a Time) in today’s New York Times, I want to first commend Jacob Bernstein for a well-researched, engaging piece and then slap him for missing the other side of the story. All he shares is true – he does a careful job of tracing the history of the thriving Bump Business. Mr. Bernstein tackles the profit center, career booster questions with savvy. What he misses is the positive side of the equation. He fails to examine how celebrity pregnancies, played out in public view actually give back and otherwise contribute to the experiences of more than 4-million pregnant women in this country. And so while, yes – there is a way to interpret celebrity pregnancy though the lens of commercialism, I suggest we take a bit of a deeper dive.
In defense and even appreciation to these celebrity gestaters – a quick inventory of what they are giving back along the road to baby:
Normalized Pregnancy – Out of back rooms and suddenly on full view, while sometimes extreme, these very public pregnancies open the windows and doors WIDE and allow us to see a broader view of pregnancy (for better or for worse). And with that there is a change in the candor, content and scope of dialog – not just on-set but around water coolers as well.
New Vocabulary, Confidence and the rise of the “Experiential Pregnancy” – The Hollywood bump-set give pregnant women a sense of confidence, style, and a new view to a range of real, radiating beauty. Since early aughts the style community has risen to the occasion as well – suddenly maternity fashion (thank you Liz Lange) and nursery décor (check out project nursery, for example) were elevated to meet the desires and aspirations of main street parents (In reaction to the new view of Melrose and Madison avenue parents). Our new vocabulary included (and does to this day) glow, maternity chic, fourth trimester, etc. – making the challenges and triumphs of one’s changing body and lifestyle a shared, open experience.
Expectant Parents – before the celebrity baby boom hit, we did not include Dad in much of the baby talk. This wave of celebrity family has certainly played a part in bringing Dad into focus and view – what used to be “her” pregnancy became “our” pregnancy. And with the birth of a Dad came a new version of Dad, in a wide range of populations. This year saw the first male breastfeeding blogger, for example. And many a Diaper Dude is carried with paternal hipster pride.
AND MY BURRIED LEAD – PHILANTHROPY, EDUCATION and CARE
Celebrities have loaned their voices, status and energy to critical work focused on raising much needed funds and awareness for issues effecting all populations of families. I have been honored to work on a wide range of projects with expectant and new celebrity parents and remain grateful for all they have given back. They have raised their voices and pointed attention to causes that need it most. When Christie Turlington throws herself into Every Mother Counts or Jewel donates nursing bras in her name to Baby Buggy’s efforts in her adopted home state of Texas this ignites change. When Gwyneth Paltrow or Melissa Rycroft openly share their battle with postpartum depression (PPD) or Jennifer Garner discusses breast-feeding and back-to-work challenges it increases awareness and care around issues that were once quiet and cloaked. The list goes on and on – and it should! These celebrities have marked their entry into parenthood with very meaningful and powerful gestures that help to advance not only the conversation around key issues but also the outcomes for all families.
In the end, the story is that of a bigger picture, both sides of the equation and how the game is advanced for all parents with celebrity parents on the front lines.
This is a place to learn a bit more about some of the Philanthropic tour de forces in our midst.
Enjoy an intimate look at the back story of the remarkable Philanthropic Moms among us, featuring some of the most inspirational, motivated and passionate women I know.
Here is a quick peek at what makes these women a natural beacon for good and how they have answered the call to use their power for good, confirming their commitment to make the world a better place.
Enjoy …
For today, I though I’d start with me…
Julia Beck
What makes you a Philanthropic Mom?
I am constantly connecting the pieces – brands, bloggers, celebrities and the bigger picture – If feels as though I am creating a daily mosaic of change– and I am at it all the time – maybe even in my sleep!
What is an early or stand-out memory of community service, philanthropic commitment or another way in which you felt strongly connected to an issue in the bigger world?
I was intoxicated by running the Bowl for Breath for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 1989 on behalf of my college radio station and WPGC (DC) – the ability to unite people for good was off the charts satisfying.
Who was your biggest philanthropic influence?
As a young girl I was surrounded my women like my cousin Sherry Litwer (I remember her directing a run in Philadelphia, the t-shirts read “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now”). I also sat outside of the door of Ruth Hirshey at Philadelphia magazine as a college intern — she had an amazing knack for getting people to step up for programs that were on her agenda and made a real difference in the city. Very few (likely not a soul) said “no” to Ruth ! Later, I met one of my closest friends, Lisa Bernstein, Executive Director of the What to Expect Foundation – her capacity and passion for improving the quality of life for women is something I remain in awe of today.
What about being a Philanthropic Mom makes you most proud?
It is an extremely authentic, genuine and worthwhile use of my talents and time. I know I am talking the talk, walking the walk and teaching my kids the most valuable lessons of all – make an ongoing commitment to the world around you, contribute as you can and pass on the passion.
What is the legacy of change you want to leave behind?
Stay committed to making it so – bring all the enthusiasm, energy and authenticity you’ve got to the table every time!
Customer service, care, consideration and concern — it is everything. The customer IS always right and the brand is always at risk…
Still, today while musing on what is takes to connect and keep in an authentic relationship with consumers, I went to a very personal place and considered which brands can “fail” and still stay in my sweetest of spots.
And so, (and yes I know I am procrastinating, you want the piece on connection not the list of my un-breakable brands) here is is – a short list of brands that I can’t quit. Brands who along the way have not impressed me but whose offerings somehow make it all ok:
Fresh — you know, when it all started between Fresh and Forty Weeks it was about as good as it gets…but now after a multitude of turn-overs on the retail level (frustrating!!!) and some pretty weak b to b exchanges I have my doubts. Yet – I get endless complements on my skin, my scent and no, I could not live without the Sake bath ritual…
W, Hotel — I am your little Eloise at Union Square, you treat me like a princess (and my family like royalty) and for that I am grateful. Still, there was that unprofessional nastiness with the BabyMoon and later some messy communication between your PR team and mine. Finally, hearing that you would not support my R Babay Foundation by donating even a room for auction on the occasion of my honor as Champion — oh that is just bad. Still, I have rooms booked and look forward to each an every return (thank you CT and co).
Quartermiane Coffee – You are the my two-stop a day habit. And your eager team is quick to jump into “happy Julia mode” when I walk through the door. Still, your “points rewards” system is eternally broken, your stores get just a wee bit dirty for my taste and your lines run too long because you have too few people working. And yet, we start every morning (when in town) sitting at the espresso bar and planning out our day…
And so the learning here – yes there are exceptions to every rule. And brands can find themselves irreproachable – but as brand, why would you take that chance?
Sunny, 60s and so very busy — and by that we mean busy good, all kinds of good! Looking forward to a quick NYC drive by…with guest appearances from some of our favorite old friends and strategic partners.
I had to share this foodie-fantastic casting call…
FOOD NETWORK TV PILOT CASTING ENGAGED COUPLES WHO ARE MAJOR FOODIES
Are you engaged to be married anytime between May-August, one or both of you work in the food industry (not crucial), have food differences, both of you have big personalities and aren’t afraid to share your opinions, food is front and center the most important aspect of your wedding? If so and you’d love to be a part of a Food Network pilot where you’ll be able to test out different foods at different venues giving us your expert foodie opinions then please email a 2-3 minute casting video showcasing your fun & vibrant personalities while telling us briefly about yourselves, how you are foodies, what foods you both prefer at your wedding (differences), what you do in food industry, how important food planning is to your wedding todanielle.gretz@leopardfilms.com ASAP. We are looking to have this pilot cast within a week! In your email in addition to the video also include your names, wedding date/location and a recent photo. Thanks & good luck!!
