My name is Kimberly. My oldest daughter, Lexie, was born with multiple organ failure and bleeding in the brain due to complications at birth.  Lexie has endured things that no child should ever have to endure.  And, as her parent, I have seen, heard, and experienced things that no parent should ever have to experience.  These experiences led me to write a children’s book, entitled “Brave Just Like Me” to comfort and encourage children facing a wide range of medical experiences. After writing the book, I wanted to find a way to encourage and support the parents of seriously ill children.  Given how consuming our children’s health care needs are, it can be difficult to attend support group meetings in our local communities (assuming one even exists).

Being an online professor, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Internet wasn’t the answer.  So, I set out to create a virtual support group for parents of children with serious and life threatening medical conditions.  I maintained the name “Brave Just Like Me” for this virtual support group because I believe it takes a very brave person to walk into a NICU, to carry a child into surgery, to research frightening medical conditions, to ask questions that even the bravest among us fear the answers to, and to make decisions in life and death situations.   I have been there.  I know just how terrifying and difficult it is.  But, I also know how much it helps to connect with people who are experiencing the same thing.  Each of us can prove a valuable resource to the other.

I hope you will join me in building a strong and much needed community of support.