March of Dimes

SHARE HOME > BACKSTAGE WORKROOM > BACKSTAGE WORKROOM > BEHIND THE SCENES WITH JAMES

ARCHIVES

James SooHoo

March 2010

Category: Home

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

SHAREUNION!

Aug 25, 2008 10:43am (EST)

I posted something similiar about ShareUnion a year ago...and it still holds true...and really I can't say it any better...

I hope you’ll join us in Houston, TX on October 18 and 19 for the 4th Annual ShareUnion. If there is one event for mission-affected families that I would say should not be missed it would be the ShareUnion. It is entirely created, driven and staged by mission families for mission families.

Think of the first time you saw your favorite movie. It probably made you laugh out loud and it probably made you cry, it surprised you and it made you think. You carried it with you for a long time until it became a part of the fabric of your history.

This to me is what ShareUnion is like. I’ve gone to three. It was like seeing my favorite movie for the first time and then again and again…for the first time.

Also, just to re-assure you, it’s not only about prematurity. It is as much about birth defects and infant loss. No one will feel left out or out of place.

That said…I do hope that you will consider coming. If you want more information and/or are already planning on attending, please fill out the form.

I can't wait to see you there!

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (8) | Permalink

DYLAN PICTURES

Aug 21, 2008 01:08pm (EST)

I will write this week or next about ShareUnion...but I did this once for Julien and will too for Dylan. Just cuz.

2008d015_0782lowres

2008d015_0746lowres

2008d015_0796lowres

2008d015_0821lowres

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (11) | Permalink

INTRODUCING LITTLE FROG!

Jun 25, 2008 10:53am (EST)

I just wanted to share a weekend picture with you all of my youngest son’s Red Egg and Ginger party.

The Red Egg and Ginger party typically is the introduction of the baby to its social circle (which didn’t change much from generation to generation). And because you all are part of my social circle, it seems apt that I introduce you to the party and to Dylan as well.

The party is also where the child receives his name (which neither of my children have because my aunties keep vetoing names like Little Frog). In China, where the infant mortality rate had been high, you waited one month to 100 days before having the party and naming the child. The delay was twofold, it gave the mother a chance to recuperate and by not naming the child you were trying to trick the evil spirits into not knowing the child had been born.

Red is good luck in Chinese culture and the eggs are dyed from white which is the color of mourning. The symbolism of the eggs (which are rolled upon the babies body by its maternal grandmother) is harmony and the renewal of life. The ginger (which is eaten by the mother) is used a lot in Chinese medicine and is for good health.

For fun, I am attaching three pictures. One of this past weekend. One from Julien’s along with a picture of my brother for Jaclyn. The last is from my own Red Egg and Ginger party almost four decades ago with my Nyen Nyen (paternal grandmother).

DylanREandG

JulienREandG

JamesREandG

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (15) | Permalink

BOUNCING AROUND IN MY LIFE....

May 08, 2008 01:07pm (EST)

Hi all,

Wow…my blog has gone into archives! Okay, I’m not that shocked…I have a volunteer (thanks Denise!) who has been telling me weekly that I needed to update it. That said…lots have been going on.

First…Julien celebrated his second birthday. A lot has happened in a year. He can count to 50. He knows his ABCs and can spell Diego, Dora, Boots, red, pink, yellow, dog, fish, and home. I am very proud to say that I taught him all of that.

His mother, on the other hand, accidentally taught him a four letter word that starts with “F.”

Second…Dylan was baptized. I don’t have any pictures of the ceremony (because I was too busy trying to duck things Julien was throwing at me. Hymnals. Bibles. Prayer cushions. Yes, Julien’s behavior that day was somewhere out of the Exorcist). Dylan, however, was cool as a cucumber....so cool he's got to wear his shades.

I have also been doing some work travel…speaking at various conferences about SHARE and how much it has changed the lives of so many participants and how much it has changed the environment of the March of Dimes.

Most recently, I traveled to Des Moines and Kansas City for March for Babies. It was a tale of two cities and their weather. I arrived in Missouri amidst a tornado, then traveled with Denise to Des Moines and drank cold coffee (it started off hot but turned cold within seconds of hitting the Iowa air) and then back to Kansas City which was so hot I had to change my sweaty clothes twice on the same day. Along the way, I got to spend time with some amazing Share Your Story community members. I wish I could meet everyone on the site…but did get to spend time with Carissa and Denise and Kara and Shonda, and Darcy and all of their families. I wish I lived closer to you all.

A special thanks to Denise who picked me up from the airport, drove me to Des Moines back to Kansas City and then to the airport and luckily did not appear to be too bored with me. Just in case you are wondering what kind of driver Denise might be, see the picture below. I think it pretty much sums it up.

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (17) | Permalink

NEW LOOK, NEW PERSPECTIVE AT THE MARCH OF DIMES!

Jan 16, 2008 10:59am (EST)

We have a new look and slightly new perspective here at the March of Dimes. Our new colors are purple and we are now expanding our outreach to engage a broader market. We’re now celebrating all babies and targeting moms and moms-to-be. Mom relates to our mission best. She has strong circle of influence, which can help us connect with dads, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends – bringing us more volunteers and donors.

You, your children, your stories are not lost in the new positioning. We are simply reaching out to more people, not redirecting our efforts. As families who have lived the mission, you are on the frontlines helping to communicate our new positioning.

The March of Dimes is the champion for babies - those born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive. Your family understands better than anyone else, the March of Dimes mission. Throughout our history, people like you, whose babies were born prematurely, with a birth defect, or didn't survive, have played valuable roles as spokespeople, advocates and leaders. Moms and dads willing to share their personal stories remind everyone of the urgency of our mission and inspire dedication and action.

Our mission has not changed - we are more committed than ever to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Premature birth is still the number one health problem facing babies and the leading cause of newborn death. Defeating premature birth remains t he March of Dimes top mission objective.

The March of Dimes is working toward the day when all babies will be born healthy.

If you would like to become more involved in your local chapter, please visit marchofdimes.com and/or would like to volunteer your time as a virtual volunteer on this site, please contact me .

MODlogo_RGB_4

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (11) | Permalink

JULIEN MEETS HIS BABY BROTHER....

Nov 14, 2007 07:42am (EST)

Yesterday, Julien met his brother for the first time. He went right over to his brother, put his hand on Dylan’s hand and said “Hi. baby.” We all breathed a sigh of relief. There wasn’t going to be any tension. Any sibling rivalry. They were going to be great friends. Julien walked away and then pretty much ignored him for the rest of the afternoon.

A day later, it’s okay. Julien seems to get stressed out a little when the baby is crying. I might be projecting, but he seems to sense that his world has changed forever.

I am the oldest of four. I know what it is like. I had a coperinican moment in time. I went from believing that I was the earth and that the universe revolved around me….to just another planet revolving around the sun. And let’s just say that I wasn’t really prepared for a renaissance in my thinking. I was very happy to stay in my own little dark age.

What Julien doesn’t really know yet is how great having a brother can be. My brother Stephen was with me when both of my sons were born. He and his wife were at the hospital both times waiting with me through the long hours of labor. He’s been there through all of my major life events. He was the best man in my wedding. He greeted me when I finished my first (and only) marathon. We rode our bikes together from Boston to NY (well, at least until we rode into a hurricane).

I am very blessed. I couldn’t ask for better siblings (along with my brother Jeffrey and sister Michelle). I couldn’t ask for better friends.

Julien and Dylan 1

Julien and Dylan

Stephen Liza and Dylan

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (20) | Permalink

HOLDING MY SON ON THE FIRST DAY OF HIS LIFE...

Nov 12, 2007 08:33pm (EST)

"And I am dumb to tell a weather's wind How time has ticked a heaven round the stars" - Dylan Thomas

I was talking with a dear friend today about having children later in life and how there is a part of us that wished we had done it sooner. I wish I had the energy of my late 20s but back then, I didn’t have the patience. I don’t know if it is a product of fatherhood or a product of my age (38), but I don’t think I would have appreciated fatherhood as much at any other time in my life.

This same friend once asked me about regrets in my life. While I have a couple of things that I would have done differently, my biggest regret is that I didn’t slow down and appreciate each moment as I was living them. I regret that I didn’t pay enough attention.

As so here am, likely closer to the end then the beginning. I am a father to a new life. A newborn son who has an entire journey ahead of him of wants, of dreams, of love. Perhaps one day he will look back on his life as he holds a child of his own. Perhaps he will say that he, too, has no regrets because all of his life led him to that point.

Dad and Dylan

Dad and Dylan 2

Tired Dad

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (18) | Permalink

THE JOURNEY OF DYLAN VICTOR SOOHOO (AS TOLD BY HIS FATHER, HIS MOTHER HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STORY)

Nov 11, 2007 05:28pm (EST)

I am proud to introduce the newest member of my family - Dylan Victor SooHoo. For those that read about what it was like last time, I’m happy to say that I survived!

As I mentioned early this morning in the Café, Kristen woke me up at 2am to say that she was having contractions and that we needed to go and I grumbled that she was waking me up and that I was tired and for her to turn off the (fill in the blank) light.

We left at 3am, dropped Julien off at his grandmother’s and were off to the hospital. We arrived at 4am. As we approached labor and delivery, we could hear a woman shouting “I want pain medication you (again fill in the blank). This really (blank) hurts! GET IT OUT OF ME!”

Kristen put on her gown and they connected her to all of the monitors. She looked really uncomfortable and I kept asking her if she wanted me to get her something to drink or eat or whatever. She told me to just leave her alone, so I complied and quickly fell asleep on the foldout couch for about three hours.

The labor part sucked, but the delivery went without a hitch and was done in about 15 minutes. There was, however, a lot of screaming. Blood curdling screaming, cursing, and some gnashing of teeth. No, not by Kristen. She got an epidural about an hour earlier. All of it was by me.

Anyway…Dylan is just as beautiful as his brother and I couldn’t be prouder.

All of that said, here are three pictures. The first was taken about a half hour before delivery. Kristen had already had the epidural and was saying that she couldn’t feel her legs, so I did what anyone else would do in that situation, I put surgical gloves on her feet. (Yes, I can see you judging me, but you know you would do it too.) Don’t her feet look like chickens? The second was right after delivery. And the last was about an hour ago.

Mother and baby are now sleeping soundly. They had a long day and deserve their rest. I’m proud of them

chicken feet

Dylan Victor

Dylan Victor 2

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (21) | Permalink

PREMATURITY AWARENESS MONTH

Oct 31, 2007 10:17am (EST)

Prematurity Awareness Month will officially kick off in my hometown! At sunset on November 1, the Empire State Building will be lit up in pink and blue. The Con Edison Clock Tower at 17th St., the Staten Island Mall Marquis and Brooklyn Borough Hall will be shining our colors brightly. In Times Square, you can see two prematurity TV PSAs featuring Eli Manning and Andrea Day on the giant Astrovision screen throughout the month. And, on November 13, Prematurity Awareness Day, the Every Baby Has A Story Tour will officially come to the end of its journey in Manhattan.

NYC

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (10) | Permalink

SHAREUNION - END CREDITS...

Oct 26, 2007 01:35pm (EST)

I hope you are all like me and stay around at the end of a good movie for the final credits...because looking around the site, it makes me glad to see that everyone had a great time at the ShareUnion. It’s a lot of work by staff and volunteers and it is great to see it all come together. That said…I wanted to acknowledge everyone who helped put it all together and made it a memorable time for me and for everyone who attended. It is my favorite weekend of the year.

Thank you....

Michele who three years ago decided we needed to have a ShareUnion and thus started a tradition of volunteers with checklists of things for me to do behind the scenes.

When you first approached the registration table, Colleen was one of the people there to greet you. How many of us have been first welcomed and comforted by her sweet words on the site? How many of you knew last weekend that you would be taken care of the second you saw Colleen flash her beautiful smile?

Karri Thank you for kicking us off this year. We’ve figuratively and literally held each other up through walks in the night.

Donna put together the community cookbooks we gave away, she also gave periodic pop quizzes. Hmmm….where else might she do that? Since she is older than me, I’ve grown accustomed to and can always count on her accumulated wisdom over the years. I’m so glad you are safe and sound.

Karen who delivered a beautiful speech about the Get Involved folder. This is going to surprise everyone who was there, but she was TERRIFIED to do it. She simply got up and she delivered it as if she spent her life talking in front of large groups. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know her pretty well and Karen is like that…willing to put herself out on the line and when she does it is as if she’s pro.

Kara Thank you for such a great Family Teams workshop. It was smart and informative but also quirky, frenetic and fun. It was, well, Kara. Hanging out with Kara is an experience unto itself…she’s a blast.

Kate, Jessica and Sharlene provided extra help and support with the remembrance ceremony. Not many know this but Sharlene planned the first Remembrance Ceremony years ago and they have all been building on her basic theme since then. Thanks to Jessica for jumping in at the last second. And, Kate…lets just say the party started as soon as Kate arrived in DC.

Shonda and Jaclyn hosted the Scrapbooking session. Even the participants who don’t scrapbook were saying that they wished it was longer (and it was longer than it was the year before!) Okay, I’ll admit that scrapbooking might be fun but those two bright stars could make anything sound like fun. I could listen to them all day.

I don’t think that I need to mention how great the video was that Carissa created. Others have done that. I think I need to, instead, thank Carissa for not killing me when the equipment that I provided was…well, less than adequate. Carissa is not only talented but is also a sweetheart and, luckily, it worked out.

Thanks to Tracy who helped in the planning but couldn’t be there with us this year.

EXTRA special thanks to Denise , whom I waxed poetically about in my closing, who coordinated the entire event. I could write a whole entry on her, but she already knows how much I appreciate her.

I also want to thank staff that helped out. All of whom are dear friends of mine who volunteered their weekend to spend with us

Thank you...

Mike Finnerty for his kind nature and warm sense of humor….who can make a presentation on the history of the March of Dimes be what it should be….personal.

Thank you to Melanie Lockhart for joining us to do an advocacy workshop after her busiest, most exhausting week of her year. It was so very much appreciated.

Melanie Sweeney for her volunteer overview and for being my confidante and friend all these years. It’s amazing to think how much we’ve influenced each other since that first call I made to you years ago.

Melissa Middleton thank you for your presentation on NICU Family Support. Share Your Story is still a reflection of you and is much better off for it. I still miss our daily phone calls.

Thanks to Meredith Raynor and Kim Bivona who no one got to meet but who worked tirelessly with the hotel to set everything up

Scott Berns , whose passion and compassion for everything he does and whose love of the site participants is equally reciprocated.

Judi Gooding …who, often against her better judgment, lets me run amok not just during the ShareUnion but also the other 51 weeks out of the year. She is the best supervisor I’ve ever had. It’s rare to have a manager, mentor and friend all in one person and I’m very lucky to have found that in Judi.

And, finally, what can I say about Darcy Milder ? My life is so much easier with her in it. She is not only my partner in crime…but also keeps me to task. She even had the nerve to be snarky when she saw the equipment I provided for Carissa’s video (see above).

Come to think of it…she also was snarky enough to announce during her “coding” workshop that I was the most ego-centric person she knows. That said…the below pictures are not really that indicative of the ShareUnion….but it’s true…they are the ones that I liked the best. Why? Because I’m in them.

So….thanks to me! But seriously, and far more importantly…thank you to everyone I mentioned, to all I might have forgotten, to all who attended and to all I’m going to meet next year. I can’t believe how much you all have provided for and supported each other. I can’t believe there was ever a time when you weren’t part of my life. I have special and separate places in my heart for all of you. You are all individually very important to me. And, yet, it’s still nice to know that there is one place I can go to find all of you….here, on SHARE.

1711943013_d088fad3cd

Friday night

100_0377

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (14) | Permalink