Sunday, September 30, 2012

Today, two very special CHD angels Faith and Eiren are celebrating their birthdays in Heaven. This
motivates me every day to raise awareness to the #1 Birth Defect and make a difference. Matthew
our CHD warrior is still here fighting the fight and I hope what we are doing in memory of both of
you, makes you proud! He continues to do well and has started Preschool again as well as soccer
both of which he loves!
Our Gala on September 15th was a great success and we raised over $15,000 for our great cause. A
special “Gura Mile Maith Agat”, (thanks a million in Gaelic) goes out to the Incredible Fundraising
Committee of Sue Peet, Susan Seeger, Jeannine Johnson, Amy Bocompani and Julie Head. It was a
great night of celebration and fun. Thank you also to Rocco and Manny and their staff at Anthony’s
Lake Club, they did an amazing job and the food was delicious. Thank you also to Bob O’Connor our
DJ who did a great job. Congratulations to all the honorees, I hope your plaques have a place of
honor in your homes or offices, we appreciate all that you have done to help Matthew’s Hearts of
Hope on our journey to this point. Thank you also to all our donors, we had 48 silent and live auction
items and 18 raffle items!
Guideposts Magazine was here on Thursday for a photo shoot and our story will be featured in their
upcoming January Edition. Also The Danbury News Times called yesterday and did an interview on
me since I won the 2012 Women of Heart Award, see attached flyer for details of the event on
November 1st ………………………... I am humbled, flattered and grateful . Thank you Bernadette Schopfer
for the nomination, it was a complete surprise. I am blessed every day to have a four year in my life
that inspires me to work hard and make a difference. We also just delivered more “Heart Pillows” to
Columbia Presbyterian. As always thank you from the bottom of my heart and Matthew’s half a heart
for your support and prayers
 
Money Donated to Columbia Presbyterian Raised from the Gala
Matthew and the Heart Pillows Delivered to Columbian Presbyterian

 

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Matthew is having a GREAT SUMMER! We have taken three quick trips, two overnight stays at Aunt
Ginny’s for bowling and fireworks with a visit to The Land of Make Believe and then last week we
went to see Santa Clause at his summer home in Wilmington New York.  He is swimming a lot also in
the pool with his life jacket and loves it. He is down to once a day Lasix and tolerating it very well,
otherwise he continues on his Sildenafil three times a day and Aldactone, Aspirin and Amoxicillin in
the mornings. 
He turned 4 on Monday, August 6th and we celebrated with a quiet lunch with his godmother
Corrine,  his brothers and I. I feel blessed to have reached another great milestone in his precious
life, what an amazing gift from God he has been!
We also met Governor Malloy on July 20th for a Ceremonial Signing of SB 56 also to be known as
“Matthew and Faith’s Law”, it was signed into law on May 8th. It was bittersweet since Faith was
only there in spirit but we feel good about doing good in memory of her. Her parents Erica and Billy
were there as was her little sister Hope.
We are also full steam ahead on our next fundraiser “Matthew’s Hearts of Hope Second Annual
Giving From the Heart Gala” on September 15th at Anthony’s Lake Club in Danbury where we
are honoring State Senator Michael McLachlan, State Representative Richard Smith, Robert
Miller of the News Times, Yvonne Nava of NBC Connecticut  for their efforts with “Matthew
and Faith’s Law”. We are also honoring local physicians Dr. Kevin Ferguson and Dr. Richard
Berning for their efforts in helping with “Matthew and Faith’s Law”. Also on the honoree list
are Roy Young, Fairfield Processing, The Sherman School, Sue Peet, Drew Sauer, PC Guys and
Lorraine Hamel for all their help with Matthew’s Hearts of Hope and The Hug a Heart Pillow
Project. The tickets are $50 each and are available on the website, see the link on the
homepage.
I look forward to seeing a lot of you at the Gala and as always, thank you for your support and
prayers.
 
 

 

 
The Boys with Santa Clause at his summer home in Wilmington New York.
 


Governor Malloy on July 20th for a Ceremonial Signing of SB 56
 
 

Monday, May 7, 2012

Matthew continues to do great! He is still taking 8 doses of medicine a day but his Lasix is
decreased to 0.8 ccs twice a day and he has tolerated that well! He has also started to play soccer
with his brothers and loves it!
 
Senate Bill 56 has made great progress also. On March 7th Matthew and I along with some friends
went to Hartford to share testimony at the Public Health Committee Hearing on why we think
Senate Bill 56 is so important and to ask everyone to support it!  They heard us loud and clear, on
March 9th they voted unanimously and SB 56 passed The Public Health Committee and the bill
headed to the Senate. On April 18th, Senator Michael McLachlan and Senator Terry Gerratana did
a great job speaking about the importance of SB 56 and it was placed on the consent calendar
meaning it was voted again unanimously out of the Senate. And so onto the House of
Representatives and again it was voted unanimously out of the House and now onto Governor
Malloy’s Desk who we anticipate he will sign it into law very soon!
 
We are also in the final stages of filing our paperwork to become an official Non for Profit
Organization, thank you Bernadette and Amy for all your help! Thank you to the Kids Care Club of
New Fairfield and Paula Flower for making 40 heart pillows on April 12th, you did a great job!
Thank you also to Representative Richard Smith for stopping by to show your support!
We have made our first delivery of heart pillows to Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Cardiac
ICU on March 19th and they were very well received! The children love them, see pictures below!
Thank you as always for all your prayers and support, I am feeling very blessed indeed as
Mother’s Day approachs this year, I have a lot to be thankful for!
 
See Below an update from Senator Michael McLachlan a great voice on this important piece of legislation in Hartford for us.

Sen. McLachlan Applauds Infant Heart Screening Measure’s Passage; Sherman Resident Has Pushed for Measure
 
 

 
Senator Michael Mc Lachlan at the Public Health Committee Hearing on March 7th!
Left to Right: Billy Venezia holding a picture of Faith, Erica Venezia holding Hope, Faith's little sister, Olwen Gurry, Sean Pietras, Senator Michael McLachlan, Matthew Hatcher, Marie Hatcher, Dr Richard Berning.
 

2 photos from the Heart Pillow Delivery on March 19th 2012! Above Girl PillowBelow Boy pillow
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Well, what a great two months we have had in January and February. Matthew continues to do
great! We were able to taper his night time Lasix down to half a dose and he has tolerated it
fine. He also took his first out of state trip to Florida to visit Nana and Pop Pop for their
birthdays, he loved the pool, boat ride and the ocean. I loved hearing him laugh, after all he has
been through, it warms my heart! He is doing great in Preschool. His speech has improved
drastically and we now have conversations with Matthew and we are both a lot less frustrated!
Thank you Jill . Thank you also to Kathryn and Karen his OT and PT therapists. Thank you also to
Beth, Sue and Sue for all you are doing to help our” little man”.
 
Matthew was also featured on NBC 30 Connecticut with Yvonne Nava in a segment that aired on
February 20th and 21st about Congenital Heart Defects and Pulse Oximetry Screening and our
advocacy efforts. Yvonne Nava also interviewed Dr. Raul Arguello and Senator Michael
McLachlan. I am hoping to upload to the website. If for some reason it does not work, it can be
viewed on Senator Michael Mc Lachlan’s website under Life-saving test for newborns.
February has been a busy month also with Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Month and “The
Hug a Heart Pillow Project”. On February 10th, the children at The Sherman School where
Matthew goes to Preschool joined together and stuffed 188 Heart Pillows. Every class
participated and all the pillows were stuffed with lots of love and enthusiasm! A huge THANK
YOU goes out to SUE PEET for all her efforts behind the scenes to make this happen! We planned
on delivering them on Valentine’s Day but alas Matthew was sick. We will be delivering very
soon to help comfort the children at Columbia Presbyterian who like Matthew have to undergo
Open Heart Surgery.
 
Also thank you to Rob, Scott, Marisa and Paulette at New Milford Sports Center who helped to
raise over $300 for Matthew’s Hearts of Hope by hosting a Spinathon Fundraiser on February
25th. Thank you to all who participated, especially Beth, Lee, Sue, Greg, Laurie and Billy! Thank
you also to The Sherman Library, The Sherman IGA and Christ Church Nursery School in Pawling
and Salon De Palma for selling Heart Necklaces in the month of February!
 
We have a Bill in Connecticut RSB 56. I had a private meeting with both the co-chairs of the
Public Health Committee, Senator Gerratana and Representative Ritter. They are very supportive
of mandating Pulse Ox Screening on every newborn. The March of Dimes and The American
Heart Association are also supportive to this great piece of legislation. The Bill will be named
“Matthew and Faith’s Law” in honor of Matthew a CHD Warrior and his friend Faith, a CHD Angel .
We have a Public Hearing on RSB 56 on Wednesday, March 7th. We are hoping this will pass out of
Committee to the Senate and then house quickly! Lives will be saved, it is that simple!
Lastly I would like to thank Amy Bocompani for her tireless efforts to help me get more
organized. You have been a huge help to Matthew’s Hearts of Hope, Thank You! Thank you also
to Christina Crowe and Bernadette Schopfer for their help with Matthew’s Hearts of Hope
becoming a Non for Profit. Thank you also to Board Member Virginia Clerkin for working on the
Bi-Laws.  
 
Coming soon, Guideposts has approached us about featuring Matthew and Matthew’s Hearts of
Hope in a future edition, I’ll keep you posted. As always thank you for your prayers and support!
 
 
The Hug a Heart Pillow Project  On February 10th 2012 with the children at The Sherman School

 
Matthew, Marie and Senator McLaughlin with NBC 30 Connecticut's Yvonne Nava