How You Can Help

A Mother’s Day Message

March 26, 2007

Dear Friend,

With Mother’s Day approaching, like many people, I am making plans to celebrate with my mother on her special day. Yet my thoughts are also drawn to the mothers around the world for whom this day sadly brings little occasion for celebration.

Consider some of the mothers whose stories I have come to know:

• “Anna,” a pregnant teen abandoned by her drug-abusing parents and left homeless on the inner-city streets of Compton, California
• “Mayua,” an expectant mother in the Peruvian Amazon who has no choice but to deliver her baby in her remote mountain home, but who fears the risks, knowing that mothers and their infants often die from infection or lack of medical attention shortly after birth
• “Esperanza,” a Virginia mother of medically fragile twins born three months premature, who risks losing her sons to the child protective system because she doesn’t speak English and therefore can’t understand her doctor’s instructions for using the babies’ oxygen monitors
• “Sarita,” a desperately poor young Indian mother who brought her severely malnourished infant son to the local health post, reporting that she regularly fed the baby tea because she feared she did not have enough breastmilk to fill his stomach
• “Julia,” a mother who has escaped years of violent abuse at the hands of her partner but is now overwhelmed by the responsibility and challenges of raising her children on her own

All of these mothers and their stories are real, and INMED has been there for more than 20 years to help and create hope for all of them—plus thousands of other mothers in the U.S. and around the world. Every mother, like Anna, Mayua, Esperanza, Sarita and Julia, wants to give her child a healthy start in life. But for those living where there is no doctor, who lack education, or who face poverty, isolation, depression or language barriers, having a healthy baby cannot be taken for granted, and the transition from pregnancy to parenting can be too much to handle alone.

INMED has proven solutions and strategies to help these mothers and their children—ensuring access to prenatal and infant health care and immunizations, providing specialized training and sterile delivery kits for traditional birth attendants, delivering in-home health, nutrition and parenting education, and offering comprehensive support for new mothers at risk—but we need you, too.

Please take a moment to return your contribution of $15, $25, $50, or whatever you can give as a Mother’s Day gift for mothers in need. When you do, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your gift represents a long-term investment in the health of mothers and their babies, in stronger, more self-sufficient families, and in children who have the greatest possible opportunities to grow, learn and succeed.

At the same time, you can be sure that your contribution will be utilized effectively and responsibly. For the third consecutive year, INMED has received Charity Navigator’s highest rating for sound fiscal management. We have been designated as an “exceptional” four-star charity, which places us among the top 12% of all nonprofits rated by America’s leading charity evaluator.

To make your tax-deductible contribution, please visit us at www.inmed.org and click on “Donate Now.” You may dedicate your gift to a mother who holds a special place in your life, and we will send her a note acknowledging your contribution in her name. 

Thank you in advance for your generous support, and Happy Mother’s Day!

Warmest regards,

Linda Pfeiffer, Ph.D.
President and CEO

P.S. Your gift to INMED today can help us reach out to more mothers and their children in need. Please be as generous as you can be.