please forgive me for being a few days late in announcing the contest winners! i haven’t been feeling very well (pneumonia!) so i’ve been focusing on getting well. also, i was completely overwhelmed with the entries this year - so many of you sent me your stories and it was so hard to choose. so hard, in fact, that this year, i have two winners.
the first winner is Amy Zavorka of Cedarburg, who nominated the Neville family of Saukville. what struck me was Amy’s generosity towards a family she’s never even met. here’s her entry:
Please consider a very special family for your New Year’s Contest. Brandon, Leah and Baby Mason Neville live in Saukville, WI. Brandon is a Corporal in the Marine Reserves Fox Company 24 in Milwaukee. Brandon was called away to Iraq shortly after his son was born. He got a short visit home and was shocked to see how much Mason had grown. He now has to go back to Iraq and knows he will miss many milestones once again. I thought it would be a priceless gift for you to photograph Leah and Mason, so that Brandon can have amazing glimpses of his child while protecting our freedoms. Leah is now in her first home and is a first time mother, raising her son alone waiting for Brandon’s return. This young family is sacrificing so much. I’ve never actually met this family, but read an article about them. My brother in law is also a part of Fox Company 24 and so their story moved me. Please read their story and consider giving them not only one $400 gift certificate, but mine as well.
the second winner is Amy Witte, who nominated her sister, Angie. here’s Amy’s entry:
I am entering in hopes of winning the portrait gift certificate for my sister, Angie. She is married and a mother to a 21 month-old boy named Ben (see attached picture). Last summer, Ben was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which affects the voluntary muscles used for daily activities, such as crawling, walking, head/neck movement, and even swallowing. 1 in 6000 babies is affected. 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers, and in order for a child to be affected, both parents must be carriers of this recessive gene. The chances of Ben crawling or walking are slim; however he is doing well with the help of physical therapy. He uses a walker and was just fitted for a wheelchair. He is smart, joyful, and a happy little boy. Although he will have physical limitations, his life will be full because of his will and determination.
Angie stays at home with Ben, and keeps a very busy schedule. She devotes many hours to his rehabilitation therapy, endless doctor visits, swimming lessons, and participates in a couple of local mom’s groups. I am convinced that Angie’s strength, persistence, optimism, and love have greatly contributed to Ben’s development and happiness. Currently, she and her husband are undergoing fertility treatment to increase the odds of having a “normal” brother or sister for Ben. They consider this to be a very exciting time, as they look forward to expanding their family.
Please consider my sister and I for your New Year’s Give-Away Contest.
Being a mother myself to two small children, I understand the demands and challenges that go along with motherhood. I also know how special it is to be a mom. I think Angie is a very special mom, and would find this meaningful and uplifting.
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thank you to everyone who entered - i’m in awe of all of you.
