The moment I heard about Maddie Spohr’s tragic death, I knew I had to do something. So, whenever Isabel Kallman of AlphaMom wrote on Twitter stating that she’d be walking for the March of Dimes in honor of Maddie, I decided to join her.

Neil, Isabel, and Jen

It was completely out of character for me to do something like that. I normally shy away from people I don’t know and events full of new faces. And before Sunday, I hadn’t ever met any of these people before. I’m so glad I overcame any anxiety I had, because I had the best time.

Up until Sunday, I had no idea what I’d been missing. 

I honored Maddie on Sunday the best way I knew how, through laughter, conversation, and good old fashioned work. We walked three miles through the streets of New York City. And once we arrived at our destination, I gathered every last bit of strength I had left and ran the remaining 5 miles home. 

I thought of Maddie the entire way. Every time I thought about giving up (it was 90 degrees, after all!), I pictured her smiling face and kept on going.

And when I got home and I felt that I could change the world.

So, you’ll have to forgive me if this post comes off as selfish, I know no other way to express my gratitude at this point, and I simply don’t understand what it means to lose a child, but I need to take a minute and thank the March of Dimes, Marinka, and everyone I walked beside that day. 

Most importantly I need to thank Madeline Alice Spohr.

On sunday, I not only felt proud calling myself a blogger, a March of Dimes Mom, and a mother; I felt proud calling myself a human being.

Thank you, Maddie.