Kickstarter update-We only have 2 days left of our project to get Following After Trek into paperback! It has been so fun these past few days watching our goal be surpassed and then go higher and higher everyday. I cannot wait to see the total amount and how many books we will be able to print from it! Thank you all so much and if you can please keep sharing with all of your friends and family we would be so thankful.

I met Julie and her daughter 6 months ago, just a few days after Trek turned 1 year old. Here is how we met in Julie’s words (I had to include a picture of her and her daughter because I think they are so beautiful!)-

The story behind how this interview came about is almost unbelievable. I met Chelsea Ingram VERY briefly as we were both in Wolly’s Party store in Waco buying things for first birthday parties. Her for Trek. Me for Callie. Our babies were born within days of each other. I did not know the story behind Trek . In fact, I only remembered his big beautiful eyes and the way he was nestled in his mom’s arms on the aisle that day…and I remembered her. She was beautiful. I knew she wasn’t from Waco, because surely I would have seen her before. She wasn’t. But I never got her name. All i knew was she came from Hawaii to visit family somewhere near by.

I left Wolly’s in tears that day. Why didn’t I get her name? I knew now I probably never would, and I’d spend a lifetime wondering how Trek’s party went, and how he was doing. I knew Trek had some kind of illness, though how severe I had no idea. I also left Wolly’s empty handed. I didn’t even buy what I came in for that day. It was a pointless trip to the store for party favors. But I didn’t get them. I couldn’t. I felt guilty and spoiled. I knew Trek had something going on that was serious, and here I was going home to a party for a perfectly healthy little girl. Good health I had taken for granted. It just didn’t seem fair. I called my husband, Sam, on my way home that day and told him the story. I wanted to call off Callie’s party all together.

I never forgot Chelsea and I never forgot Trek. Then…months later… I saw a posting on a friends page in Lubbock. Sarah Gooch had posted a link expressing her grief over the passing of Trek. I clicked on Chelsea’s name, and I knew that face. I knew his, too. Then I saw they lived in Hawaii. How could it be? How could our world’s have reconnected? Her now in Thailand, and me in Texas. Ever since then, we have been friends on facebook, and I have religiously followed her blog…..Many nights laying in bed, crying as I read it. Sam would often have to tell me to put the laptop away. But she was so wise. In her pain and suffering and also joy of such a beautiful, yet short life, I was learning so much about a love for a child. Her words and her love for her child are beautiful. Please take time to watch her amazing story, and please….buy a copy of her husband’s upcoming book. Thank you Chelsea for all you’ve done to share awareness, and thank you Chelsea for teaching us all how to “embrace life.”

I was amazed when I got an email from Julie a few days after Trek died. I remembered her too, it was a moment for me that stood still. Me standing there with my baby who would not live to his next birthday and Julie with hers who might have 100. I was so happy for her, I was happy not to tell her of Trek, I did not want to take away her joy, 1 year old, such a magical day for every mama. I didn’t want to dampen it with the sorrow of  ours. The fact that she intuitively knew meant so much to me and I was so happy to connect with her again.

I am so thankful for her and her friendship and the bond we share of birthing a child in the same week of our lives.

After starting our Kickstarter project Julie contacted me again. Julie is a news anchor for KWTX in Waco, Texas and invited me to be on a program on her station. I of course agreed, I was so excited to get to share Trek’s story on tv! She put me in contact with Emily who is the beautiful host of the MomsEverday program.

I did the interview via Skype, I was so nervous before, but as I started talking I felt so comfortable. Trek and his story are a part of me so its second nature to talk about him and our journey. I had the room all set up with good light and even had a practice Skype session with my sister and mom to make sure I didn’t have a booger in my nose or anything like that.

All was well until I called the station and our Thailand internet connection was not working properly. I had to abandon my perfectly lit setup and relocate to the meditation tower of our house where the internet is to get a better connection. There is no light up there, but plenty of spiders and bugs since we never use it. We brought some lamps up there and resituated and called them back.  The internet lasted for almost the entire interview, I got cut off at the end, but I was so happy with all that I was able to share.

I am so thankful for Julie and Emily for giving me the chance to tell about Trek, our family, Jarrett’s book, and even our Kickstarter project! Here it is if you want to check out the interview on MomsEveryday!

Chelsea’s interview Part 1

Chelsea’s interview Part 2