We had the good fortune of connecting with Emma Springer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emma, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up just north of Houston in a home filled with love and faith. Family and my Christian faith have always been the most important things in my life. When I was faced with a prenatal diagnosis that left us with an uncertain future, it was these two things that made it possible to move forward each day. Now as a bereaved mother, these two things continue to give me purpose and identity when all else seems to fail me. We started Extra To Love because we want to provide the support – spiritual, emotional, educational and financial – that families in our position need. We know that while we have been blessed with the support system and resources we’ve had, the same isn’t true for everyone. Extra To Love seeks to improve the lives of people with Edwards and Patau Syndromes by supporting their families.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a young person entering college, I didn’t have any true “dreams” for my career. I felt like I was one of the few people who didn’t know exactly what I wanted. I ultimately landed on nursing because it felt like a good fit for me, and I was able to find a lot of excitement in my future career possibilities as a nurse. Little did I know that God was busy at work writing His own story through me.
I had no idea that less than a year from graduating with my nursing degree I would be carrying a child who was expected to have a high-level of medical needs. During my daughter’s life, my healthcare knowledge and experience made it possible for me to understand her needs and to advocate for her confidently and competently. The educational value of Extra To Love, was inspired by my sadness from seeing parents who did not have this type of healthcare education struggle to understand what was going on with their child and therefore be unable to advocate for the best possible care.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In order to do our job of supporting the trisomy community, we have to reach beyond them. The donors and supporters of Extra To Love, who have not been personally affected, make it possible to provide the resources that are needed for the families we serve. If no one cared about our cause unless they were affected, we would be asking the families in need to help other families in need. The compassion and generosity of our donors’ as a result of their willingness to listen and learn is what helps our organization accomplish our goals!

Website: extratolove.org

Instagram: @extratolove

Facebook: @extratolove

Image Credits
For the first image, credit goes to Stefanie Rose

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