What is your passion and mission in life?

My mission in life is just to be the best person I can be- To be a good mom, a good wife, a good friend…a good person. I want to help as many people as I can, when I can, and make fun and amazing memories along the way. I want to make a difference in the lives of people that I know and leave this world just a little bit better than it was before me.

What was your biggest hardship and how did you overcome it?

The most difficult time in my life came when my daughter, Jayden, passed away. No one ever teaches you how to deal with a loss like that as no one really anticipates outliving their child… it is the kind of pain that is indescribable and honestly I hope that no one ever has to go through.

For us, the best way to “function” our way through was by creating our foundation and pouring ourselves into that. It was cathartic for me (and still is) but definitely comes with it’s own set of challenges…

I was terrified when I figured out that I was actually going to be running a business…. not just doing little projects to raise a little bit of money. I would be in charge of people and people would be counting on me to make this foundation grow and succeed. I didn’t know anything about business- I graduated with a degree to teach English so I had a lot to learn. And I feel like I learn something new every day that I do this job. I have amazing people around me (which I learned is the biggest part of running a business) and I could never do this without their support. I am extremely grateful… together with my husband and our team, we are working to make a difference in the lives of so many people- and that is a pretty cool thing to be able to say.

How has this adversity affected pregnancy and raising children?

Everything that we went through with our daughter, Jayden, taught us to be appreciative of everything that we have in our lives. No one can choose exactly how their lives will go. The unexpected happens and all you can choose is how you react to it. Yes, I realize how cliché that sounds.

In the loss of our daughter, we learned that nothing is guaranteed and that we should not take anything for granted- time with your children and those you love is so precious. We try (for the most part) to not put things off until tomorrow because it is never guaranteed. And that does not mean that everything we do is a big grand gesture. We most definitely take the time to see the joy in the little things and to soak those in as much as we can.

How has Maeband helped you?

We were introduced to Maeband through a friend, Miesha Tate. I was overwhelmed at their giving spirit and inspired at how eager they were to help someone they had never met. It was humbling to be chosen to have their support when there are so many great causes out there that need help. They have given so generously to our cause and have always responded so humbly and politely to our foundation. It has been amazing working with them! By the end of the 2018 year, Maeband will have donated close to $12,000 to our cause!! All of this money goes toward the funding of the research projects we do with Children’s Colorado Hospital- a facility that is changing the way children with heart disease are treated, diagnosed, tested and hopefully one day cured! We are so grateful- if that word can even do it justice.

I did not know about Maeband during any of my pregnancies, but man I wish I had. I used a rubberband around the button of my jeans for as long as I possibly could. When the band snapped, I knew I was done for. Haha… this product would have been a life saver!

You inspire us. How can we continue to follow your story and learn more about you?

Everything about our story and The Jayden DeLuca Foundation can be found on our website: www.jaydendelucafoundation.org

You can also connect with us on Facebook and Instagram as well. We are constantly trying to grow our community of families facing this challenge and would love to connect with anyone out there living with CHD.

Maeband is excited to inspire and encourage all moms to succeed by helping them through our Scholarship for Mom’s. A new mom is picked every semester to receive the Maeband Scholarship. You can read HERE who is eligible and how you can apply.