I launched this new venture on the year of the 20th anniversary of my middle daughter’s bone marrow transplant. That was an intentional decision for a number of reasons.
I have spent years living in a hospital setting. The first time was in 2004 when my daughter had her bone marrow transplant. I lived in the pediatric bone marrow transplant unit at Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center for almost four months. I was surrounded by mothers (and fathers, and grandparents) caring for very ill children. When you are faced with a situation like this, self-care is a word that does not cross your mind. There is no time to worry about what you feel like, let alone what you look like. There is no one coming by to offer you the latest “feel good” product or the new breathwork or meditation app. You are simply living day by day to make sure the child you are caring for stays alive.
I remember those days with a mixture of deep pain yet also intense gratitude. Gratitude for the fact that I had family supporting me, that we had insurance to cover the costs of the long stay at the hospital and that we had all that we needed. In that sense we were lucky.
Being in a setting like this allowed for the creation of of an immediate community. I was immensely connected to the women around me, no matter what our backgrounds were, because we all had one similar goal : saving our children’s lives.
When I created Quinta Esencia, in addition to remembering the grace and strength of the ancestral lineage of women in my family, and the lessons they imparted me, I thought of all the women who spend days, weeks, months, living in a hospital setting. The mothers, the grandmothers, the wives, the sisters, the nurses, the doctors, and so many more. I had a vision that I could have each of them get a product that could nourish them, help soothe them, and provide a moment of self-care in their daily struggles.
As such, a portion of our sales will go to a Foundation I have renamed Hummingbirds for Hope. The funds raised will go to family support programs, and to gifting of products like ours to women in settings like the one I lived in for many years.
On September 28th, 2024, we will walk alongside the doctors, nurses, therapists, and other families at the 24th Annual Rainbow of Heroes Walk to honor 20 years of this journey.
Launching Quinta Esencia on this milestone year will assure that we can create a greater impact by having our sales directly and positively affect the many who are living lives devoted to others. Let us help them breathe a little easier through our collective efforts.
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