Sidelines National Support Network  / Volunteer Spotlight  / December_Volunteer

Volunteer of the Month
December 2007
Cynthia Chan

Sidelines volunteer Cynthia Chan

Name: Cynthia Chan
Home: Lexington Park, Maryland
Husband's Name: Kent
Children's Names and Ages: Branden, 15; Joey, Ethan, and Colin, 6

"I wish I had known someone who could give me strategies for dealing with this change in my life, to offer me support, to let me vent, to celebrate with me, etc."

After having two high-risk pregnancies involving bedrest, Cynthia Chan found out about Sidelines. She knew right away that she wanted to provide the kind of support she wished she’d had to other moms-to-be experiencing complicated pregnancies.

With her first high-risk pregnancy, Cynthia was pregnant with twins. At the 27-week visit, the doctor discovered that one twin had died unexpectedly. She was able to continue the pregnancy until 35 weeks. Her oldest son, Branden, is now 15 years old.

The second time, Cynthia was pregnant with triplets. She began having contractions at 15 weeks and was put on modified bedrest at home. Her three sons were born healthy at 35 weeks.

"I remained home until the 26th week when I was admitted to the hospital as a precaution," Cynthia said. "We live in a small community, and the closest facility able to care for me and the babies was over 80 miles away."

A freelance writer, Cynthia became a Sidelines volunteer in 2005. She vividly remembers the isolation she experienced during her periods of bedrest, not knowing anyone who had gone through a similar experience. She had to figure out how to juggle all of her responsibilities while lying down.

Cynthia urges her referrals to ask for and accept assistance from friends and family, being organized in coordination of their support or asking an organized friend to take charge."Accept that this is hard, but know that it is temporary," she recommends.

Because of her own experience with loss, Cynthia has supported several referrals who are also dealing with loss. While she admits this is heartbreaking, she knows how crushing the pain is because she has been there herself.

"I had been supporting a woman who had just lost multiples and was really struggling. One night I alerted my husband and curled up in a chair to give her a call," she said. "We were on the phone for hours, literally. It was a most exhausting and yet rewarding call, as I walked with her through her immense grief and frustration. Both of our husbands went to bed long before we did as we talked late into the night."

"A few days later I received a wonderful e-mail from her letting me know how much she appreciated my call," she continued. "That note means everything to me. My experience, painful as it was, enabled me to help someone else, to make a real difference in someone's life. That is why I volunteer."