Tuesday, May 24th 2005

This will be a LONG posting! We woke early again for our big day. For the record, yes I did know ahead of time that we were scheduled to meet the President but I didn’t want to say much about this because that information had not been released to the press at that time. I also knew about the potential for the birthday party but I only mentioned this to a few as I didn’t figure it was likely to happen.

We decided to forgo the metro that morning due to the chaos involved (plus it was raining:) and we took a cab to the appointed Congressional building. The press conference was set for 10:30 AM. It brought tears to my eyes to be in a room filled with former “leftover” embryos. What an awesome experience to take a stand for life surrounded by precious children whose genetic families loved them enough to find adoptive families for them and DID NOT allow them to be terminated or researched upon.

During the press conference, all the snowflake families and children stood behind the podium, there were over 60 people that lined the front of the room. The speakers presented as follows:

(1) Congressman Pitts

(2) Congressman Dave Weldon

(3) Congressman Mike Pence

(4) Congressman Bart Stupak

*Note: I was so proud of these representatives. They did a wonderful job and they stood firm. They were honest and bold and did not sidestep the issue. If I were in any of their districts, they’d get my vote:) If you live in their districts, you have reason to be proud.

(5) Ron Stoddard and Lori Maze
Ron is the Director of Nightlight Christian Adoption and Lori Maze is the Program Director for Snowflakes
(6) Betty Burnett
Betty is a genetic mom who placed her embryos for adoption. She represented the issue beautifully.
(7) Tim and Sarah Cochran
Tim and Sarah are hoping to be Snowflake parents:). They have just begun the adoption process.
(8) Steve and Kate Johnson
We were all so proud of Steve and Kate and so glad they came. Steve was paralyzed in a biking accident several years ago and is now a snowflake dad (daughter is Zara). He spoke about his desire for a cure for his spinal chord injury but not at the expense of his daughter’s life NOR ANYONE ELSE’s child’s life. His message was powerful.
(9) Janet and Kevin Mason
They did a wonderful job with their presentation. They are Snowflake parents to twins. Janet is a family practice physician and Kevin is a medical researcher.
(10) Sharon Tesdall
Sharon is a snowflake mommy (Mikayla is snowflake #9 – born right after Tanner). She shared her journey through infertility and talked about infertility being a “disease” in and of itself that is “cured” through embryo adoption.
(11) Doni Brinkman
Yes I was on the list but the press conference was running long and they had to make a last minute decision to conclude therefore, they had to end before I could present. While I wanted so much to have the opportunity to stand and speak up for these little one’s, I also recognized that GOD IS SOVEREIGN and HE had made this choice. It was not my time. However, as I am sure you are curious about what I was going to say (LOL)…I will post that for you at the bottom of this posting.

(12) Congressman Pitts wrapped up and addressed questions from the media.

While there were at least 8 TV cameras that I counted, I did not catch any of this press conference on the news. There may have been short clips of it but I have not yet seen them. Tanner was showing signs of illness at this point but I didn’t recognize them as such. He kept asking for a drink (and I thought he just wanted a change of scenery) and ultimately he fell asleep on the floor during the press conference. He just couldn’t stand up anymore.

After this press conference we were expected to meet at the South East Gate of the White House. The original plan was that we would have the press conference in the Rose Garden but alas….it rained:). Tanner and I and the Grey’s, anxious to get to the White House on time, took a cab to the nearest McDonald’s. This time saving trip didn’t earn us the extra mileage we hoped for and we ended up walking from McDonald’s to the White House while eating and feeding our kids on our trek. I felt like a true pavement pounding lobbyist at that point:).

When we got to the White House, we waited for all the snowflake families to gather outside the gate. It feels funny to have TV crews film you on approach because you have to try and appear as though you don’t know they are there and continue on as normal. When the families were gathered, military personnel dressed in their white uniforms escorted us in. As I understand it (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong), public tours are of the West Wing. We were escorted into the East Wing. In fact, the Presidents personal lodging was on the floor right above us.

The White House is both beautiful and elaborate. Military personnel were stationed at specific points throughout the house and one would escort you to the next. Every detail of the event was executed with perfection. The “coat closet” was actually the President’s movie room. How fun is that? I was later told that a big exception had been made for the Snowflakes. There were NO ropes and the kids were all sitting on the East Wing furniture. Apparently, that NEVER happens:). What a welcoming we received!

The first order of business was to be escorted to the press room and shown where we would sit. Each seat was marked with a name. When it was my turn, our escort could not find our seat. My heart began to pound and I was filled with dread. “Oh no! Surely they didn’t miss our name from the list! That would be heartbreaking!” At that moment, another woman intervened and said “Doni and Tanner aren’t seated out here. They will be on stage with the President.”

How do I attempt to state how I felt in that moment? LOL! First, I was absolutely speechless. Then I panicked. The day before Tanner was to the point of exhaustion with all the attention and Tanner does not cover a grumpy expression well. He is what he is and that is that. I quickly called my mom in Phoenix (and by the way, one of the news clips in AZ showed me in the hall talking on the phone and it was to my mom…she felt famous too LOL). I told her what was going on and asked for emergency prayer for Tanner. This would be the worst possible time for him to get upset and or grumpy. He was already saying he was thirsty again and was on the verge of tears as it was. I had no idea he was sick…hindsight is always 20/20 you know.

We then proceeded to the Blue Room (I think) and waited for the President to land. He landed on the front lawn while we watched out the windows.

Each family then had the opportunity to meet the President and shake his hand and have a picture taken (pictures should be mailed in 6 to 8 weeks by the way). Some said they were nervous to meet the President. Not my nature though…I was just excited and so was Tanner. He had been talking about the President more than the plane ride! When it was our turn, I told him (I know you want to know what I said LOL)….”We love you and pray for you”. I would have said more but as it was I was quickly interrupted. They keep their eyes out for chatter boxes like me and they are cued to put a cork in us in a hurry. They had George W.’s back that day:). I had to try it though…you know I did! The President was precious with the kids and gave each Snowflake a pin – it was the Presidential Seal with his name on the back. Tanner treasures it.

From there we were ushered into the East Room where Tanner and I walked onto the stage and stood in our preassigned spot. We were about 5 feet off President Bush’s left shoulder!!! When all were in place, the President entered and came on stage. I was in a bit of a quandary at that point. I knew that it would be live national coverage and that because of where I was standing, Tanner and I were likely to be visible the entire time. Do you know how tough it is for a VERY expressive mama to watch her expressions when trying to control a 4 year old knowing the world could be watching. Talk about pressure! If I looked calm cool and collected than you prayed me through it because I wasn’t! I was trying to pay close attention to what GW said but if you asked at this moment I would have no idea…until the last line that is:). At the end of the press conference, I got my second shock of the day! President Bush announced a birthday party for Tanner (and Noelle…another snowflake born with the same birthday as Tanner:)! If you missed it, he even said Tanner’s name!!!! He lit my heart up when he turned and gave Tanner THAT wink! You know the famous GW wink! I love that wink! (And by the way, he looks much taller in person and exudes absolute strength and authority. He has quite a presence about him…he looks younger in person too actually). I have been in love with his “everyday guy” qualities for a long time but I saw very little of that at the press conference. He was just…..impressive.

When the press conference ended, we all went back into the Blue Room where a birthday cake awaited Tanner and Noelle. The White House pianist played Happy Birthday and everyone sang to them. I am so glad I have proof of this and witnesses or my web readers would never believe this story:) LOL. How many kids have ever celebrated their birthday at the white house cake and all??????? What an absolute trip!!!

After Tanner ate some of his birthday cake, an incident occurred that should have declared to his mother that he was sick. Unfortunately, I still was missing the obvious signs. This is really a quite humorous story but for my own protection, I am not about to publicize it LOL. Secret will have to remain between Tanner and I and Meredith and Ian!!! (A few of you may get it out of me but I am not posting about it! LOL)

When we left the White House a couple hours later it was pouring! Courtney, Carter, Tanner and I attempted to get a cab back to our hotel but it didn’t turn out to be as easy as we thought. By the time we caught a cab, we were drenched and our kids were miserable and sleepy. Tanner was alseep in the cab moments after pulling away from the curb I thought. We were then supposed to go to the Capitol as Congress was just about to vote on HR 810. The idea was that Tanner, Carter and some of the other snowflakes would walk with some of the congressman down onto the floor while they voted. Tanner and Carter were at their limit and Courtney and I decided it was time to be mommy’s and we excused ourselves from that activity.

Hannah (snowflake #1) and Ella (Andy and Meredith’s daughter) did go onto the floor with their congressman. Congressman Trent Franks from AZ took Ella with him. Trent attends the same church as Andy and Meredith and has taught Ella’s sunday school class with his wife when he was in town. Isn’t that precious that he took her down to vote with him? I thought so. KEEP TRENT FRANKS IN CONGRESS ARIZONA – he’s a keeper:). Ella didn’t quite make it all the way down before needing her mamma, but she did make a statement down there with her congressman.

As for the bill….

It was expected from the very beginning that HR 810 would pass and it did (by 44 votes). The good news is, it did NOT pass by the expected margin. In fact, I was told yesterday that the polls taken last week indicated that the bill was going to pass by a much wider margin than it did. Congressman Pitts office feels certain that the Snowflakes turned the tide!!!!!! They did NOT get their 2/3rd’s vote which means they CANNOT overide the President’s veto!!!!! Thank you Lord!!!! Of course, now this will go to the Senate and we’ll have to pray for the same miracle there but so far so good.

I was also told that President Bush continued to talk about the Snowflakes well after the press conference and was so happy to have met them. That blessed my heart to hear for that was what I hoped to do.

The thing that was most precious to me about this trip was that I had prayed and prayed that we could encourage those who were for us to continue in their passion to defend the preborn. I wanted Tanner’s little face to be rooted in the mind and heart of our President so that when he is called to make these life affirming decisions, he feels validated and encouraged and passionate in his defense of them…as he has seen them and knows whom he defends. I never expected though that God would answer that prayer literally. Jim joked about “Doni having GW’s back” but that is exactly what happened. I wanted this symbolically but God allowed it literally. God did not allow me to speak at the conference but He did allow Tanner’s face before the nation. He did allow Tanner and I the incredible privelege of standing right behind the President while he made a life affirming decision to veto any bill put on his desk that would harm the unborn…even the tiniest of these. President Bush has not yet vetoed any bill during his Presidential career but he is willing to put his carreer on the line for THIS. That is how important this issue is to his heart. What an honor to stand behind him both metaphorically, in heart, in spirit, and even literally. The moment was so surreal I will probably never give justice to the expression (but aren’t you glad I am attempting it LOL?) As a side point, for those of you wondering how I managed to get myself right in the eye of the camara (thank you Jim for pointing that out so graciously…sheeeshh…I have no idea. I later heard that the powers that be in the White House made this decision at 8:00 PM on Monday night and I have no idea what motivated their choices. Best I can figure, I asked God if we could encourage President Bush on this trip and God one upped my request (in His usual amazing fashion) and said “Yes Doni…you got his back:)”

I also want to take a moment in this posting to thank all of you who made financial contributions to get Tanner and I to DC. In total, we were given $1790.00. This amount surpasses what we needed so we will also get to contribute some to other families that struggled to get to DC. Under different circumstances, I would have felt very uncomforable asking for contributions. In this instance though, I realized that these contributions could very well make a difference to our country. It was a cause that was worthy and specific. Those snowflake faces DID make a difference. They made a difference to every congressional member that met them. They made a difference to the President who was encouraged to meet them and stand with them during his speech vowing to protect them. They made a difference to the vote. The vote that did NOT…I repeat did NOT earn the House of Representative the right to overturn the President’s veto. I hope no one minds that I now intend to post the name of each contributor….I just want to publically thank each of you for your part in this. It made a difference and we are so grateful!

Thank you –

Focus on the Family
Paula Leoni
Rachel Armijo
Brandon and Laura Reich
Erin Schmitt
Ben and Rebecca King (King’s do not even reside in the U.S. – thank you for supporting life in our country!)
Shelly Ramsey
Cheri Brennan
Pat and Ike Belt
Tamara Baker
Melissa Eagen
Jason and Nicole Strickland
Jennifer Cowart
Elizabeth Sears
Dr. and Mrs. Cain
Todd and Cara Jo Borland (who contributed funds in honor of and in memory of their snowflake twins, Anna and Nathan, who went to be with Jesus at 23 weeks).

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My Talking Points for the Press Conference

Good afternoon. My name is Doni Brinkman. I am from Phoenix, Arizona and I am privileged to be the sixth mother to carry a child through Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program.

My husband and I longed for children for seven long years before our empty arms will filled. In 1998 Jim and I underwent our first invitro procedure in hopes that we would conceive a child. This procedure was unsuccessful. We feared I would never have the opportunity to carry a baby. Little did we know, our child had already been conceived the year before and was waiting for us.

In 1999, we were introduced to the Snowflake Embryo Adoption Program. When we realized that Embryo Adoption would not only fulfill our dreams of parenthood but would also give me the added blessing of pregnancy and childbirth, we were overwhelmed with excitement.

In February of 2000 we were matched with a genetic family in the Northwestern United States. They had chosen us to parent their 11 embryos. They had entrusted their own future generations to us – there is no greater gift of love.

In May of 2000, I had the privilege of meeting my son for the very first time. Due to an inadvertent error in shipping, Tanner, along with his siblings was waiting for me in a Phoenix Federal Express Warehouse. Imagine their surprise when I demanded they hand my children over?:) When I held my children for the first time, they were in a black cryopreservation tank. I carried the tank to the car, seat belted them in, and prayed for their protection. I prayed that one day I would see them face to face. I imagined what their beautiful little faces would like like and I even dreamed of a red head:). We acknowledged from the start that our preborn children, were unique little individuals – not merely potential lives but lives with potential.

Tanner was born on May 22nd 2001. He just celebrated his fourth birthday this past Sunday. Tanner was cryopreserved for 3 years and 4 months as a 2 Pro Nuclei embryo before we welcomed him into our family. He has blessed our lives beyond description.

My family opposes H.R. 810 because human life deserves protection. Embryonic Stem Cell Research terminates the lives of precious and unique human individuals. There could be no cause so great as to warrant the death of these innocent. Please do not pass H.R. 810.