Mateo's Second Birthday and Baby Blanding # 3

Today.
Today is a big day for our family.
Today we draw nearer to the arrival of our third baby Blanding (watch this space!).
Today we also celebrate our second child, Mateo David Blanding, who would have turned two years old.

For those who may not know our story, our little Mateo passed away in March 2020 from a bacterial brain infection which caught us all by surprise. So while the world was grieving the loss of normalcy at the onset of a global pandemic, we were grieving a loss of our own.
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Shortly after Mateo's death, our friends at International Justice Mission (IJM) set up a charitable fund in his memory called The Mighty Mateo Legacy Fund, which raises money to rescue and protect Filipino children from sexual exploitation. So while his earthly life may have come to an end, his legacy lives on.

WHY THIS CAUSE?
This Mighty Mateo Legacy Fund is particularly meaningful for our family for a few reasons:

1. Mateo spent so many days during his seven-month life sitting quietly on our laps during IJM meetings, conferences, zoom calls, and fundraising events. So even if he didn’t have much say in the matter, Mateo was our little justice warrior from birth.
2. While the Doctors told us that there was nothing we could have done to protect Mateo from the bacteria that took his life, there is something that we can do to protect innocent Filipino children from sexual exploitation.
3. The Philippines is very near and dear to our hearts. We are a Filipino family and very proud of it! (We eat rice for breakfast and start playing Christmas carols in September)
4. It gives us hope to know that even a life that only lasted seven months can leave a legacy.

WHAT'S THE GOAL?
To date, the Mighty Mateo Legacy Fund has raised over USD $100,000, funding dozens of rescue operations and saving hundreds of Filipino children from sexual exploitation.

As a gift for Mateo’s 2nd birthday, we aim to raise an additional USD $12,000 to fund further rescue operations in 2021.

HOW TO GIVE?
If you’d like to join us next week as we celebrate Mateo’s life, we invite you to contribute at www.mateoblanding.com/mightymateo.
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Dear Mateo,
I miss you sooooo much. Your laughs, your cries, your silly noises. I will try my best to uphold your legacy of compassion for children who don't have anyone to fight for them.

It may still be a long wait for us to see each other again, but I'll wait, my baby. I love you. ❤️