My son's blog isn't a place for drama but this is too big to not share....
On Friday, our trademark lawyers forwarded us the official letter sent to the United States Patent & Trademark Office stating that the other party is going to relinquish rights to the phrase "Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness" that they tried to trademark.
3 years of drama, over 6000 signatures, lawyers, courts, and getting blasted by a few brainwashed people for daring to stand up to this trademark. Not to mention all the personal attacks on me, my family and my charity and standing up to that. Is over. Finally, it's over!!!!! We WON the fight against this trademark and never again can 1 woman try to shut down our charity, sue me, attack me or other families by threatening, suing or harrassing with that trademark. After so many years of that... it's such a HUGE relief to have it finally over. There is still a trademark on "Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day" and God knows the drama would start up again if we tried to use that phrase... so we don't... we raise awareness every day.
It hasn't been an easy journey at all. But we did it!!!!! 1000's of CDH families have backed us, plus other charities and over 100 researchers in fighting against this trademark. So many families are celebrating now!!! CDH Awareness if finally FREE again and not only that, but we have set a precedent that no other cause will ever have to endure what we have!!!
There were moments when I wanted to give up. But I didn't and I am proud of myself for that. Every once in a while life throws tests at you... do you take the easy road and sell out and give up your integrity? Or do you stand your ground and hold on to your compassion and honor and knowing what's right? We held on. We stood our ground. We passed the moral test and did what was right. Doing the happy dance on that one!!!! :)
This post is written to CELEBRATE and to MOVE ON....
I was made aware of CDH on January 28, 1993... long before someone else felt the need to claim the phrase their "intellectual property". If it would take CDH out of my life and give me my son back, she can have it. I hope someday she finds peace and stops targeting her anger at me and hurting 1000's of others along the way. I don't even hold any anger toward her... I forgive her. I pray for her. She must be in awful, horrible pain to do all this stuff. As a fellow grieving mom... I understand the pain. Not the lashing out at others, but I do understand the pain... and as a Christian and for my own peace of mind also... I do forgive. And I hope we can move on.
Now hopefully we can all put this behind us and move on and focus on doing good, positive things for the CDH communities and these families.
We did it.... and I know I made my son proud. That makes my heart swell and makes it all worth it. :)
It's time to move forward...
