Courtney Morey x Annie Louise Foundation
Get to know Courtney Morey: a devoted mom and the founder of the Annie Louise Foundation.
The Annie Louise Foundation is on a mission to empower families by providing readily available and accessible resources, bridging the gap between the medical world and parenting.
In the realm of parenting and caregiving, we understand the profound role moms play as the voices and decision-makers for our children. The Annie Louise Foundation recognizes the importance of supporting families not only practically but also emotionally. Empowering and equipping families is the key to benefiting the health and well-being of our children.
At Dondolo, we believe in the transformative power of community. Connecting with fellow families on a similar path. While the Annie Louise Foundation website houses the comprehensive details of Courtney's impactful work, "With Love by Dondolo" offers an intimate glimpse into her personal journey, motivations, and the moments that have shaped her commitment to empowering families.
What does love mean to you?
The mission of Annie Louise Foundation is very personal to me because it is a direct result from our experiences as mother and daughter. Annie was labeled a “medically complex” baby after her unexpectedly difficult open heart surgery recovery at 4 months old. At one point she had 12 different kinds of doctors and therapists we were seeing. The entire process was overwhelming and oftentimes felt very isolating and lonely. Our mission of “bridging the gap between the medical world and parenting by making resources accessible and readily available” is ingrained in every single dollar we invest and how we use our most valuable resource- time.
I promised myself during Annie’s many ICU stays and long Dr appts that I would not forget the struggles that no one was helping to mitigate and I would do my part to make a difference.
Annie Louise Foundation helps to empower families by making medical resources readily available. Tell us about your journey and why it’s so important to bridge the gap between the medical world and parenting?
Making changes directly with medical providers has proved to be very difficult. In our experience, hospitals do things their way and do not always like when parents point out flaws. After two years of dedicated advocacy that continued to go nowhere I decided making a website of information families could directly access was the more effective way to make a difference.
As a mom, what is the most challenging part of this process and what has been the most rewarding?
During Annie’s early days of infancy, we went through just about as much as you could as a family. She was on 12+ medications and wasn't able to eat. We were up against so much. But, here we are…she just turned three and she is on one medication. She is walking and talking. She's going to school and growing, and thriving socially and academically. She's a whole new little woman, and I'm so grateful for her health
because it's now allowed me the opportunity to put my time and energy into the foundation.
