Donation!

Actually, we mentioned this sometime ago here in Cyrsti's Condo but it is so big, I thought I would pass it along again:

Jessica and Chris Cicchinelli announced a $2 million donation Wednesday to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center', money that will go toward training doctors and nurses to care for transgender patients.

Cicchinelli, the CEO of Pure Romance, and his wife launched the Living with Change Foundation in January, which is dedicated to providing education, resources, and financial assistance to the families, friends and teachers or transgender people.

It grew out their experience with their 10-year-old child, LC, who is transgender. Children's Adolescent and Transition Medicine Clinic helped them accept her as a girl.

Pure Romance, if you are not familiar, has been in business for twenty five years making "romantic aids" for women and men.  Plus, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital has an outstanding  regional center for transgender children. A match worth mentioning again during LGBTQ Pride Month. 

Transgender Day of Visibility

This year I am determined to not miss the Trans Day of Visibility. I can't remember why I missed it last year but I did.

The day is held on March 31st and this year, it will be held in the Cincinnati Zoo campus auditorium.

As part of my new desire to volunteer more within my larger (non VA) cross dresser, transgender support group, I volunteered to help with an information table.

It's interesting to note also, this years event is being hosted by "Living with Change." It has been set up thanks to the generous donation from the CEO of the Pure Romance Company.. "Generous" to the tune of two million dollars. The CEO just happens to have a transgender daughter and it's worthwhile reading the story by following the first link above.

Of course I asked my partner Liz to go and help too, so we are planning to have a great time!

Buy "Pure Romance"

If you are not familiar, "Pure Romance" features a line of feminine "romantic" products which are mainly sold at home parties and on line.

The company just happens to be headquartered here in Cincinnati, and the CEO's daughter is transgender. Cincinnati also has a ground breaking program within it's Children's Hospital for trans kids.

It turns out the CEO is stepping up to help other transgender families. From Cincinnati.Com:

"Chris and Jessica Cicchinelli never thought they'd find themselves at the transgender clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

It was scary, but they found it a place that was safe and helpful as they accepted their child was a girl.

So the CEO of Pure Romance and his wife are putting their personal money, love and his business savvy into a new endeavor to make sure every family like them has the help they need.

This weekend the Cicchinellis are launching Living with Change: The LC Foundation, a foundation that will train teachers and other educators and provide financial support to the Adolescent and Transition Medicine Clinic at Children's".

"As a family we've gone through it," Chris Cicchinelli said. "We didn't have a lot of information. We needed answers, and there was no book. Now we can give people a guide."

Isn't that great! For more on Pure Romance, follow the link above.