PALMS
ASA PALMS THE WORD PALM MEANS TRIBUTE, HONOR OR PRAISE. ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA GIVES PALMS TO ALUMNAE AND COLLEGIANS FOR THEIR SUCCESSES AND MILESTONES. CELEBRATING A PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL OR VOLUNTEER SUCCESS? TELL US ABOUT IT! SEND YOUR SUCCESS STORIES TO THE EDITOR AT ASA@ALPHASIGMAALPHA.ORG.
JENNIFER MILLER GOBRECHT, Nu Nu Jennifer Miller Gobrecht, NN, recently gave birth after successfully participating in a uterus transplant trial. “When I was 17 years old I was diagnosed with Mayer-RokitanskyKüster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome and was told I would never be able to get pregnant due to an absence of a uterus. That was a very difficult thing to hear as a teenage girl who had dreams of being a loving mother. Those dreams disappeared, and I didn’t dare to revisit them. I found support from friends and family, but wasn’t able to fully begin to cope with my diagnosis until I joined Alpha Sigma Alpha two years later and had support and empowerment from my sisters.
MONICA PATANKAR, Gamma Lambda Monica Patankar, ΓΛ, recently received the 2019 City of Aurora Cultural Champion Award. Monica received the award in recognition for her community service efforts of promoting the different cultures represented in Illinois. Monica is also a spokeswoman for the Aurora Food Pantry and a strong advocate against hunger in the community.
22 Phoenix of Alpha Sigma Alpha
This sisterhood helped me greatly when I was selected two years ago to partake in a uterus transplant trial at Penn Medicine. I matched with a donor, received a uterus transplant, had an embryo transfer, got pregnant, and gave birth to a healthy and beautiful son all while being the president of the Philly Metro Alumnae Chapter. The journey has not been easy, but every time I look at Benjamin’s face, I know it was worth it and I cannot thank my sisters enough for their support on this different path in life. Benjamin is truly a miracle, and I feel beyond lucky to have him. When I signed up for this trial my hope was not only for myself to be able to start a family; my hope was that by participating in this study I could help other women with similar conditions to mine find their path to parenthood.”
