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Courtney Roth
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Popular Moms
The Healing Power of Love
Mominations winner Courtney Roth inspires and awes
by Christina Couch | October 4, 2011
Editor's Note: Babble's 2011 Mominations contest introduced us to the amazing stories of moms across the country, but none touched us — or our readers — as much as that of Courtney Roth and her son, Tripp. Born with Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a disease that weakens the skin so severely that even the most minor touch causes blistering, Tripp spent his days in the care of his mother. While the amount of pain he endured was haunting, Courtney's posts, and her ability to see the little boy beyond the pain in her blog "EB"ing a Mommy, made their story exceptionally moving and inspirational.
We were very saddened to hear about Tripp's passing last Saturday, January 14, 2012. As Courtney shares on her blog, "It happened within minutes of me picking him up out of bed and rocking him. He took his last peaceful breaths in my arms, in his most favorite spot." While his passing came suddenly, Courtney's recent posts note that Tripp's conditions had been worsening, with Tripp losing interest in play and being unable to stand for over three months. Though all too brief, Tripp's life, and his mother's love, remind us of the basic blessings we take for granted every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Roth family, and we encourage those able to do so to make a donation to DebRA (Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association). We reprint this piece in honor of Tripp and his fantastic mother.
When it came to nominating your most inspiring mom, your votes spoke loud and clear. Courtney Roth, a 25 year-old mother of one in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, swept the nominations with 10,000 + votes. Roth's son, Tripp, was born with Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes the skin and mucous membranes to break out in painful internal and external blisters with even the slightest touch. In children with Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, the blisters can swell and scar so much that they actually cause deformities including fused fingers and toes, difficulty swallowing, and a constant pain that babies have no verbal mechanism to describe. Kids born with severe Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa rarely make it to their first birthday. Those who live past 18 months are considered extremely lucky. Tripp will soon pass his 29th month.
"I would just take so many things for granted before, especially when I was pregnant. I thought I had the world in my hands. I was married and we had just bought a house and I was pregnant. I didn't even think once about not having a healthy baby," Courtney says. "...My whole entire view on life has changed. What's important? What are we here for? [Tripp] really has just taught me to be grateful for everything and taught me that we're not promised tomorrow."
Every day for Tripp is a miracle, but one that's challenging to navigate. Tripp has lost eyesight and speech from scarring, breathes with the help of a tracheal tube that Courtney suctions throughout the night, and takes sedatives to get through the three hours it takes to bathe him every other day. He hasn't played outside in more than a year and currently lives in a single room, moving from bed to being held in a rocking chair and back again all day long. The hospital trips are frequent. The antibiotics work until they stop. The infections are constant and there is no cure.
More on Mominations:
The mission of Mominations
Meet our 10 incredible winners
The original 100 Moms who are changing the world
"[Tripp] makes it all worthwhile just to see him, the way he fights through the pain," says Courtney. "His entire mouth is full of sores. The whole back of his head is covered in sores and he still smiles and he still plays. He's just amazing...I don't even think twice about spending the entire day in the rocking chair or never leaving the house. Sometimes it will be a week and I've left the house for an hour or two to run errands, but it's just what you get used to. It's our life now."
Tripp and his iron-willed mama have a little help. After going through a recent divorce, Roth has moved back in with her parents. Her mother helps take care of Tripp. Doctors make housecalls for the baby and thanks to Roth's blog, one of the foremost resources available for parents of children with "EB," thousands of strangers have thrown fundraisers, launched awareness campaigns and extended their prayers and support. After hearing about the family's story through the Mominations program, Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who voices Elmo on Sesame Street, even wrote and recorded a song for Tripp.
"I really think [the support] is what keeps me going through everything," says Courtney. "I know that Tripp has a purpose and he's touching so many lives. I get at least one e-mail daily saying that Tripp has touched their family's life and their kids pray for him or I've taught someone to be a better mother. That makes it easier, knowing that he is touching lives and he's here for a reason and he's suffering for a reason."
Roth says that love for her son, faith in a higher power and strength from a strong network of supporters get her through the hard days. She is waiting for a cure and for peace for her only child. Until those things come, Roth will continue to change her son's bandages, gently rock him to music and cherish the days that roll by.
"...I can just tell that he's here for a reason and all of this is part of the bigger picture," she says. "It's helped me to grow my faith and trust in God, putting everything into his hands and knowing that I don't have control over anything."
- Shanna Marsh, 2011 Mominations Winner in Charity
- Kristine McCormick, 2011 Mominations Winner in Activism
- Mireya Mayor, 2011 Mominations Winner in Health/Science
About the Author
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Christina Couch is a freelance writer based in Richmond, VA, and Chicago, IL. She is the author of Virginia Colleges 101 (Palari Publishing, 2008). Her work can also be found in Playboy.com, Time Out Chicago, Wired magazine, MSN.com and Yahoo! Finance. |
17 Comments
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I will pray for you and little Tripp. What a heartbreaking condition!
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I’m speechless and very choked up. I wish peace for that little baby.
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Courtney, I’ve been following your story since learning about you and Tripp through this program and am so moved, inspired by and in awe of you and little Tripp.. You are both heroes and I’m sending all of my love and strength to you both. Thanks for sharing Tripp with the world. He’s so incredibly loved and precious and amazing, as are you.
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Wow! What an amazing winner; you deserve the gold!
Thanks for the touching inspiration, dudette! -
I too believe in God and my husband and I pray daily for the children with EB and the amazing people who care for them. We will not understand the purpose for their suffering this side of Heaven, and so we pray. Until our grandson was born with a mild form of EB this last year, we had never heard of EB. Now we pray for a cure, we pray for healing, we pray for strength for all the people who love them and bear this great and difficult burden with love. Most of all we pray for an end to the suffering of these precious children. Courtney, we will be praying for you and your angel!
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Sweet and Simple….read Courtneys blog…it will delight your heart. There could never be enough attention given to this horrid disease. We have to continue to spread the word as well as find ways to contribute to find a cure! Congrats. to you Courtney, and God Bless YOU and Precious Tripp.
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What a precious boy…my thoughts and prayers are with you Christina and your little one. What an inspiration and a reminder to be grateful for life’s blessings.
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Courtney and Tripp are two of the most remarkable people and I am so happy that others recognized that and cast their votes for them. It was a well deserved win! Prayers are very powerful, but raising awareness and informing people also need to be escalated so they too have a positive impact on this awful disease. Every chance my family gets, we direct people to Courtney’s blog as this is a disease that is virutally unheard of but many suffer from. It just takes one person to make a difference in someone’s life! Tripp has made a difference in my family’s, hopefully someone out there can make a difference in his! God Bless you, Courtney, Tripp, and Courtney’s parents! You are wonderful people!
The prayer chain will continue for Tripp! -
Courtney, your son is truly amazing, and he was blessed the moment God chose you to be his Mother. There is no love greater than a mother’s love, except the love a mother is given from her child . May God bless you, your family and your support system. Thanks for posting pictures of Tripp grinning from ear to ear, he is a ham
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Anyone who has heard about or read about Tripp & Courtney is forever changed. What a well-deserved honor that Courtney Roth [angel baby
Tripp's precious mommy] received this award! WHAT A MOMMY!!! -
What a beautiful baby boy. An amazing story. We all want/expect a perfectly healthy baby. We don’t always get what we “want” and somehow we don’t realize the blessings in “imperfection” until it becomes our reality. They are ours, no matter what. And we love them. And they are here to teach us, not the other way around. God bless sweet baby Tripp and his wonderful mommy
Katrina -
Courtney you are truly are great mother, dont let anyone make you think any different. God gave you this amazing little boy for a reason, he knew you could handle it even though you don’t think so on some days. I want you to know you have made me appreciate all I have and not complain about the small stuff. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers daily. I talk to my family and friends about you and Tripp as if I know ya’ll personally. Keep your head up you are doing a fabulous job
Kim
Satsuma, AL -
I’m a new loyal fan of Courtney’s blog. I stumbled upon it a little over a month ago and I tune in weekly to read her updates. Her words and story have touched me in such a profound way. I too, am a mom to a special needs child and Courtney reminds me that I’m not alone. She inspires me, uplifts me, and keeps me focused on “the big picture”. My prayers are with her, her parents, and Tripp. Cheers to you, Courtney! You truly deserve this award and I’m so happy that you received it.
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Please help Courtney Roth further her mission of raising EB awareness by voting for her story in the Reader’s Digest “Your Life” contest:
https://apps.facebook.com/yourlifecontest/content/ebing-mommy -
God bless you and Tripp!! I pray for you daily and you are both so inpirational. I pray Tripp has good baths and is feeling better so he can drum to his friend Elmo. I pray you find peace in your decisions as you can make no wrong choice becasue you do it all for Tripp. We love you and i pray little Tripp adn all tehother little angles with EB can stop suffering. God Bless!!!
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This sweet little boy is heaven sent. This has truly touched my heart in ways I can’t explain. I pray that god gives u strength to see him home. I pray for peace for u and ur son. U are the strongest mom just by reading ur post ur devotion is breath taking. Your family will be in my prayers always. God knew u were the perfect mom for Tripp.
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For anyone who voted for Courtney and Tripp Roth please know that he passed away on Saturday Jan 14, 2011 in his Mommy’s arms. She will need all of our prayers and support. RIP Tripp Huggs and Much Love sent to this family
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