CaringBridge.CaringBridge.orgorg

By: By:

Becky KoslowBecky Koslow

WhatWhat is is CaringBridgeCaringBridge??

CaringBridge is a free, easy-to-use CaringBridge is a free, easy-to-use Internet service developed to keep friends Internet service developed to keep friends and family informed during important life and family informed during important life events- medical treatment, childbirth, events- medical treatment, childbirth, rehabilitation, end-of-life care. Families rehabilitation, end-of-life care. Families may quickly and easily create a personal may quickly and easily create a personal CaringBridge Web page, write journal CaringBridge Web page, write journal entries and display photographs for their entries and display photographs for their caring communities. Visitors who are caring communities. Visitors who are provided the Web page address can read provided the Web page address can read the journal and write their own messages the journal and write their own messages of support and encouragement. of support and encouragement.

MissionMission““The mission of The mission of

CaringBridge is to bring CaringBridge is to bring together a global together a global

community of care powered community of care powered by the love of family and by the love of family and

friends in an easy, friends in an easy, accessible and private way.”accessible and private way.”

BenefitsBenefits•It enables parents to create a It enables parents to create a

personalized, secure web page to personalized, secure web page to keep family and friends informed on keep family and friends informed on their child's health condition.their child's health condition.

•With this easy-to-use service, With this easy-to-use service, parents create or "author" a web parents create or "author" a web page, and then make updates to the page, and then make updates to the page as they wish. page as they wish. 

Benefits cont’d…Benefits cont’d…•The CaringBridge is a wonderful The CaringBridge is a wonderful

way for families to provide way for families to provide friends and relatives with up-to-friends and relatives with up-to-date information, as frequently date information, as frequently as they are able and to receive as they are able and to receive messages and well-wishes messages and well-wishes from others.from others.

PrivacyPrivacy• The CaringBridge web page that parents create The CaringBridge web page that parents create

is their own secure, personalized page, and it can is their own secure, personalized page, and it can only be accessed by those who are given the only be accessed by those who are given the family's specific access information.family's specific access information.

• A person must be eighteen years old or older to A person must be eighteen years old or older to create and maintain a CaringBridge page; a create and maintain a CaringBridge page; a parent or guardian must do so for those who are parent or guardian must do so for those who are younger. younger.

• Visitors to a CaringBridge page must enter the Visitors to a CaringBridge page must enter the address provided to them by the creator of the address provided to them by the creator of the page into their Internet browser or on the page into their Internet browser or on the CaringBridge visitor’s page to get updates and CaringBridge visitor’s page to get updates and post messages of support and encouragement. post messages of support and encouragement.

FactsFacts• Approximately 70 percent of CaringBridge Web Approximately 70 percent of CaringBridge Web

pages are created for sick or injured children pages are created for sick or injured children and newborns. and newborns.

• The CaringBridge community includes families The CaringBridge community includes families in all fifty states and many countries in all fifty states and many countries worldwide. worldwide.

• To date, CaringBridge had hosted nearly To date, CaringBridge had hosted nearly 18,000 personalized pages, with more than 82 18,000 personalized pages, with more than 82 million visits and 2.5 million messages of million visits and 2.5 million messages of support for patients and their families. support for patients and their families.

CaringBridge partners CaringBridge partners include:include:

• Employee assistance Employee assistance programsprograms

• EmployersEmployers• Faith-based organizationsFaith-based organizations• FoundationsFoundations• HospitalsHospitals• ClinicsClinics• Long-term care facilitiesLong-term care facilities• Medical care providersMedical care providers• Medical supply companiesMedical supply companies• ClubsClubs• Support groupsSupport groups

HistoryHistoryThe inspiration for CaringBridge came The inspiration for CaringBridge came

from a real life experience. When Sona from a real life experience. When Sona Mehring’s friend developed a life-threatening Mehring’s friend developed a life-threatening condition and prematurely delivered her condition and prematurely delivered her baby during the 24th week of pregnancy, baby during the 24th week of pregnancy, Sona created a web site to keep family and Sona created a web site to keep family and friends connected and informed. Although friends connected and informed. Although baby Brighid later died, she inspired a baby Brighid later died, she inspired a remarkable grassroots phenomenon that has remarkable grassroots phenomenon that has extended love, encouragement, and hope extended love, encouragement, and hope around the world.around the world.

The CaringBridge The CaringBridge Web site allows Web site allows

users to create their users to create their own Web page in own Web page in

three quick steps:three quick steps:

Step #1:Step #1:•supplying basic information, supplying basic information,

such such as name, home as name, home address, e-mail address, e-mail address, address, and hospital address, and hospital address, and and creating a Web page creating a Web page address and passwordaddress and password

Step #2:Step #2:•verifying the information verifying the information

Step #3:Step #3:•customizing the page (you can customizing the page (you can

add a colorful background add a colorful background and and border, photos, border, photos, guestbook, and guestbook, and links to links to other pages). Sample other pages). Sample pages pages for newborns, children, for newborns, children, and and adults are included.adults are included.

Sample Web Sample Web page:page:

Jarod'sJarod's Homepage Homepage

Founder and Executive Director Founder and Executive Director Sona Mehring is amazed at the Sona Mehring is amazed at the profound connection CaringBridge profound connection CaringBridge makes with users and visitors. makes with users and visitors. “CaringBridge takes cold, impersonal “CaringBridge takes cold, impersonal technology and uses it to serve a higher technology and uses it to serve a higher purpose in a most intimate and purpose in a most intimate and powerful way, she said. “I believe the powerful way, she said. “I believe the internet has a calling - helping bring internet has a calling - helping bring people together at important times, people together at important times, facilitating love and support that is facilitating love and support that is meaningful for all involved, wherever meaningful for all involved, wherever they may be,” Mehring said. they may be,” Mehring said. “CaringBridge is a blessing...”“CaringBridge is a blessing...”

In In Conclusion…Conclusion…

CaringBridge makes profound CaringBridge makes profound human connections, utilizing human connections, utilizing technology to serve a higher technology to serve a higher purpose in a most intimate and purpose in a most intimate and powerful way. The service helps powerful way. The service helps people stay connected at important people stay connected at important times, facilitating love and support times, facilitating love and support that is meaningful for all involved, that is meaningful for all involved, wherever they may be. wherever they may be.

The EndThe End