Charlotte Safran

“The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected”—Robert Frost.

Lincoln was born healthy on Valentine’s Day, 2007; for those of you who have been living here at least 10 years, you may remember that epic Valentine’s Day snowstorm… Lincoln was born via caesarean section, and we spent the next 4 days in the hospital, uneventfully recovering and learning about one another.

On Linc’s 5th day of life, after having a morning filled with snoozing and nursing and diaper changing and more nursing, my husband announced he was going to the grocery story. Linc and I were blissfully snuggled into bed: me, recovering from the caesarean surgery and reading a cooking magazine, Linc with a full belly and cozy onesie and spiky red hair, asleep on his back, just as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. We were the picture of Vermont winter new baby snuggly loveliness. Five minutes later, our lives changed forever.

As I casually closed the magazine I had been reading I glanced over at my sleeping infant, his mounds of spiky red hair almost glittering in the winter window light. I mention this because it was one of the first things my terrified mind noticed: how his flaming hair was so totally vibrant against his ever-darkening bluish-purple skin. Call 911.

I figured out how to put the phone on speaker so that I could attempt to give life-saving breaths to Linc: (chest compression, air, I love you; chest compression, air, I love you; chest compression, air, I love you).

By the time the ambulance arrived, Linc had not been breathing for almost three minutes.

My name is Charlotte Safran, and I work with healthcare organizations on developing effective systems of communication between patients, families, and health care professionals. My educational background and professional experience in working with families in non-profit settings and my personal experience in navigating healthcare systems with my son, Lincoln, has prepared me to capture audiences with a story about the balance of vulnerability, grief, and gratitude.

I look forward to connecting with you to learn more about your event, and discuss possible synergy and collaboration. Thank you for reading my bio!

Warmest regards,

Charlotte