Jenna likes to make fun of me sometimes, saying I’m the long-winded one with posts, it’s partially why I created this blog. I tend the write more than a Facebook or Instagram post will allow. Especially when the words come. Sometimes it’s not always easy to turn that facet off.

Well, yesterday, this typically long-winded Dad found himself left without words on a level he’s never experienced in his 40 years.

Yesterday was AMC Awareness Day. June 30th was a day I had circled on my calendar since before we left the NICU. Once we had HG’s Arthrogryposis diagnosis, it just seemed like one of those things we’d start doing. We’d start acknowledging the day to help bring awareness, that’s the whole point of an awareness day, right?

A few days ago, it struck me that essentially all we were planning to do for our first AMC Awareness day was to post a few photos, wear our shirts, and share the donation links. It wasn’t a ton. I had moments where I felt like we should have been doing more. It was a day to bring awareness to a condition most people have never heard of, or so I thought that’s all it was.

Yesterday, I was emotional. Jenna has admitted she was emotional, but yesterday was something I simply wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for. (In a good way)

Yes, we had our blue AMC Support shirts. While I had to travel two hours away for work, I made sure I was decked out in blue. I always have my AMC Awareness band on, but I doubled down by adding one of the temporary tattoos, just to give someone that may notice it, a reason to ask about it.

Along with AMC Support’s hashtags, we added our own for our posts, and asked anyone that may post, to include those hashtags as well to help show support, and that’s where I was left speechless. I knew our families would have their shirts on, and that they would post photos on social media and help acknowledge the day online. I knew that was coming, so that’s all that I expected and was prepared for.

I was not, however, prepared for what we received online.

The outpouring of people and posts left me so emotionally overwhelmed, and that was not something I was expecting or remotely prepared for.

Posts from people I didn’t even realize were keeping up with our story. People I haven’t spoken to in years took the time to say they were wearing blue for my little boy and supporting us.

HG’s therapy team at Hogg Therapy Associates took the time to post for AMC Awareness and to show support for him.

My incredible Kentucky Farm Bureau family took the time to wear blue and post photos.

Friends, family, co-workers, even strangers took the time to wear blue, took the time to take a photo and post it on social media, all to say they supported my baby boy. All for him.

I would have never thought such simple acts could resonate as so selfless and carry so much emotion and weight. I feel I was foolishly oblivious of not only what to expect, but how it would affect me.

Look, I know some of you that posted will read this, and I want to say thank you! Thank you for taking the time. Thank you for helping bring attention to our little boy’s condition. The amount of gratitude from just a simple social media post has left me more emotional than I’ve been since those first few days in the hospital.

Thank you everyone. Thank you so very, very much. I am forever grateful for you, and the time you took to just think about HG and help bring attention to his condition.

Yesterday was our first AMC Awareness day, and I can promise you I will remember it for the rest of my life.

You can check out some of the incredible posts that were made yesterday in the album below.