Episode #85: Jenn Donohue
My guest this week is Jenn Donohue. Jenn is a media executive who’s currently VP, Local and Political Ad Sales at Hulu. Prior to Hulu, Jenn was in Executive Leadership Roles with CBS, overseeing sales for CBS Radio New York and General Manager positions, including WCBS FM. Jenn and her family are supporters of the March of Dimes, a charity near to their hearts. They reside in New York City.
When Jenn first saw her twins after giving birth, they were so small that she wanted to put them back in her stomach. Born at 24 weeks, the twins were four months premature. Her daughter, Emma passed away after one week in the NICU, while Aidan, her son remained there for 117 days before going home for the first time. On today’s episode, Jenn and I talk about how she and her husband Chris navigated the “start and stop” feeling they had as they navigated Aidan’s health while also coping with the loss of Emma, their daughter. We also talk about what the role of caregiving means to Jenn, and how she and Chris continue to support Aidan and the invisible challenges he faces due to complications from birth. Finally, we talk about the moments that have made Jenn proud as a parent, including a recent life event: when the doctor who ran the NICU at Lenox Hill Hospital, where Aidan was born, came to see him perform in an off-Broadway show. It was a tearful moment for Jenn, to recognize that he was witnessing Aidan, once a fragile baby, now tap-dancing on a great stage and enjoying life.
“You’re trying to grasp for something, but yet you don’t know. It’s like you want to get through the NICU experience, but you’re not too sure what the future even holds for your child as they grow.”
Here are some of the things Jenn and I chatted about:
The power blackout in NYC in the summer of 2003 that coincided with Jenn’s labor symptoms
What she felt when she first saw her children in the NICU, both weighing less than two pounds
The week they spent with Emma before she passed away, and how strong that memory still is
The “start and stop” feeling they had, and the sense of grasping for something...but what?
Once Aidan came home from the NICU, why they needed to keep him inside for a few months
How, rather than getting caught up in “milestones,” they approached Aidan’s development
The special education environment that has supported Aidan and taught him to self advocate
After giving birth, the support she received from her company’s CEO, who had also lost a child
The process of choosing a school for Aidan, and how it was more complex than they thought
Aidan’s current school, The Churchill School and Center, and how it’s supporting his learning
Seeking out doctors to support Aidian who care about their patients beyond the appointment
Connecting with the March of Dimes, and how that connection has functioned as an anchor
How, at 5 years old, Aidan met Eli Manning (though a Star Wars book was the main attraction)
Finding strength as a caregiver through her family, and embracing this time of togetherness
“That’s what it’s about. It’s always sharing with others so that you can hopefully ease somebody else’s burden.”
Follow Jenn: LinkedIn
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