On a sunny afternoon in the East Village neighborhood of New York City, Laure Heriard Dubreuil smiled and hosted her friends with cake, treats, and fresh organic juice. The occasion celebrated Laure’s birthday, and an extra special birthday marking the launch of mothers2mothers’ (m2m) Every Child Deserves a Birthday campaign in the U.S. As campaign Advisory Council Co-Chair, Laure was proud to be an ambassador for strong mothers as she blew out the candles with her son in her arms.

Every Child Deserves a Birthday is the first campaign to launch in the U.S. under m2m’s 15th birthday global initiative: Change Tomorrow Today. In our 15th year, we are marking a milestone in reaching almost 1.5 million women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. With this success, m2m has virtually eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV among the women served in our programmes.

Laure, a mother and entrepreneur in the fashion industry, opened her home as she pledged her birthday to create brighter birthdays for mothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa through our mission to end paediatric AIDS and create health and hope for mothers and their families. Laure was inspired to support m2m after her recent trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where she witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by pregnant women and mothers living with HIV. Laure says, “I saw the way m2m wrapped its arms around each HIV-positive mother who entered a clinic. For the first time in a long time, these women saw hope. With proper care and access to medication, these mothers will see their next birthday and be able to celebrate with their children.”

“m2m is creating brighter birthdays every day, and I wanted to be part of it. I opened my home to my loved ones and let them know this year it would be a little different. I was so moved after hearing this opportunity I couldn’t wait to celebrate and donate my birthday, while hopefully encouraging others to do the same along the way,” Laure adds.

Every Child Deserves a Birthday campaign is an opportunity for mothers around the world to connect, support, and empower each other as a force to better society through celebration and dedication of birthdays to care for fellow mothers and children. The campaign is partnering with families in the U.S. and other notable partners such as BabyCenter, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, and YOXO, the sustainable toy company, to create brighter birthdays for mothers and children living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. To pledge your own birthday, or your child’s next birthday, visit crowdrise.com/brighterbirthdays.