Helping our friends and our family members does not preclude helping women and babies in Africa or victims of the Tsunami in Indonesia or the earthquake in Haiti. We would walk through fire to help our own children and those in our communities, but why stop there?

A woman has nine months to prepare for the day that her baby will arrive -- healthy and full of promise, imagining the love she and her child will have for each other. Sadly, every year, more than one million babies die on the first day of life -- many from preventable causes.

Let me tell you the stories of two mothers who are worlds apart, but share the worst thing that ever happened to them. Both Angela and Kismati still feel the loss of their baby every day, but I'm inspired by the hope found amidst their stories, and within these brave women themselves.

Often the biggest barrier to getting help to these women is lack of awareness and distance in terms of miles, which is why fifty runners, including Jennifer Carpenter, are running for Every Mother Counts in the 2012 ING New York City Marathon.