Embracing Emma

10/23/2025

💜 Need to refresh your Embracing Emma apparel ? We've opened a new store with fresh styles! Orders will be accepted until Wednesday 11/12, and will be shipped directly to you approximately 3 weeks after the order closes. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to St. Jude! 💜

https://selectcorporatewear.com/collections/embracing-emma

10/18/2025

My body remembers. From 5 years ago my body remembers. Trauma isn’t kind. It holds on so tight and we learn to live with it.

Five years ago Emma fell ill with a headache, became lethargic, was sent by helicopter to Peoria, and almost died. For the next 7 months, we lived day by day, sometimes hour by hour, making memories with our girl.

Today has brought so much heartache, depression and grief. We miss her every day. Every damn day. So much. 💜💔💜

08/03/2025

Big thanks to everyone who donated to the St. Jude Telethon this year! You helped me double my goal of $3,000!

08/02/2025

It’s not too late to donate to St. Jude!!

Click here:
http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/markwelp

Or call me at 309-265-0946 between 7-8pm!

07/31/2025

This week is a big week for St. Jude. Mark Welp has committed to raising $3,000 for St. Jude in memory of Emma, and we only have a two days left before the St. Jude telethon. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital means so much to our family and that is why we need YOUR help!
Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80%. Can you donate $10 today? $10 could help provide a new toy for a hospital play area. You can donate here:

http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/markwelp

07/30/2025

This Saturday is the St. Jude Telethon! Prior to Emma’s diagnosis, I watched the telethon but never felt the need to donate. St. Jude and cancer changed our lives forever.

A few months ago, I was invited back to my high school for a girls soccer senior night. The team, their families, and coaches put on an amazing evening for a fundraiser for St. Jude in memory of Emma. Raffle drawings, silent auction, and pie in the face activities all raised over $700 for St. Jude. We are so appreciative and thankful for including our family and remembering Emma. Thank you LCHS Girls Soccer Team!!

Connecting with our favorite Child Life Specialist, Allison, she gave me some great resource items that are in great need at St. Jude currently to purchase with the money raised! A few weeks ago, we met Allison to deliver these items, along with the many donations from family and friends.

Thank you so much for continuing to Embrace our family, along with remembering our sweet girl, who we miss with every fiber of our being. 💜

06/23/2025

Here is an update on our St. Jude Fundraiser. Thanks for all the donations!

Please donate if you can!

http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/markwelp

Thank you for all your donations to St. Jude! Reaching my goal is in sight.

Please click on the link and donate if you can!

http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/markwelp

06/09/2025

Emma's dad Mark Welp is once again raising money for the St. Jude Telethon in August.

How your donation helps:

Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened in 1962. And we won't stop until no child dies from cancer.

St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands of children.

Please donate what you can. Thank you!

http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/markwelp

06/08/2025

Today is Emma and her twin sister Abby’s 11th birthday. This is Emma’s 4th birthday in Heaven. Days like these are so very bittersweet, as we grieve our sweet Emma, and celebrate her amazing sister. Grief and joy can coexist, but it isn’t a comfortable feeling.

Abby spent her afternoon playing softball 🥎 and I have no doubt that Emma would be beside her if she were here. However, today Emma cheered her sister on as Abby hit a birthday home run for the both of them. 💜

This sweet picture was Emma’s last birthday with us. Happy birthday in Heaven, sweet girl. We miss you so much. 💜

05/23/2025

It’s been 1, 460 days without you on this side of Heaven. Each day is hard. There isn’t a day we don’t say your name or think about you. Each year has not gotten “easier,” yet quite the opposite.

Today I’m thankful for coworkers who have gifted me with comfort items and countless texts from friends who remember. Please continue to keep praying for our hearts that continue to be broken from the loss of our Emma💜 We are thankful that she is not forgotten💜

04/09/2025

This week at our school we are having “Let’s Celebrate Reading” with a spirit week. Today is dress like a Superhero. Abby and I didn’t plan our matching Embracing Emma shirts today- but we both had Emma, our Superhero, in mind as we got dressed today. Abby wanted to surprise me with her outfit choice, but I shocked her when I came out of our bedroom this morning. We are all missing Emma so much, and she definitely is and will always be our Superhero because not all superheroes wear capes. 💜💜💜

12/26/2024

Today was our 4th Christmas without our sweet Emma. While we enjoyed our day opening gifts with Abby and our family, there is an Emma sized hole that aches tremendously. Today is heavy. And it has not gotten easier. Grief swallows me up every time I think of how much we miss our sweet girl. We miss our Emma so much. Merry Christmas in Heaven, Emma💜🎄💜