Mrs. Windermere 2017: The woman behind the crown

Rosie Moore always has been the quiet type. As a natural introvert who was known for being shy and soft-spoken at her high school in New Jersey, she believes most of her old classmates would react in disbelief to hear she was crowned Mrs. Windermere last November.

And sometimes Moore, herself, finds it strange to be in front of a camera posing in her Mrs. Windermere tiara or doing on-camera interviews. But the biggest advantage of her crown is the publicity and attention it gives to her charity — The Gift of Life.

Moore officially founded The Gift of Life — a nonprofit organization that supports premature babies and their families — in 2013. The decision to follow this path came after giving birth in 2009 to her son, Kaleb, who was born 13 weeks early weighing 1 pound, 10 ounces. He was discharged five months later weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

IT BEGAN WITH COOKIES

“I was afraid to get attached because I didn’t know if he was going to make it or not,” Moore said. “But the nurses here at Florida Hospital were great; they encouraged me. They said, ‘You just have to have faith.’ And that’s what I did: I had faith that he was going to make it. Of course, I didn’t know the long journey afterward when we got home, but we managed to survive, and we’re here.”

The experience shaped the following years significantly and led her to become actively involved in the preemie community. Moore already has her hands full — as she currently works as a legal nurse and a wedding planner, and is pursuing a doctoral degree in nursing. But between it all, she dedicates her time to providing emotional support for parents with babies in the neonatal intensive-care unit.

It began with a few cookies, which soon evolved into care packages for when a premature baby is admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit and subsequently discharged. 

“We started by delivering cookies to the neonatal intensive care unit and to the nurses,” Moore said. “And then we saw a need in the families. They were here during the holidays, and it’s a really hard time to be here during the holidays, because you don’t get to go home, and you might have other children. It’s just really a lonely time, because you want to be home, but you can’t. So we started delivering things to the families the following year.”

LITTLE PASSIONS

Moore always has had a passion for helping others and volunteering — a trait likely received from her mom who knits hats for newborns in the NICU, but she never considered launching her own charity organization before Kaleb. 

To unwind, Moore likes to write books. So far, she has published four children books and one adult book, with two more soon to be published. She donates a portion of the proceeds from book royalties to her charity.

“That’s the thing that I love to do: write,” Moore said. “But it seems like my whole focus in life has changed. I still am a nurse, but my goals have changed into making a difference in my internship for my doctorate in nursing. My goal is to create a transition program for people when they go home from the neonatal unit.”

The published author also loves to dance, a hobby she began when she was just 3 years old. She stopped dancing for a while after turning 6, but picked it back up again in high school, and again in 1995. She dances tap, jazz, ballet and salsa.

“I love to dance because any frustrations I have leave,” she said. “And it helps me bring joy to someone else because they’re watching something. And it’s great exercise. Tap is my ultimate favorite.”

–––

Contact Gabby Baquero at [email protected]