‘Tis the season of gift-giving and sharing holiday cheer – so why not spread some more joy if you find yourself with a little extra? While Thanksgiving and #GivingTuesday have come and gone, the spirit of giving can live beyond the marketability of an American holiday. Much like our sister publication Style LA Magazine’s “Supermodel Search” benefitted She is Hope LA, you too can make a difference and give back to charity. Not sure where to start? Here are three 501(c)(3) s that are meaningful to me. ICP CARE I have been very vocal in becoming a first-time mom, and part of that motherhood journey was navigating Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) while pregnant. ICP is a relatively unknown/uncommon genetic liver disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and is characterized by elevated bile acids in the patient’s blood. This is potentially serious given if your bile acids do not flow properly, they build up in your body instead. Mothers with ICP have a higher chance of giving birth prematurely, or risk the baby being stillborn among other complications. ICP affects 1 to 2 in 1000 pregnant women, 5 in 100 Latina women, and 1 in 70 to 80 women of south Asian origin. That said, I – with no familial history of ICP, and of southeast Asian descent – have spoken with Asian and Caucasian friends who had developed the condition despite maintaining a healthy pregnancy like me. With so little known and discussed about ICP, sadly it often goes overlooked or untreated, leading to a soon-to-bemother’s worst fear. The most common symptom of ICP is severe itching, targeting the palms of your hands and soles of your feet, and is particularly worse at night. I was fortunate enough to have a medical team that...... Read more on Full Issue!