To start off, thank you for making it this far. It means a lot personally that you want to make a donation to this cause.
I started the Revving Up Hope campaign as a way to give back to those that are walking down the path my family walked on. My son Riley was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). HLHS ultimately ended up taking Riley's life after 6 months of fighting. The only people fighting harder than Riley were the Children's Hospital staff members that cared for him every day of his life.
We witnessed firsthand what it was like to be a family navigating a situation we should never have had to face; watching our child fight for their life. One of the biggest hardships at a time like this is not the millions of dollars of medical bills that rack up, but instead it's the little expenses while you're away from home and a regular work schedule.
Things like fuel, food, and lodging add up quick when you are away from home. That's why we chose to give to the fund that allows Children's to offer support to families struggling in those areas. When you donate to Revving Up Hope, you are giving directly to those families that are struggling to put fuel in their car in order to get to or from the hospital to see their child. You're helping them have a meal away from the hospital so that they can catch their breath. It's these little things that help keep parents moving forward.
We know that we will see Riley again in heaven, and we loved every minute that we were given with him. It was people that supported us through these donations that helped us be present with our son for those 6 short months. So, thank you for helping us pass these glimmers of relief onto the families that are still fighting!
- Sam
