A Dream Coming True

In September my high school class held its 20th reunion.  I was not able to attend the reunion, but it did stir up a lot of memories of my high school years.  The things that stand out to me the most were the prom, dance recitals, church basketball, my sweet 16 birthday party, and youth retreats.  To this day when I walk into the Anderson Civic Center or the Fine Arts Center at Anderson University the memories flood in of some many fun nights that I shared with my friends.  For many, too many, children these are experiences that they will never have.  Through no fault of their own, they live in circumstances that make these rites of passage unattainable.  

This fact became a reality to me about five years ago.  Our niece was in the 5th grade at the time and was planning for the big field trip to Washington, DC.  We had participated in several fundraisers that she and her classmates were doing to raise the needed money for the trip.  At that time I was involved with a local foster parent association and was responsible for the emails.  An email came to me from a caseworker explaining that a child in care wanted to participate in this trip but the foster mom could not pay the full amount.  The caseworker was asking for assistance to cover the remaining cost for the child.  After reaching out to a few people I was able to get the needed funds and the child was able to participate in what was likely a once in a lifetime experience.  

It was that day that the wheels in my head and heart started turning and a dream was born.  I didn't know when or how, but I knew that someday I would make these dreams a reality for kids in need.  Over the last few years that dream continued to grow and I started putting things down on paper and figuring out how to make it happen.  In February of this year, I contacted a consulting firm and officially started the process.  I reached out to a few like minded people and created a board of directors.  

On September 28, 2016 (Reese's adoption day anniversary) we received official notification from the IRS that we have been approved as a 501(c)3.  It is with great pleasure that I present to you: 

A Night To Remember exists to create positive, memorable experiences that would otherwise be unattainable for children with special needs or living in the foster care system.  Our goal is to provide these children with typical experiences such as birthday parties, scholarships to participate in recreational activities, provide equipment for recreational activities, prom, field trips, youth trips, etc.  

I will gladly share more details with you and tell you how you can be involved.  We are currently building our website and Facebook pages.  You can like our Facebook page and follow us as we take the next few weeks to get ourselves established and prepare to fundraise this winter.  

One way that you can support us is by purchasing a 2017 calendar featuring the very children we are seeking to reach out to.  Our calendar is full of former foster children and children who have special needs.  The calendars are $10 and we will be taking preorders through Wednesday, November 23rd.  Calendars should be available for delivery the first week of December.  The price may increase for calendars ordered after the 11/23 deadline.  Here's a little preview of some of the sweet faces you will be able to admire all year long: 

Isaac's Christmas Wish

What a privilege it was to be a part of Isaac's Christmas wish.  I could have never imagined when we made the drive to Cincinnati to help deliver these gifts that we would have our own child on the receiving end a few years later. 


Holidays are tough for families who are hospitalized.  Many of these families are far from home and their families.  Unless you have been on the receiving end, you can't imagine the impact that a small gift can make on these families.  


This year Bryan and I will be delivering gifts to children at the Greenville Children's Hospital on December 23rd with Happy Wheels.  If your family would like to contribute a toy for a child (ages birth-18) contact me and I will make arrangements to get them from you.  Happy Wheels is a 501c3, so all gifts are tax deductible.  Please consider giving in honor of Brinkley and Isaac.  


Praise the Lord that both boys (Isaac and Brinkley) are doing well and plan to be home with their families this Christmas!

Calling All NICU Moms

Pay it Forward

December is full of so many memories and blessings for our little family.  

It is hard to believe that this time last year we were temporarily living in Charleston and waiting to hear when our three month old would be released from the hospital following his first open heart surgery.  We had no idea we had just boarded a roller coaster that would lead to six months worth of hospital stays.  

Thinking a little further back, five years ago this week we were living our lives as a family of two.  Just about 10 days prior we found out that we would be adding a five month old baby boy to our family and were anxiously awaiting the day that we would meet him for the first time (December 19th).  

The Lord always seems to find a HUGE way to bless us this time of year and we are looking forward to paying that forward this year.  

I am very excited about the opportunity that we have this year to serve the families of the GHS Children's Hospital.  Last year was tough spending the holidays in the hospital, but so many people played a part in helping us through.  This year is our turn!  I am so lucky that my Happy Wheels* day this month happened to fall on Christmas Eve.  This means that myself and a friend will be pushing the toy cart through the Children's Hospital on the 24th letting each child choose a gift. 

As if that is not exciting enough, on the 26th Bryan and I will be back at the Children's Hospital serving lunch to the parents.  We're having a traditional Christmas lunch so that these families can get a little taste of home even while their children are sick.  Our friend Josh Trammell will be with us as his organization, Take Heart, will be donating tablets to the PICU and Pediatric Cancer Units.  These will be used for educational and therapeutic purposes for the kids and their families.   We love our PICU family and look forward to seeing them and being a part of the presentation.  

We still need help with lunch!  If you would be willing to cook, please let me know.  We are serving ham & turkey, green beans, macaroni & cheese, sweet potatoes, bread/rolls, and dessert.  The hospital has told us to plan for 60 families, so we need lots of help!  Please contact me at projectbrinkley@gmail.com if you are willing to cook any of these items.  Also, if your buisness would like to get involved we could use gift cards for paper products (Costco, Target, WalMart).  

Thank you for helping make this a reality for us.  I assure you that the families we are serving will be blessed by your willingness to give.  We can't make it happen without you!

*If you or your group would be interested in collecting new toys for the Happy Wheels cart I can get you information!

Asking for prayer

One of the things that we have learned on this journey is the power of prayer.  Early on we asked you to pray for wisdom as we selected Brinkley's medical team.  We asked for prayers that he would not need a pacemaker following his first OHS.  We asked for prayers to sustain us as we dealt with being relocated.  We asked for prayer over and over again and God has been faithful.  That's why I am coming to you again and asking for prayer.  This time, however, the prayers are not for us.  The Lord has been gracious to us and I want to beg you to ask the same for some other families.  

In some ways these requests seem to be bringing us full circle in our journey so far.  When we asked you to pray for wisdom in forming Brinkley's team we did not know what was ahead of us and could not have imagined where we were headed.  God has abundantly blessed us with INCREDIBLE doctors that have often gone above and beyond for Brinkley.  In the process we learned that many of them (not surprisingly) share our faith.   During one of our PICU stays at GHS Dr. Bryan Eriksen was the resident assigned to Brinkley.  Dr Eriksen took a particular interest in Brinkley and he studied Brinkley's chronic respiratory issues even after our transfer to MUSC.  He has continued to check on Brinkley and offer thoughts about the respiratory issues.   Brinkley was under his care in the PICU a second time and Dr Eriksen came in and prayed over Brinkley with us (and Reese).  He has been a tremendous help and encouragement to us.  We have aslo had the pleasure of being treated by his sweet wife Sara Beth when Brinkley was admitted on the floor at GHS.  

Both Dr Eriksens are currently serving as medical missionaries in Kenya.  They are being pushed and stretched in their faith and their medical training.  I have no doubt that they are blessing their patients there the same way they have blessed us.  I ask you to pray for them as they are serving as senior medical team members there.  Unlike here, they do not have a team of seasoned doctors to refer to and ask for help.  You can follow their story here.  

Next I would ask you to pray for my dear friend Beth.  She and her husband, Ian, moved to Germany a little over a year ago to serve as missionaries.  They have been working very hard to learn the language and be able to communicate effectively with those around them.  Beth is currently expecting their 4th child and has run into some complications.  I know all too well how scary that can be.  I can't imagine how the language barrier escalates the anxiety involved.  The two families that generally assist them with translations are both away and were not able to go to the last few Dr visits with them.  Please pray for them that the Lord would continue to protect Beth and baby Chadwick.  Also pray for their anxiety and the communication barriers.  

Finally, we have several friends that are currently having struggles with their marriages.  This has become a common theme around us over the last couple of years.  So many of our friends have separated and/or divorced for various reasons.  Marriages are under attack and we need to stand together for our friends and our own marriages.  No one is immune to family problems and no ones marriage is perfect.  It's our responsibility to stand together and fight for our families.  

Thank you for your faithful prayers for our family.  We have seen the power of prayer in our lives and beg you to join us in standing in the gap for these precious families.  

*Please add our friend Charlotte to that as well.  She is dealing with some issues with her foot and needs to find a treatment that works.  She is trying a new treatment today.