So very thankful . . .

thankful

We are thankful for each of the infants, children, and adults with HPE who have touched our hearts in countless ways–those born and unborn, living or deceased.

We are thankful for our HPE parents.  We all remember the moment that the word “holoprosencephaly” became a part of our vocabulary, and we are grateful to have other HPE parents who have helped us find the HoPE in HPE.  We are also grateful for those who have filled the role of parent when needed.

We are thankful for our HPE siblings!  We know that they often sacrifice many things and at times take on extra responsibilities.  They are truly heroes!

We are thankful for HPE grandparents and great-grandparents.  While we focus a lot of attention on our HPE parents to help them cope with the diagnosis, we also recognize that our HPE grandparents carry a great sorrow and heartbreak because they are not only watching their grandchild cope with HPE, but they are witnessing their own child’s struggle for understanding and wisdom.

We are thankful for our extended families–aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors!  It takes a village, and we thank you for wrapping your arms around our HPE families to comfort them, for praying for them, and for extending your love and friendship without conditions and limitations.

We are thankful for the individuals who willingly walk beside our grieving families so that they might see that HoPE and healing are future possibilities.

We are thankful for the dedicated individuals at the Carter Centers for Brain Research in Holoprosencephaly and also Max Muenke and his team at the National Institutes of Health.  From all of us who have benefited from your life’s work, THANK YOU!

We are thankful for all of the medical professionals–doctors, nurses, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, radiologists, paramedics, social workers, chaplains–who work as a team for the good of our children and our families, no matter how challenging and complex those situations might be.

We are also thankful for those who are a part of our journey with HPE in big and small ways–teachers, bus drivers, DME vendors and couriers, FedEx/UPS drivers, helicopter pilots and ambulance drivers.

We are extremely thankful for the volunteers who give of their time and talents to Families for HoPE to provide encouragement to families in need, to lovingly make hundreds of hand-made cards for birthdays and special holidays for our HPE families, and to serve on our board.  And, also for our athletes who proudly display our logo and raise awareness of HPE among thousands of fans and followers as they compete in their chosen sport.

We are beyond thankful to our donors for their selfless acts of giving and those who supported our fundraising projects.  It is through the gifts of our generous donors and supporters that we are able to conduct conferences and support our programs providing educational materials and encouragement to our HPE families.  We cannot thank you enough for your support of our mission!

From all of us at Families for HoPE, have a happy Thanksgiving and thank YOU!