May is a special month for Spreading Sunshine. On May 4, we celebrated David “Sunshine’s” birthday. David is the inspiration behind Spreading Sunshine. Thank you for all who gave financially to celebrate David’s birthday and support the mission of Spreading Sunshine to serve families impacted by childhood illness. Together we can spread HOPE in the midst of crisis.
A message from David’s parents, Abigail and Louis
Seven years ago our family was thrown into the whirlwind of parenting a newborn baby with a genetic heart defect. We could not have anticipated the drastic changes that came from spending his first six weeks in the NICU. We were forced to make immediate life adjustments that brought confusion, fear, frustration, quarantine isolation, and financial stress.
Does that sound familiar? At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the world finds itself processing many of the same thoughts and experiences. In a few months, most of the world will probably return to normal. But for the community caring for children with medical needs, the quarantine will never end. The confusion, fear, frustration, and financial stress will continue for years, even decades. One of the blessings we’ve seen in the midst of COVID-19, has been how care and connectedness have been expressed in various ways. Perhaps the most common expression has been the reminder that “we are all in this together.” Think about the hope that those words communicate. No one is alone. Everyone is a part of “us.”
Unfortunately, many of the families we minister have no “us.” Their lives are dictated by doctor’s appointments, therapy sessions, and multiple surgeries that often involve hospital stays in another state. That isn’t very compatible with cultivating an “us.”
For those families, Spreading Sunshine has the unique privilege of being able to assure them that “we are all in this together.” What better time is there to support these hurting families? After this crisis is over, they will continue to experience the struggles and challenges that we’ve all grown familiar with over the past six weeks.
We reflect on all the Lord has done and is continuing to do. We celebrate the little boy who came into the world with an extra chromosome and multiple medical issues. We celebrate a God who brings beauty from ashes and makes all things beautiful in His time. We celebrate six years of serving and loving families. We celebrate YOU, because without you, our work would not be possible.