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We Believe — Believe In Tomorrow provides exceptional hospital and respite housing services to critically ill children and their families. We believe in keeping families together during a child's medical crisis, and that the gentle cadence of normal family life has a powerful influence on the healing process.
As we officially enter the holiday season, I continue to be amazed and inspired by the families who are a part of our Believe In Tomorrow family. We are honored to offer a measure of comfort and support in their journey to overcome a child’s critical illness.
This month’s activity calendar for the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins and the Believe In Tomorrow House at St. Casimir is booked solid with family night suppers, baking marathons and other activities our loyal and creative volunteers are hosting.
Our respite houses at the beach and on Wisp Mountain are full of families creating joyful memories together, away from hospitals and medical treatments. We are so grateful for our army of volunteer ambassadors, donors and supporters who keep our facilities sparkling clean, well stocked and offer our families an assortment of complimentary activities and dining experiences to enjoy, during their respite.
We are touched by the generosity of the families who have participated in our programs, who continue to give back to Believe In Tomorrow in so many ways. Whether it’s creating fund-raising marathons to support our programs, knitting “chemo hats,” for our children or appearing at our 27th Annual Benefit & Auction to share a personal letter or story with our guests, our families, volunteers, donors and supporters are the heart and soul of Believe In Tomorrow.
I wish you all a blessed holiday season and a peaceful New Year.
With gratitude,
Celebrating Thanksgiving and Much More...
When Laurie Le Sage was mowing her grass almost eight years ago, she didn’t realize her then twenty-two month old daughter Brianna would be hiding in the tall grass she was mowing, until she literally avoided a devastating catastrophe. Fortunately, Brianna’s injuries were minor and very contained.
After this harrowing experience, Laurie and her husband Brian figured God was preparing them for another one of life’s unforeseen situations. Then their second daughter Corin was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma brain tumor at age three in November of 2006. Again, Laurie and Brian were left wondering what their NEXT challenge might be. They received their answer when their youngest daughter, Alexis was born with a hole in her heart.
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Fast forward to mid-November 2009 – Now seven year old Corin, has her port removed and receives joyous news from the doctors that she is cancer free and following heart surgery, four year old Alexis receives the all clear sign from her doctors that she can resume normal activities. With Thanksgiving just days away, it seems there was another plan in the works and that was to have the Le Sage family celebrate Thanksgiving at the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain…and celebrate they did!
Please Consider Making A Gift To Believe In Tomorrow This Holiday Season
Your financial support this year will help us through the most difficult economic climate of our 27 year history. Your support will help to bring the warm light of hope into our hospital and respite housing..... and into the hearts of the children and families that we serve.
There are many ways that you can make a financial investment into our programs that will help to make a difference in the lives of our Believe In Tomorrow families.
You can:**make an end of year tax deductible gift to Believe In Tomorrow
**make a holiday gift in honor of, or in memory of, someone special. (We will send an acknowledgement of your special contribution)
**donate your unused car for a tax deduction to you and a contribution to our programs (please call our office or visit our web site for details)
**contributions can be made directly and securely through the Believe In Tomorrow web site.
Dear Friends,
As we enter the second week of December, we reflect on the events of December 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and remain grateful for the freedom and quality of life we enjoy today. It is with that freedom and knowledge that every vote counts, that we urgently request your support today. Chase Community Giving is gifting a generous amount to charities around the USA. Facebook users will determine which charities will receive the money. Please vote for Believe In Tomorrow National Children's Foundation. Deadline is December 11.
Follow this link: Chase Community Giving via Facebook
That will take you directly to the page where you can vote for Believe In Tomorrow National Children's Foundation. Deadline is December 11, every VOTE counts, so please cast your vote! Thank you! Brian Morrison, Founder & CEO Believe In Tomorrow National Children's Foundation (www.believeintomorrow.org) and vote for Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation as your favorite and most worthy charity to receive a gift from Chase Community Giving. Remember everything you do makes a difference in the lives of families with critically ill children. VOTE!
It's Not Too Late to Order Your Holiday Cards - AND Support Believe In Tomorrow
It's not too late... This year, we are offering five different “holiday” scenes, each created by a child who has found comfort and support in our programs. Follow this link to order now.
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"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." - Marian Wright Edelman
An act of kindness by an unknown individual ignites company-wide support for Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation
Surely not what this associate of T. Rowe Price envisioned when deciding to participate in providing an evening meal at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins many years ago. That one act of volunteerism has led an entire spectrum of individuals and divisions within T. Rowe Price to become involved with Believe in Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation and at the same time spawned the quintessential team-building opportunity.
T. Rowe Price, a global investment management firm with corporate headquarters in Baltimore, MD, states on their website: “Our mission is simple: help clients around the world achieve their long-term investment goals.”
Truly, for Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation, they have faithfully invested in the families and critically-ill children we serve, empowering and expanding our network of support. As an organization, Believe In Tomorrow has, over the years, watched individuals within T. Rowe Price initiate corporate-sponsored participation which in turn inspires first-time participants to spearhead their own endeavors within their corporate departments and communities.
The Believe In Tomorrow Children's House at Johns Hopkins – a Family’s Story…
That diagnosis led the family to the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins. The family, who lives in Hagerstown, MD, has stayed at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins multiple times, while Lee has undergone surgeries and medical treatments. The family has two older children, who remain at home during the treatment process. In an interview with Lee’s dad, Randy, he said “Lee really enjoyed staying at the house because there were other children his age to play with. It didn’t matter that the kids weren’t dealing with the same medical issues Lee is dealing with – it turns out the kids were members of the same council of Boy Scouts, so it was like having your brothers with you.” Lee’s mom Janie, who works for NIH (the National Institute of Health), outside of Washington, DC, was also very impressed with the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins. Randy and Janie alternate staying over at the hospital with Lee, during surgeries and treatments, while the other stays at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House, which gives the parents a bit of a break in between coverage. It also enables the parent, who is staying at the house, the opportunity to participate in family suppers, cookouts and other activities that are meant to decrease stress for families, who are already overloaded. As the schedule would have it, Janie was overnighting at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House, while Randy was with Lee in the hospital over the July 4th holiday. After enjoying the traditional July 4th barbeque at the house, Janie took Randy a plate or two (!) to enjoy at the hospital. In summing up his family’s experience at the house, Randy said, “the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins is a blessing – AND A LOT nicer than most of the hotels I’ve stayed in.” |
Eleven year old Lee Russell was enjoying his active life as a Boy Scout, spending time outdoors, swimming and camping at Camp Sinoquipe in Fort Littleton, PA, until the day in May, his parents noticed a mass on Lee’s arm, which was identified as Osteosarcoma on June 1, 2009. Hold Onto Your Hats...
And your keys, and your loose change! The Professional Bull Riders, (PBR) Inc. are coming to a TOWN NEAR YOU!
Believe In Tomorrow families will have behind the scenes access at Professional Bull Riders, Inc.events, in more than twenty cities, as the PBR kicks off its 2010 season at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore, on January 3. “Thanks to Randy Bernard, Todd Pierce, the riders and all our friends at the PBR, our families get to see what goes into producing the ‘toughest sport on dirt’,” said Brian Morrison, Founder & CEO of Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation.
Thanks to Believe In Tomorrow’s partnership with the PBR, our families get to meet the cowboys, the producers and the bull riders, who allow our children to place “good luck” hand prints on their chaps, get up close – but not too personal – with the bulls and enjoy pre-event activities.
Log onto www.pbrnow.com to view the schedule and to find out when the PBR is coming to your home town – and you’ll see our families in the stands.
The Calbazana's Fall Beach Respite
Flying High on the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Blimp
Alabama-based Wind Creek Casino and Hotel is giving families with critically ill children a Hands On (and feet off the ground) Adventure to support Believe In Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation.
Children in Believe In Tomorrow’s Hands On Adventures program will get to ride in the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Blimp, which is one of less than 23 airships flying in the world today. The blimp rides will give a child who is battling a life threatening illness a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience something that is available by special invitation only. Seating on board a blimp cannot be purchased, at any price.
The Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Blimp flies along the Gulf Coast of the United States, with a flight plan that includes a focus on Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, which is home to many of our nation’s military personnel.
“Thanks to the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel, we are thrilled to offer children in our program, such an extraordinary Hands on Adventure,” said Believe In Tomorrow Founder and CEO, Brian Morrison. “We are aggressively looking to grow our respite housing initiative in the Gulf Coast area and the attention the blimp will generate helps us secure funding and support for that expansion.”