Life Changing Moments by Peggy Thomas

Greetings Friends and Family:

There are defining moments in everyone’s lives that are unforgettable--some are good, and some are not. For example, when a young man asks his girl to marry him and she says “YES!”—that is a special moment. And then there are those moments that are not so good; like when Danielle and I sat in the Oakland Children's Hospital Conference Room (a small room with bare walls, and no windows) and were told that Logan, my 1st grandson, has Spinal Muscular Dystrophy with Respiratory Distress (SMARD).

SMARD is a rare disease in which most children don’t live to see their 2nd birthday. Logan was only 3 months old when he was diagnosed, and we were told that there is no cure. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but wonder how many families have had this exact life-changing moment as they are being told of their children’s diagnoses.

Sitting in that bare room, I suddenly felt inspired to hire an artist to paint a beautiful mural on the walls. My hope is that when parents walk into this room they would, for at least 10 seconds, be transported to the beautiful Mediterranean Ocean. This would be the image they first remember when they recall the day in which their lives changed with their child’s diagnosis.

This mural will be my gift in Logan's honor, to all of the families that walk into this small room and leave as changed people. I hope that the beauty of God's creation will wrap its arms around each of them and administer peace, love and most of all hope.

We have been at the children's hospital for 3 months now, and plan to remain here for a while. I love the time I spend with Logan—he is so precious to me. So many times over the past few months, I've seen tears of compassion, love, hope, and sadness. The hospital is an amazing place with incredible people who work hard and are dedicated to improving the lives of so many young people like Logan. It has been my honor to make this contribution to the families who have hard days ahead of them.

If you would like to join me in giving this wonderful gift, contributions can be made to:

Peggy Thomas
For: Mural for Oakland’s Children’s Hospital
35 Calle Este
Walnut Creek, CA 94597

The second April eNews has been sent!

April is a busy month, so TFN has decided to send out a second eNews publication. To read our eNews, follow the link below!

April #2 eNews Letter

If you would like to be added to the eNews email list, please contact: devintern@adopt-familynetwork.com

The Human Race

The Family Network will be participating in a local fundraiser called the Human Race on May 7th, 2011 and we are seeking your support. The Human Race is a large-scale community fundraiser held in Santa Cruz County. It provides an opportunity for non-profit organizations, like ourselves, to raise money for our programs and create awareness for our agency. Donors can participate in the walk or simply make a donation to our cause.

Donating is quick and easy, and we would greatly appreciate any contribution you would be willing to make. These donations will assist our services in getting children, internationally and locally, into families to receive the love and care that every child deserves. Each company that sponsors will have name exposure to 1,500 walkers and other businesses that participate in the event.  Your business can have the satisfaction of making a positive impact in the Santa Cruz local community by making a tax-deductable donation to The Family Network, Inc. With your donations our agency will have increased funding to continue to build families and change lives. Our tax-id number is 43-1185310. To Donate Online *Go to the Human Race website at humanracesc.org *Click the link in the row at the top of this page that says “Donate" *Click the first link - “Donate/Fundraising: Donate to your favorite non-profit. *Scroll down the list of companies to find/click "The Family Network, Inc." *Click "General Team Donation" tab in the middle of the page next to the "Team Page" tab * Fil out personal information, be sure to specify "The Family Network" as the agency you are donating to To Donate by Mail: Send a check to: 2959 Park Avenue, Suite D Soquel, CA 95073 If a check is preferred, please specify that it is for The Family Network’s efforts in the Human Race.  As always, we appreciate the support from our community and we look forward to seeing you there!

April eNews!

Happy April everyone! Our April eNews has just been sent out! Check out our upcoming events, agency news, community activities and other news with the link below!

http://mim.io/142bf

Donation to an Orphanage in Haiti

TFN spent much of 2010 fundraising for the Couers de Compassion Orphanage in Haiti, who has great need since the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010.  TFN has raised a total of $2,800 so far, to help the orphanage and below are touching photos of the check being received in Haiti. 


TFN would like to extend our grattitude and appreciation to everyone who contributed!

Ethiopia Moves to Sharply Reduce Foreign Adoptions

David Crary writes about changes with intercountry adoption in Ethiopia in the article listed below.

 
Article

Joint Council Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian Children

Last week the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children's, and Youth Affairs announced their intention to reduce intercountry adoptions by 90% beginning March 10, 2011. To sign the petition to support a reversal of this decision, click the link below.

Petition