Meet Elijah - Extended Hospital Stay Grant Recipient

This is Elijah, he is an incredibly charming and precocious young man with cystic fibrosis who recently spent many extended stays in the hospital.  Not only that, but his brother also has cystic fibrosis and his older sister suffers from sickle cell disease.  I cannot imagine what this family goes through on a daily basis taking care of all 3 children's medical needs, working full time jobs and trying to make time to enjoy their life.  Their parents work hard to ensure that their children are well and that they also complete their school work as well as a few extra curricular activities.  It cannot all be about staying well and they have somehow achieved a great balance.  This grant was special because we were able to help this family get caught up on all of their bills and help them pay for graduation fees and a class ring for their daughter, who even though she missed quite a bit of school last year, was able to graduate with her class mates.  If you have ever walked in the shoes of a family like this, you will understand what a huge feat this is! Big congratulations to this family for working so hard, staying positive and being a shining example to others in difficult situations.Elijah's parents write "Claire’s Place Foundation has allowed me to catch ALL of my bills up. I ended up behind on my bills due to my son and daughter being hospitalized.  In addition my daughter had senior fees, dues and trips I was trying to pay for.  She has worked so hard despite her disease and I didn’t want her to miss out on her senior activities just because we didn’t have the money. This is truly a blessing for my family as a whole.  I honestly can’t express how grateful I am.  I was literally speechless when I read the email and just began to whisper because I was overtaken with such joy.  I really don’t feel deserving but I believe its God’s grace and mercy that allowed us to get this grant. The grant has alleviated so much financial stress that my family as a whole are without words. As we read the email we just stared at one another thanking God and thanking God for you.   Thank you……" Thank you to all of the people who support this program ~ you are the reason we were able to assist in such a big way.