The arrival of Fall typically signifies the start to school, brisk mornings, and leaves changing colors.  For the families in our hospital and respite housing programs though, these seasonal changes often pass by unnoticed. Every ounce of a parent's strength and focus is directed to assisting their critically ill child by: following doctors orders, filling prescriptions, making appointments for tests, treatments and surgeries. The intensity of caring for and advocating for their sick child makes all other needs seem unimportant, yet Believe In Tomorrow knows that without adequate support and respite the cycle of stress can often become unmanageable.  

When a family is introduced to Believe In Tomorrow by their social worker, the first reaction is often "oh, we don't need to go away," or "how can we possibly think to go away?  We can't afford the time off."  And yet, it is exactly during those moments of difficulty that families benefit the most from taking a step back from their daily hospital experiences and simply nurture their family in a stunning location.  Those locations could be at a Respite House in the mountains or the beach, or the beautiful and friendly hospital house, The Children's House at Johns Hopkins.  

Thank you for taking the time to see what Believe In Tomorrow has been up to over the past month.   As always, we invite you to join the Believe In Tomorrow social media communities on   Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter  and now Snapchat, too! These social channels allow us to share timely information with you, as well as a way for us to hear directly from our families, donors, and volunteers.  
 
Kate's Week Away 
      
In late May 2016, energetic Kate began to wake up at night with severe back pain. After a few sleepless nights, her family took her to an orthopedist who initially thought she was experiencing growing pains, so Kate began a long summer of physical therapy.  

However, in early August no progress was being seen and Kate was scheduled for an MRI. The mysterious cause of Kate's pain was clearly identified by that MRI --  Kate had a grape sized tumor in her spinal cord that was squeezing her nerves. Kate immediately underwent surgery to remove the tumor and spent four days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit recovering. All indications pointed to a benign tumor, but after 3 weeks of pathology work on the biopsy Kate and her family were informed on September 1  that the tumor was cancerous. Kate had a Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor.  Suddenly all thoughts and plans for start of middle school were shelved and the focus turned to getting Kate well.
 
 
Successful 2nd Annual Believe In Tomorrow 5k, Bethany Beach, DE
 
The second Believe In Tomorrow 5K in Bethany was everything we hoped it would be.  Our "Face of the Race," Kate, is one of our Believe In Tomorrow Children, and she gave our runners a powerful message before they headed out to run or walk the picturesque route along the Atlantic Ocean.  To view photos from the race, click here.

Click below to hear her short and sweet message to all of us.   
 
 
 
Donor Highlights

RCM&D Hosts 24th Annual Regatta, Believe In Tomorrow among Beneficiaries
 
Each year, RCM&D selects charities that are important to their employees to be their charities of choice.  Believe In Tomorrow was thrilled to be a part of RCM&D's unique fundraising approach this year. By employing a year long fundraising approach, monies are raised for four charities by RCM&D, and checks are distributed at their annual Regatta.  

Believe In Tomorrow staff sailed (with the help of a trusty Captain) and raised attention for the critically ill children who we serve in our Hospital and Respite housing programs.  The funds that were raised over the year will provide for enhanced handicap accessibility at the Believe In Tomorrow House at St. Casimir.  

The families who stay at the St. Casimir location have a child who has received a bone marrow transplant. These special children require long-term housing due to the delicate nature of their procedure. Pediatric bone marrow recipients receive treatment for 60-120 days post-transplant and must reside within 15 minutes of the hospital.  Families stay in one of the House's eight apartments. With RCM&D's generous donation in excess of $20,000, multiple families will have an extra level of comfort during their child's medical crisis.
Donor Highlights

Maria Patterson Gives Back after Daughter's Stay at The Children's House at Johns Hopkins
 
Maria Patterson, understands from her own experience how difficult it is have a rare medical condition. She, her father, and her daughter, Ana, all suffer from Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, of which there are less than 3,000 diagnosed cases in the world. This extremely rare protein deficiency syndrome has required Ana to have multiple surgeries and hospital stays travelling from Ohio to Johns Hopkins Children's Center. A silver lining to the multiple surgeries is that Ana and her family always stay at The Children's House at Johns Hopkins. 

Ana is a determined 14 year old girl, who as her mom says, "when you have a condition like ours, you have to be strong."  Ana has stayed at The Children's House on multiple occasions and has been able to visit with therapy dogs, play air hockey as much as she wants, and make new friends outside of the hospital setting.  Many of the friends that Ana and her family have made since her first stay in 2015, she still keeps up with via her Facebook page--creating her own friend group that is experiencing similar challenges.  

All of these factors have played a roll when Maria decided she wanted to give back to Believe In Tomorrow. As an independent consultant for thirty-one which is an on-line shopping experience focusing on gift items and bags, Maria will donate 100% of her sales proceeds to Believe In Tomorrow Children's House. 

Click "The Children's House Party"
Shop

This generous offer will always be available to Believe In Tomorrow's families, volunteers, and donors as a way to say thank you for all the extra support and care that Ana and her family have received.  

 
Current Giving Program

Pledge to Make a Difference
 
The Maryland Charity Campaign has officially kicked off!  If you are a Maryland state employee or retiree, you can designate Believe In Tomorrow as your Maryland charitable workplace giving program designee through December 15.  Visit http://mcc.maryland.gov/ and follow the prompts to select Believe in Tomorrow as your designated charity.  
 
$5 donation/pay period provides 1 night Hospital Housing
 
$10 donation/pay period provides family dinner for all Hospital Housing Residents
 
$15 donation/pay period provides 1 night Respite Housing stay at either a beach or mountain location

Disney Raffle Winner
We are pleased to announce this year's Disney Raffle Winner is number  11547!  The winning ticket was drawn at the annual Sunfest in Ocean City, MD.
 
The winner received a $5,000 gift certificate that can be used at any Disney owned property or cruise.
 
Stay tuned for the 2018 Disney Raffle, to start soon!

Would you like to Sponsor our 35th Benefit and Auction?

This is Believe In Tomorrow's 35th Benefit and Auction which is designated as our Coral Anniversary.  Your participation and continued support helps to keep families together during their child's medical crisis.

If you or your company are interested in becoming a named sponsor of the Benefit and Auction simply click here to learn more. Together we can help the most fragile among us when they need it the most.


Are you our next donor?

The construction phase for the Believe In Tomorrow House at Deep Creek is progressing at a rapid pace. The beauty of this property will help our families relax, rest and rejuvenate in a peaceful surrounding.  As with all our building projects, we use a "barn raising" approach, with most materials and labor donated by our supporters. 

Can you or your employer help us secure donated items from our list? Please contact us at info@believeintomorrow.org with any questions or leads. We look forward to opening the doors in  2018, allowing us to double the number of families participating in our respite housing program in the Deep Creek area.


 
Stay Tuned
 
35th Annual  Benefit & Auction
Saturday, November 4, 2017
 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport Hotel


 

#GivingTuesday  
Tuesday, November 28, 2017  
#Give2Believe

Your online donation will keep critically ill children and their families together during their time of medical crisis.

 Donate here 


Believe In Tomorrow Prom Night  
 
Saturday, February 3, 2018 
Seacrets Bar and Grill - Ocean City, MD 
Believe In Tomorrow Port to Fort 6K  
 
Saturday, April 21, 2018  
Coke Field in Locust Point - Baltimore, MD
 
Registration is now open



Get Involved
Amazon Smile 
Do you shop on Amazon? While the growing variety of products is one reason to, did you know that Amazon will donate to Believe In Tomorrow every time you shop through their charitable program? Same products, same prices, and same service!
Choose Believe In Tomorrow Today!

Believe In Tomorrow Children's Foundation   |   www.BelieveInTomorrow.org 
info@believeintomorrow.org    |   410-744-1032