wolfhirschhorn.org

Most of my life, I have been a selfish person that has always wondered what’s in it for me. If I couldn’t benefit, then my interest level was non-existent. I was the guy that never felt the need to drop extra change in the bucket or to give to a cause. It’s just not who I am.

Well, it’s not that much has changed, but WHS has opened my eyes to a few things. First of all, no amount of money can take away the pain that we have all felt at some point or another with the diagnosis, treatment, or suffering that we have seen our children endure at one time or another. Secondly, caring for a special needs child is a SIGNIFICANT undertaking. It’s just not an easy thing to manage, especially when you have multiple children. For me, it is not an uncommon scenario to feel that the attention that Kendall requires takes away from time spent on the other kids. There is a lot of guilt that goes on inside when one child takes precedence over another. It’s tough to cope with at times.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I know what we all go through and realize that it’s not easy. Some have it harder than others. Flat out, some don’t have the wherewithal to pull it all together; whether it be financially or other. So, I am going to come clean on a promise to myself to give back in some way. I explored the whole ‘Foundation’ thing and looked for ways to make it simple. I even tried to accept donations by opening a Paypal account under a Not For Profit but couldn’t do that without the correct paperwork. Well, I have a few ideas that I have been wanting to explore and have decided to just do it and figure it out later. It came to a head when I recently read a few emails about WHS parents that are financially challenged and are struggling with the price of nutritional aids.

Some time ago, I had a vision of giving to those that are affected most by this rare syndrome and now is the time to make it work for those that need it. I am organizing a wine tasting at a local winery here in Chicago on July 15th and will use this as a way to raise money for those parents of WHS kids who are having a tough time making ends meet. I don’t anticipate that a lot of money will be raised, but there will be enough to make a difference for a few children. I am still figuring out a couple of details, but the proceeds from this event will be used to purchase medical supplies, food or developmental aids for WHS children. I hope that this will lead to others that would like to hold similar functions that can raise funds for our cause. Every little bit makes a difference.

If you read this and want to organize a fund raising activity or feel that you have a case worth making to receive assistance, please contact me –Kevin.

Thanks!