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This summer HHH had one of our most unique and fun requests to date. Our new friend Lily, who is a mermaid performer in her spare time, has been dealing with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a kidney disease for the past 3 years and requested a new mermaid tail!!! A huge thanks goes out to The Mertailor for their support in making this request happen. We were thrilled that Lily was able to debut her new mermaid tail at our 5th annual Bar-B-Zoo!

Meet one of our new friends Carsten! He received an iPad to help him communicate and for some entertainment too!

We were thrilled to deliver this Gator to a very special gardener tonight! Thanks HHH supporters!

Usually when we share a photo of a sweet kiddo it’s a friend that has received an item from HHH. Today we are thrilled to introduce you to sweet Ava. She celebrated a big birthday (#6!) recently and instead of gifts for herself, she asked for art and craft supplies to gift to kids that could use some extra fun! We love your heart, Ava! Thank you for bringing big smiles to kids in the hospital. ❤️Check out the photo below for a look at what Ava donated and a fun “interview” to get to know her a little better!

HHH wishes to extend a hardy thank you to Stanley W. Eckstrom Foundation for their generosity toward our Polar Plunge and our mission as a whole. This gift will allow us to provide a lot of joy to kids that could use a little hope and happiness. To learn more about The Stanley W. Eckstrom Foundation and all of the good they are doing, visit https://www.swefoundation.org.

We were able to provide this swing set for our friend, Jordon! Thank you to our supporters for making this possible. Kendra, Jordon’s mom, tells his story below:

My name is Kendra and I have three children, two with special needs. Jordon (11), my oldest was born at 27 weeks and spent several months in the hospital before coming home for the first time. He has had a total of 11 surgeries and was in and out of the hospital for the first three years of his life. He struggles with mental health issues, and requires a feeding tube for 100% of his nutrition. I always wanted a few children; Jordon’s needs were many and it was around the clock caring for his disabilities, but I went for it anyway. Jordon was just under three years old when Evelyn (8) was born – healthy. I almost didn’t know what to do with a “normal” baby. I found it strange that she was so easy to care for. Then came Roman (6), he was rather colicky and required to be held most of the time. He only slept for 20 minutes at a time, day and night. Testing later found that he is severely ADHD, both with attention problems and sever hyperactivity. He also has sensory processing issues. I met my fiancé, Steve a few years ago, together it is us against the world!

Playing outdoors is what we do best. It is a great outlet for the boys to be free. We enjoy sledding and playing in the snow but most of the warm months we get away camping up north on my step dad’s property. We hike, play baseball, ride bikes, throw a ball to the dogs, and relax at the end of the day at the camp fire.

We are very blessed to be recipients of a gift from Healing with Hope and Happiness. Together we decided that a swing set would be a great addition to our home away from home. It’s nestled in the woods just feet outside of camp, easily viewed from anywhere within camp. This swing set has endless possibilities! The look out deck is equipped with a steering wheel and a telescope directly facing the lake. The swings are not only fun, but also soothing when anxiety sets in, and the rock climbing wall takes just enough strength to burn off excess energy. And a plus, the adults can enjoy this swing set with the kids too!!! The kids love it and there is no doubt in my mind that this swing set will provide hours of entertainment. Thank you HHH!