Dear Casey Cares,

When I think of how Casey Cares has lifted our family up, I think of Mr. Fred Rogers. A quote of Mr. Rogers has become famous recently in the wake of several tragic public events. 

He said:  "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping. To this day, especially in times of 'disaster', I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world."

What you may not realize is that living with a chronic, life-threatening illness is scary, and can, at times, feel as tragic as a public disaster, especially in the life of a child. The quote above speaks to what Casey Cares does - they are the helpers, the caring people that want to make a difficult situation better.  And, while this quote has become virally famous, interestingly, a lesser known but equally effective coping strategy suggested by Fred Rogers Productions is to:

"Plan something that you and your child enjoy doing together, like taking a walk, going on a picnic, having some quiet time, or doing something silly. It can help to know there are simple things in life that can help us feel better, in good times and in bad."

This is the heart and mission of what Casey Cares has done for our family.  It is not always on our radar to take time to do something silly or enjoyable together as a family, but then an email shows up offering us free tickets to an event or concert or museum that I just know my son would delight in.  And, all the legwork and logistics are completely taken care of, all we have to do is show up.  Our family benefits tremendously from these simple things in life that help us feel better, that make us smile and that we can enjoy doing together.

- Samuel's mom