After losing her son, Abraham (better known as "Hammy") following his battle with a brain cancer, Gina Truesdale sought to find a way to keep his memory alive. Having benefitted from our programs at Casey Cares, Gina wanted to partner with our organization and decided to make it her mission to help the neediest of our families She collects grocery gift cards and sends them to our families. Having known firsthand how difficult it is to take care of a critically ill child - medical expenses can be overwhelming and some families have to choose between paying for prescriptions and treatments or paying for food.
The holiday season is especially difficult for these families, and we were hoping to spread the word about this program and try to get more donors on board to help.
It is amazing when we can provide that magical moment to bring a smile to a child’s face --- taking a family to a football or basketball game or to the movies or the zoo --- but we are realizing the importance of providing some of the basic needs as well.
Here are some of the comments from our families who have received grocery gift cards through our Casey Cares' Hammy's Heart Program, which has benefitted more than 300 families.
“God Bless you!! I have to choose between my son eating or me eating. So I eat bread and drink water and make sure his tummy is full so I thank you from the bottom of my heart I am struggling to just keep food on the table. (Tymiere)
“Could we have one of the grocery gift cards? We're very tight on money right now.”(David)
“A grocery store gift card would always be a wonderful blessing.” (Zachary)
“Wow! This is amazing, thank you! We are so grateful to be a part of this foundation! The grocery gift card could be a huge help to our family. Our travel and medical expenses are adding up quickly. We tend to forget to budget in groceries, until we are hungry ;) (Joey)
“We can always use a grocery gift card! Thank you so very much. We truly appreciate it. (Taylor)
Help us keep Hammy's legacy alive and please consider making a gift to our Casey Cares families this holiday season.
