For a long time, I thought I could do everything myself. A friend finally told me, “You shouldn't have to do this alone. You really need to call The Center.” Now, my son begs to go to the center. He is so happy there. And my life, my family's lives, everything has totally changed.

We need to give our kids our all, and we can only do that because we have a place like The Special Children's Center that will truly be their second home when we need a break. When our daughter is at The Center, we can give her siblings the attention they need. And when she comes home—bathed, fed, dressed in PJs—we're totally rested and rejuvenated for her.

It was my son’s first summer at camp, and he was coming back the next day. There were three weeks left before school, and I was so desperate for help. When I told The Center, they said, “Okay, so you’ll probably want him to start tomorrow. We’ll pick him up at 9—don’t worry about anything.” My jaw dropped. I just could not believe that this was real — that there was an organization that just wanted to help.

Once, I was stuck in the hospital with my baby and husband, without any extra clothes or overnight supplies. A volunteer from The Center heard about this and offered to bring up supplies for me and my baby. She couldn’t get into my house, so she went to Walmart, bought everything, and drove it to me—an hour and a half away. She didn’t call and stress me out, she just showed up. That's The Center in a nutshell. They're not a typical organization. They're family.

The Center is a reminder that family isn't always blood; it's the people who are there for you when you're at your best, and at your side when you're at your worst. They're the ones who love you because they choose to and not just because they should. They're the ones who remind us that love comes in all forms.