A 10 month old with congenital heart issues was given 6 months to live. After receiving this news, his parents wanted to take him to Texas to meet the rest of his family as soon as possible, but the baby was unable to fly without specialized equipment to keep him alive. Within days, The River...
A Williamsburg couple lost their baby at six weeks old. Both parents are from outside of the country with very little support or resources in the area. The River Ellis Foundation covered the cost of the burial plot so that their baby could be buried in Williamsburg. #GiveASunrise
A Franklin mother’s 1 1/2 year old son passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. A single mother, her husband died last fall in a motorcycle accident. She has a healthy 6 year old at home and a 4 year old child with severe medical needs that is currently in hospice care. As part of her son’s memorial...
“If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that life is wrought with unexpected hardships. Over the past months, we have witnessed unimaginable tragedies and adversities globally, nationally and even within our own Hampton Roads community. What a comfort it is to know that in such uncertain...
A Virginia Beach mother was hospitalized and unable to work for an extended period of time after suffering severe complications due to COVID-19. As the sole provider for her family of six, this left the family in difficult financial situation while the mother recovered. The River Ellis Foundation...
A Hampton family was faced with an unexpected hardship after welcoming boy and girl twins in November. Tragically, the baby girl passed away while the baby boy continues to receive care in the NICU at CHKD. On top of medical expenses, the family acquired toll debt after traveling daily to CHKD...
In the period of one month, a Virginia Beach woman lost her father and her son due to COVID-19. She found herself unable to afford a funeral for her son so soon after her father passed away. The River Ellis Foundation helped cover the funeral costs so she could hold a service for her son....
A 6 year old boy arrived at CHKD with what was first believed to be a foot infection. However, it turned out that he required leg amputation below his knee. The River Ellis Foundation purchased books and an amputee stuffed teddy bear to help the CHKD Child Life Specialists explain to the child...
The Give Local 757 Initiative is a program created by the Peninsula Community Foundation to spark and grow local philanthropy. Every year, the second Tuesday in May serves as the region’s 24 hour giving day called Give Local 757. Since its inception, the giving day has generated over $5.3...
When an 11 year old girl was placed in palliative care, her family decided to move home to India to be surrounded by the rest of their family. However, flying would place additional strain on the young girl’s condition and there was a possibility she would not survive the trip. The River Ellis...
A Sentara Leigh Hospital Medical Worker suddenly fell ill and began suffering debilitating symptoms due to a chronic gastrointestinal disease. She desperately needed a visit to a GI specialist in order to obtain medicine to get the symptoms under control. However, the family was struggling...
A Portsmouth mother was forced to stop working as a dental assistant when the COVID-19 pandemic began. After losing her 8-year-old son in a drowning accident, she was fearful of placing her other two children in childcare during the pandemic and remained home for an extended period of time so she...