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...
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...
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...
A Newport News mother stayed at her daughter’s bedside when she was admitted to CHKD with a fungal brain infection. Fortunately, her daughter’s condition improved drastically after undergoing brain surgery. As a mental health counselor, the mother was not compensated during the extended time she...
After leaving an abusive marriage, a Newport News mother was working 3 jobs to support her 2 teenaged daughters and herself. Due to COVID-19, she lost all 3 of these jobs in a very short time period. The mother was able to find new employment, but needed assistance paying her rent from the period...
A 2-year-old boy from Franklin passed away suddenly due to Congestive Heart Failure. The day of the funeral, the family was notified that they would be unable to hold the scheduled memorial service for him unless a payment was made to the funeral home beforehand. The family was unable to afford...