by River Ellis Foundation | Feb 8, 2021 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
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...
by River Ellis Foundation | Jan 21, 2021 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
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...
by River Ellis Foundation | Jan 7, 2021 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
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...
by River Ellis Foundation | Dec 21, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
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...
by River Ellis Foundation | Dec 10, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
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...
by River Ellis Foundation | Nov 30, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A 17 year old boy suffered from two cardiac arrests that resulted in a severe physical disability. He was stabilized during his hospitalization at CHKD, but the family was required to install a ramp at their Norfolk home in order for him to be discharged from the...
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 26, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A mother’s car was totaled while driving to her first day of work at a preschool. Her three-year-old daughter was also in the car and was attending preschool for her very first time. Both sustained only minor injuries, but without transportation the mother would no...
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 19, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
The grandparents and sole providers of two special needs children found themselves without a home after their house burned down earlier this year. Without home insurance, this Hampton family was unable to afford a new house that could accommodate their grandchildren’s...
by River Ellis Foundation | Sep 28, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A rising 2nd grader in Virginia Beach passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving behind a grieving family. His mother was unable to pay for his funeral service as a single parent who was already experiencing financial difficulties. The River Ellis Foundation was...
by River Ellis Foundation | Jul 23, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
When her car was totaled in a car accident, a mother found herself in the middle of a difficult situation. She relied on this vehicle to transport her 17 year old son with cerebral palsy to all of his medical appointments. Still making payments on her previous car,...
by River Ellis Foundation | Jul 1, 2020 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
At 22 weeks pregnant, a Newport News mother learned that her baby had Down Syndrome along with heart failure so severe that there was no way he would survive. The mother went on to carry him until 28 weeks and 4 days when she gave birth to her baby boy weighing 1lb...
by River Ellis Foundation | May 5, 2020 | Who We Help
A five-year-old boy ended up in the ICU after he was shot outside of his Portsmouth home. After being recently furloughed due to the COVID-19 crisis, his mother needed help purchasing a cell phone to communicate with family about the child’s condition as only...
