Ben and his mom Priscilla spent six weeks planning his tenth birthday. The invitations were sent. Mad Science was booked. Ben’s friends were excited to attend. But Ben spent his birthday and the next ten days in the hospital.…
Twelve-year-old Kayla sits down to eat dinner with her mother and two brothers. She has herself to thank for much of the food on the table. Before the fresh vegetables landed on Kayla’s plate, they were at a food pantry,…
One of the places where Leander Spencer, 17, feels most comfortable is in the water. But according to her mother, Katherine, there were few local programs where Leander, who has a severe form of autism, could swim. Fortunately, the Spencers…
Spirits soared on a Saturday morning as single-eyed Belle was loaded into the PetSmart van. Week after week the 4-year-old lab/shepherd mix waited patiently to meet her forever family. Finally, it was happening. A family was waiting at the Short…
Allison Smith called Children’s Home Society of Virginia (CHS) in 2002 to offer her volunteer services. “I thought it was a home for children,” she said. “And I love children. My husband and I couldn’t have our own, but I…
Three and a half months after welcoming their second child, Mackenzie, into the world, Wes and Danielle Hooker’s lives were turned upside down in an instant. While visiting Danielle’s parents, Mackenzie developed a bad cough and had to be rushed…
