A Foundation in the Making

Kristi and I have been struggling for the past few months on how to do something really BIG for the families of kids with Rasmussen's Encephalitis, and those who have had hemispherectomies. Some are attending colleges and need tuition assistance, others need vocational training, others need time at OT, PT Camps or rehab equipment. Most of them are in need one way or another.

So Kristi decided to create a scholarship fund for these kids. This will go a long ways. However, in order to make this thing really BIG, we need to find individuals with BIG Ideas and people who have BIG contacts and can make BIG things happen. So, please send in your ideas and how you might help.

We are not soliciting donations from our community, you have done enough Aledo!! And none of these funds will go to Jessie. It will affect a much larger group.

Here are some ideas so far :

• Make the scholarship into a foundation and find an attorney that could make that happen.
• Create a website to go along with the foundation.
• The Texas Rangers come up to Baltimore in early July for a 3-game series, could this somehow be used to raise money for the scholarship?
• Various people have connections with musicians (especially in the country scene) that might be able raise some money for the foundation.
• Various people have connections with sports figures that might be able to help.
• Attorneys and Politicians have some leverage to make things happen, and Jessie's Angels seem to have lots of contacts in that arena.
• Get the local Energy Companies involved, with all the work that is being done around Aledo.
• Get Cook Children's Hospital involved...Jessie started there and will ultimately end up there.
• What could Kay Granger do for Jessie? or Kay Bailey Hutchison, or Gov. Rick Perry? Jessie actually go a personal letter from Kay Granger. Roger Williams? Politicians in Baltimore? George W. Bush (He's in Baltimore area as much as Texas for a few more months)
• Bring President Bush in for a hospital visit at Johns Hopkins for awareness
• Get Dr. Carson involved in the foundation.
• Competition between attorneys in Texas vs Maryland? Donate for Jessie? Keep us with which state's attorneys donate the most.
• Create an on-line donation system (paypal) to make donating easier.

So, get those thinking caps on, and if any of these or other ideas make you feel compelled to do something, please...RUN WITH IT!!!!!

Because this surgery had a moratorium put on it for so many years, we are just NOW hitting the first generation of kids coming of age.

These Hemispherectomy kids have NO foundation, NO scholarships, NO assistance set up specifically for them. Let's make it happen. I've seen how powerful the community is when they set their mind to it!!!!

We will eventually need several million in donations to endow this thing properly, but if we start now, I truly believe that we can get the support and make it happen. Wouldn't it feel great to be a part of that?!!

Cris