Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Smith.
Hi Diane, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When my oldest daughter was just a few months old, one of my best friends, Virginia, had a daughter. We were so excited for our girls to be the best of friends, grow up together, and have fun playdates.
When Virginia’s daughter, Madi was just two weeks old, Virginia was told by their doctor to take her baby home because she would likely die or be severely handicapped. The reason was that she was born missing a part of her brain and had a mass in her sinus cavity. Over the next several weeks, they saw many doctors and specialists get second and third opinions regarding Madi’s health. I remember not being sure exactly what to do and how to best support Virginia as they faced the unthinkable.
When Madi was three months old, she had brain surgery and I spent the day at the hospital with Virginia and her husband Phil. I’ll never forget the sight of that sweet baby in a hospital bed after surgery. Madi recovered from surgery and spent her early years in physical and occupational therapy. She surpassed all of the doctor’s expectations and was able to go to school. She had a few limitations but nothing compared to the initial diagnosis. She graduated from college a few years ago and has an amazing job.
This experience opened my eyes to what families face when their child faces a serious medical diagnosis and taught me valuable lessons on walking with families in crisis. For the past ten years, I’ve been working in the nonprofit sector serving families impacted by childhood illness. Several years ago while working with a nonprofit organization serving families at the hospital, I met Abigail Sacran, the Founder of Spreading Sunshine. Abigail had such a compelling story and heart for families facing childhood illness that we immediately connected.
After her son, David was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and a heart defect at birth, Abigail was touched by the kindness and support her family received while they spent time in the hospital. During that time, she noticed that many families didn’t have any support whatsoever. She decided she could help in what she thought was a small but tangible way and came up with the idea of sending a Sunshine Box, which is a customized care package, to a child in the hospital.
Abigail sent the very first Sunshine Box to a young girl who was having heart surgery and began to send Sunshine Boxes to children all over the country. While we started out as an organization that simply provided Sunshine Boxes to children, our heart has always been to provide more long-term support to families. I’ve been the Executive Director of Spreading Sunshine since 2017. Since the beginning of Spreading Sunshine, we have served thousands of families by providing meals while their children were hospitalized, Sunshine Boxes, and other touchpoints.
With the advent of COVID and increased stress on families, Spreading Sunshine has expanded to serve families on a much deeper level. These families are referred to us by social workers from local hospitals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As the leader of a non-profit, my biggest challenge is meeting the huge need that is out there and making sure we commit to doing only what we have the capacity to do. Also, before COVID much of our work was done by serving families in the hospital. Over the past year and a half, it has been necessary to be very creative as we continued to provide services to families while not being physically present in the hospital.
However, the obstacles that our organization faces are nothing compared to the challenges that our families face. These families have children with serious health conditions like heart surgeries, cancer treatment, genetic illness, and sadly, hospice referrals for their children.
As home to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis is a place where families come from all over the world to receive life-saving treatment and care for their children. Caring for a child with serious health issues can be isolating and overwhelming, especially during COVID.
Often families come for treatment and are separated from their support network of family, friends, and churches. Sometimes families must split up so one parent can stay at home and work while the other lives with their child during their treatment. These families must watch their child face painful treatments, endure endless doctor visits and testing, and recover from difficult surgeries. It can be a very lonely and dark place.
Spreading Sunshine brings light into that place. We provide support and encouragement to those families. Our hope is that no family would face surgery, cancer treatment, or even the death of their child feeling alone or unsupported.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As Executive Director of Spreading Sunshine, I’m inspired each and every day by the families we serve. My job encompasses a range of responsibilities from leading the organization, to working with volunteers, to fundraising so we can continue to provide services. But the most fulfilling part of my job is serving families directly, whether it’s taking them a meal or personally being there for them after a tough diagnosis or a really rough day of caring for their child.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Shelby Farms is one of my favorite places in Memphis. Hiking is something I really enjoy, and you’ll often find me there late in the afternoon walking in the woods and looking for deer.
I also like that while Memphis may be a big city, it feels like a small town. The people are warm, friendly, and always willing to practice hospitality. Through Spreading Sunshine, I see Memphians, welcome people, from all over the world with open arms and serve and encourage them.
Pricing:
- Your financial gifts to Spreading Sunshine directly impact the lives of families facing childhood illness.
- $35/month sponsors a family for a Year of Sunshine (monthly care packages).
- $50 sends a Sunshine Box to a child who is facing serious health issues.
- $100 provides a week of support services to families in the mid-south whose children have terminal illnesses.
- $150 provides 10 meals for parents whose child is in the hospital.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://spreading-sunshine.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spreadingsunshineboxes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spreadingsunshineboxes/
