Pictured from left are Hospice of the Chesapeake Director of Advancement and Volunteer Services Chris Wilson, Britta and Dave Ward, founders of Fight for Phoebe, Inc., Chesapeake Kids Child Life Specialist Alex Haarich, and Hospice of the Chesapeake President and CEO Ben Marcantonio. The Wards visited the nonprofit’s John & Cathy Belcher Campus on Dec. 26 to deliver a check for $4,000 for its Days of Joy program.
Thanks to the love of a little girl who died too soon, children in hospice care will get to experience a special birthday or family celebration as Fight for Phoebe, Inc., recently raised $4,000 for Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Chesapeake Kids program. Dave and Britta Ward delivered a check to the organization on Dec. 26.
The Wards founded Fight for Phoebe to honor the memory of their daughter, Phoebe Jeong-Hui Ward, and to raise awareness of the rare auto-immune disease that took her life, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH.
Each year, on or around Phoebe’s birthday, Dec. 7, Fight for Phoebe raises money for the Chesapeake Kids Days of Joy program, which provides pediatric hospice families with a customized outing for family bonding, quality time, and shared celebration to help mitigate the adverse emotional and social impacts of their child’s illness. Last year, the nonprofit raised $3,000. This year, through fundraising events at Brian Boru and Chipotle restaurants in Severna Park and through online giving, they bested last year’s amount by $1,000.
Child Life Specialist Alex Haarich shared the gratitude of the Chesapeake Kids team with the Wards, noting that several patients and their families benefited from last year’s donations that included graduation and birthday parties as well as a much-deserved spa day. Chris Wilson, Director of Advancement and Volunteer Services, echoed the sentiment, “We are so grateful that the Wards choose to honor their daughter by helping other parents make memories for their child with this generous gift to our Days of Joy program,” Wilson said.
