"We give sick kids and their families a day of fun"

When Kathy Derr's young son received a terrible diagnosis, her village rallied around her in the most incredible way. Inspired by the kindness of her loved ones, she founded a nonprofit to bring the same level of support to other families

- Hannah Chenoweth

One day in January of 1992, Kathy Derr was told the words no mother wants to hear: Her 7-year-old son, Christopher, had an inoperable brain tumor. The next nine months were a stressful blur of hospital visits, treatments and tears, until that August, her beloved Christopher passed away, leaving Kathy and her family shattered with grief.

This is worse than a nightmare, because a nightmare you wake up from, Kathy thought, anguished. But with four other children, she knew she had to find a way to carry on. Even in the midst of her grief, the blessings were abundant: Her family and friends had gone above and beyond to step up and support her. From organizing outings for her other children to cooking countless meals, her close-knit circle was a godsend.

Not every family in our situation is this lucky, Kathy thought, recalling with heartbreak how many kids had been alone in the hospital as their parents struggled to make ends meet. All sick children should be able to get a time-out from hospital visits and have something to look forward to—with their loved ones! she realized.

Finding purpose in pain

Kathy and her husband, Chuck, decided to take action and make that wish a reality. Three years after Christopher’s passing, the pair started putting the building blocks in place to give other families that same sense of community—and some fun too.