Board Member Bio-Brittany Spence
My name is Brittany Spence and I am the proud mother of Robert Forrest Spence who inspired my husband and I to start this Fund. Forrest was our first child born on September 10, 2007. (You can read more about him on the About Us section of our website.) Those 55 days were the hardest days of our lives. We watched as he struggled each day to live. There is nothing more painful than feeling helpless to help the one person in this world you would give your life for. We spent every minute of every day praying he would survive but ultimately after 55 days at Le Bonheur, he went to be with the Lord. The weekend of his homecoming, David told me his idea to start a Fund in memory of Forrest. At the time I couldn’t think of anything but the fact that we were losing our son. David continued to talk about it and by the time we were planning the funeral a few short days later, this dream of his was in action. The Forrest Spence Fund was born. We thought this would be something little we could do to give back to a hospital that gave us 55 beautiful days with our son. We never had any idea how big the Fund would grow.
I can truly say the Forrest Spence Fund is one of the greatest joys in my life (besides my family). I have the privilege of being on the front lines for the Fund. I spend one day a week at Le Bonheur mentoring families going through difficult situations with their children. I am there to offer words of encouragement, a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent to, and a person to celebrate the small and big joys with. I have been there and know the highs and lows that come with the hospitalization of your child. The Fund helps these families in so many ways. We provide supplies to make their stay easier. We offer counseling to families going through the struggles. We help with bills when times are tough. The list is endless and I am so proud of the Fund and what it can offer to others.
The Forrest Spence Fund board is made up of big thinkers and dreamers. We have big dreams for the Fund and how it can help others in the Mid-South and hopefully one day, in the country. Thank you for being a part of our dreams, for making them a reality and giving back to something I truly believe in.
