Life keeps unfolding, even after profound loss. Children mature, families change, and new chapters begin. For our family, these developments bring happiness while also reminding us that someone important is missing.
Avalynn passed away in October 2019 after her three-year journey with AML leukemia. Since then, the years have continued to pass, bringing experiences that every parent hopes to witness. Celebrating these occasions brings pride, yet it is impossible not to think about the daughter who should be sharing them.
Over time, we have come to understand that joy and sadness can exist together.
Watching Our Children Move Into New Stages
Some family milestones are easy to recognize. One of those is the day a teenager earns a driver’s license. Seeing our kids step into that kind of independence brings excitement and a sense of accomplishment.
Moments like that also remind us how quickly childhood passes. It is natural for our thoughts to turn to Avalynn and the stages she would have experienced as she grew older. For families who have lost a child, everyday achievements can carry both pride and quiet awareness of the life that should still be unfolding.
Welcoming Serenity
Our household has also welcomed an important addition through the adoption of Serenity. Bringing Serenity into our family has filled our home with new energy and gratitude.
Adoption requires patience, trust, and commitment. Opening our hearts in this way has been one of the most meaningful chapters in our lives. It reminds us that families can take many forms and that love has a way of expanding in unexpected directions.
Avalynn’s Birthday
Some dates on the calendar stand apart from the rest. Avalynn’s birthday is one of those days.
Each year we pause to think about the joy she brought to our home and the many people who followed her story. Her personality, laughter, and strength touched more lives than we could have imagined.
While the day carries a sense of absence, it is also an opportunity to celebrate the time we shared with her.
The Work That Continues
Avalynn’s life is the reason Avalynn’s Hope Foundation exists. Her story shaped our decision to stand alongside families caring for medically fragile and disabled children.
Parents in these circumstances often face complicated medical systems, financial pressure, and emotional strain. Through the foundation, we work to connect families with information, resources, and guidance that can ease some of those burdens.
Supporting other families has become one of the ways we honor Avalynn’s life.
As the years pass, new milestones will continue to appear in our family’s story. Through all of them, Avalynn remains a central part of who we are and the purpose that continues to guide us.
