Miracle on 65th Street, a new respite house
OCEAN CITY, Md. — Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation held the grand opening of its new respite house in Ocean City.
Mary Anne Davis, CEO of Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, said earlier today that it is an exciting time for the community. “This is the miracle on 65th Street, and we’re hoping that the healing that happens here and the ability for families to just take a break from the stresses of home and hospital and get away and regroup as a family,” she said.
Wednesday afternoon marked the start of a new respite home on 65th Street, an oasis for families with children who are ill. Brian Morris, founder of Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, said:
“We had about 70, you know, different companies involved altogether. So, you know, pretty much everything in this building was donated — the labor and materials, and the talents of putting it together.”
Keeping the properties together helps families connect, Davis said. The outdoor space will host gatherings such as Monday night barbecues.
“Families travel from all across the United States seeking refuge and respite with us. And what we learned very early on was there’s a level of comfort when families are meeting other families that are going through that very same journey,” Davis said.
The foundation receives numerous letters from family members during and after their stay, sharing how it helps them see and believe in tomorrow. “We get ones that say, ‘I never thought I would see my child running in the sand and dashing in and out of the waves, or surfing in my wildest dreams,’” Davis said.
Another letter read:
“Being a parent of a cancer child, you know too well that you could lose your child to this disease. That you can go from being a parent of a survivor to a bereaved parent just like that. But this week, I truly believed in tomorrow. A tomorrow where my family is complete and there is no threat of very long inpatient hospital stays. A tomorrow where there is no threat of relapses. A tomorrow where I trust that we will stay on the other side of bone marrow transplant and that he won’t ever have to endure that unbelievable process ever again. A tomorrow where he will indeed ring the bell at the end of his treatment in October of this year and live a full life where he can grow up and grow old.”
It takes a village. Businesses around Ocean City offered helping hands, taking care of families during their stay.
“We like to tell them they can pack their bags and bring their clothes, come down and you are going to be taken care of — whether it’s gift certificates to local restaurants, whether it’s going to Jolly Roger, whether they’re going bowling, they’re going out to eat, they get free surf lessons,” Davis said.
The respite home is full of surprises such as rainbow fans and rocket fans — a kid paradise and all for a good cause. The home is located between 65th and 66th streets and can house eight families at a time.
