Family Stories
Respite Spotlight: A White Christmas at the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain
When the Willman family arrived at the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain on Christmas Eve, after their drive from St. Louis, MO, they were expecting to find a modest cabin in the woods. When they crossed the threshold – they knew it was anything but. Susan Willman exclaimed, “The house is incredible. We didn’t want to leave.”
Susan, her husband Andy and boys, Jaxton 9 and Jayson 7, were looking forward to relaxing and spending time together over the holidays, after battling Jaxton’s Leukemia for the past two years. When they arrived at the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain, they decided to continue to honor certain family traditions, like ordering Chinese carryout on Christmas Eve and watching The Polar Bear Express, but this year on the Wisp Home’s big screen TV, with the Bose surround sound system. They were also determined to create new traditions as well, since Jaxton had been in the hospital the past two Christmases.
The new traditions the Willman’s created during their respite at the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain include, skiing, taking an early evening walk in the snow when everything is quiet and still, reading and playing games by the gas fireplace and enjoying every moment together.
Susan said the experience was “…a wonderful memory we will have for life. With our medical bills, we don’t have any additional funds for extras, let alone vacations. This time away was tremendous for our family.”
She also commented on how wonderful our volunteers, friends and sponsors, who keep things going on the mountain for us, were to her family. She could not get over how our greeters, who pre-set goodies for our families prior to their arrival, hid Pokémon cards all over the house for her kids to find. She said “…there were even Pokémon cards in the REFRIGERATOR! Upon seeing the cards and embarking on his scavenger hunt, Jaxton said to his mom, “Is this my dream come true or WHAT?”
*When families enjoy this type of experience at any of our respite facilities, it brings our mission to life and makes OUR dreams come true. Thanks to our sponsors, our volunteers and all of our supporters in Western Maryland who help our families create so many wonderful memories at the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain.
– Brian Morrison, Founder & CEO