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Page 42 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN September-October 2007 Helping ordinary people become heroes to kids in need I was looking for a good human-interest story for the New Year when a close friend told me about some people she had met at a Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce meeting. The organization they represent, Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc., is dedicated to increasing the opportunities for medically fragile children to live in a stable, permanent, home environment. They are doing this by developing support resources and programs that will increase the number of families and communities prepared to care for these children. I had never heard of the organization or the term “medically fragile children.” My friend said the organization helps kids with complicated health care conditions, many of whom have been abandoned by their families. I visited the Dream House corporate office in Lilburn and met with its public relations coordinator, Jeff Jansma. Jeff showed me an introductory video about the organization and its mission. I have seen many such videos in my day, but this one was exceptional. It was informative and extremely inspiring. During our meeting, I asked Jeff to define a medically fragile child. He stated that a medically fragile child is “any child, who, because of an accident, illness, congenital disorder, abuse, or neglect, has been left in a stable condition, but dependent on life-sustaining medication, treatment, equipment, and the need for assistance with activities of daily living.” Dream House is the brainchild of Laura Moore, a pediatric nurse of over 20 years. She earned a master’s degree in nursing education, was an associate professor, and Serving The Community For Over 25 Years! Adam Zukerman President/General Managing Partner 5525 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Chamblee, GA 30341 770-451-2700 BY Happy New Year! Kevin Deutsch Director of Operations Bill Sonenshine Dream House children pictured with (back row) Dream House CEO and Founder Laura Moore, Atlanta Braves’ Jeff Francoeur, and Delta Captain Mike Doyle Over 400 New Hondas In Inventory! www.CurryHonda.com spent a year working on a CDC fetal alcohol research project. Laura said it was frustrating to see kids saved by new medical technology, only to be abandoned by relatives who lacked the money or knowledge to care for them. One particular patient inspired Laura to do something about this problem. Mickey became a quadriplegic at age 14, due to a gunshot wound to his neck. He lived in the hospital for four-and-one-half years. He became very depressed and tried to bribe Laura to turn off his ventilator. “If I were a dog,” she recalls him saying, “you would treat me better and put me to sleep.” After receiving support from her local community, Laura established a specialized foster home in Lilburn to provide a safe and stable family-centered environment for medically fragile foster children who were ready to leave the hospital but had nowhere to go. Laura and her husband, Mike, sold their own home and moved into the Lilburn Dream Foster House as the pilot foster family. In early 2004, six-year-old Katie was accepted as the home’s first foster child. Suffering from a severe digestive disorder, Katie was near death. The Moores provided months of almost continual care. Katie ultimately required two five-organ transplants, the first occurring in January 2005. Now nine years old, Katie is two-and-one-half years post-transplant and doing very well. The Moores adopted her in December 2006. Laura’s next dream is building the Dream House Resource Center, LLC. The looming project is a planned campus in Conyers, on 10 acres of donated land just off Sigman Road. The center will provide transition care and support services for children and their families from all over the state. Included on the campus are three transition homes, one respite home, overnight accommodations for family members while they learn to care for their children before taking them home, and a state-of-the-art training facility that will provide educational classrooms and a skills lab. Just over $5 million is needed to start this project. Laura says there is not a campus or program like this in the whole country. So far, Dream House has served over 500 families and 540 children from 25 Georgia counties. “When these children with special healthcare needs have a safe and stable place they can call home,” Laura said, “they become emotionally and mentally healthier, which, in turn, improves their physical health.” The Dream House has received national recognition. In January, the Moores were featured in People Magazine as “Heroes Among Us,” and Laura was chosen as “Person of the Week” by Charlie Gibson and ABC World News Tonight. Atlanta Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur has teamed up with Delta Air Lines to give Dream House 25,000 Sky Miles every time he hits a home run. I asked PR coordinator Jansma for a wish list. He said the families Dream House Laura Moore was a keynote speaker at the Health Care for Kids Rally at the State Capitol in Atlanta, November 4, 2006. serves need funding for lifts in their vans ($15,000), specialized car seats ($500), hospital beds ($5,000), and bedroom and bathroom modifications ($5,000). They also need help defraying the costs of childcare training for family members. The Dream House Family for Keeps course is $350 per person. Jeff also said there are families waiting to foster or adopt children, but they also require training and equipment. If you would like to make a donation or participate in a fundraising event, contact Jeff Jansma at 770-717-7410. As we start our New Year, I knew you would find the Dream House story uplifting. When I left the interview with Jeff, I knew I was going to do something besides writing this article. Each of us should, at every chance we can, engage in “Tikun Olam”—repairing the world.
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