The Forrest Spence Fund was established in 2007 in Memphis by Brittany and David Spence in honor of their son, Forrest, who lived for only 55 days.
During their time in the hospital with Forrest, the Spences recognized that many families with critically ill children lacked desperately needed financial and social support systems. The Fund was first established at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis before expanding to other area hospitals and then to Nashville.
In 2017, they were approached by staff from Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, and the staff expressed a great need for their services for their families and advocated for FSF to expand their reach to Chattanooga. Based on the needs in this area, and the hospital’s desire for a partnership with they organization, they expanded to Chattanooga in 2018.
Since then, they have supported 7,394 families in the Chattanooga area and have created 15 programs to aid hospitalized children, their families, and the institutions that care for them. They have been a significant resource for families and the staff at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger.
The mission of The Forrest Spence Fund Chattanooga (FSFC) is to assist with the non-medical needs of critically or chronically ill children and their families throughout the Greater Chattanooga community.
The FSF seeks to support families impacted by childhood illness by focusing on four main areas of support:
1. Meeting individual patient and family needs.
- Our Benevolence: Offers financial support to families burdened with financial stress due to a child's illness. They assist families by paying essential monthly bills such as rent/mortgage payments, utilities, cell phone, car payments, etc. They also provide individual items aimed at fulfilling families' unique needs, with the goal of helping families thrive once their child is discharged from the hospital.
- Give Back Program: They assist families in reaching their goals of giving back to those who have cared for them or supporting other families walking a similar path.
2. Working with institutions to better recognize and meet non-medical needs.
- Meal Vouchers and Snack Bags: These are two of their most requested items at Children’s at Erlanger. Food insecurity is a real issue many families face during a hospital They provide meal vouchers so families can enjoy a warm meal while also providing snack bags for those enduring a long or unexpected hospital stay.
- Bereavement Support: This program provides families with items of comfort and respite as they walk the road of saying goodbye to their child. They also offer items for families to create keepsake items of their child. For example, They have a program where families can take their child’s hand and footprints that will be placed on a keepsake plate. Comfort Cart: They provide toiletry items for patients and their families.
- Gas Cards: They provide gas cards for those traveling back and forth to the hospital.
- Celebration Bags: These bags are filled with developmental toys for infants in the NICU as they reach certain milestones.
- NICU and PICU Development Centers: These centers are filled with developmental items requested by Rehab Therapists that promote the health and well-being of PICU and NICU patients.
- Hospital Needs: One way They serve Erlanger is by providing non-medical items they need for their patients, such as swings, rocking chairs, Wubbanubs, Mommaroos, and so forth.
3. Connecting families with counseling and support groups and covering the cost of counseling for bereaved families and those coping with a chronic illness.
- Counseling Program: The illness and loss of a child are some of the most challenging things a parent or a family can experience. One of the goals of the Forrest Spence Fund is to connect families with counseling and support groups. If a family loses a child or has a chronically ill They we refer them to professional counseling and pay 100% of the cost.4. Providing financial grants to cover the costs of basic needs for families demonstrating hardship.
- Grant Program: They provide financial grants for families demonstrating financial need. Caregivers are often forced to take time off work to be with their children, leaving them unable to support their families or pay for daily living expenses. Treatments and additional medical costs also add to the financial burden placed on these caregivers. Through their grant program, They are able to provide some relief for families experiencing financial need so they can focus on the health of their child.
They FSFC is committed to continuing and expanding their existing 15 programs and hope to add more programs and services in the future. One of their current goals is to expand their reach and connection with the community. They know community support is vital to their success and future in Chattanooga.
It is vital to the FSFC that the community understands the needs facing these families and how the illness and hospitalization of a child impacts the entire family unit by creating emotional and financial challenges that pose an immediate threat to the entire family's well-being.
Childhood illness is often the most difficult thing a family will endure, and very little support is often available to those who need it. It is also essential for the community to realize that childhood illness will impact everyone at some point in their lives.
They hope that it’s not their child, but it could be a niece, neighbor, or co-worker's child, and it is important that families have a place to turn to for assistance. From their experience, Chattanoogans are always willing to help but are often unaware of these needs and how they can assist these children and their families. They want to make it easy for them.
One of the ways you can support the FSFC is to take part in their 5th annual No Show Ball (NSB). This event is their only fundraiser for the year and will occur on September 30th.
The NSB is a play on the truth that most fundraisers people participate in are events you actually have to attend. But on the day of the No Show Ball, the event comes to you as a dinner in a cooler bag delivered to your door. They partner with local restaurants to create a meal for four, including dessert and a bottle of wine.
There are so many other ways the community can support the FSFC, as well.
- They can volunteer to pack Snack Bags or Unit Appreciation Bags. In addition, they can host a toiletry, snack, or a drive for other items that families and Erlanger staff request.
- They can donate items such as gas cards, lovies, books, socks, etc., or purchase an item a hospitalized family has requested.
- They can always contribute financially to support the Fund by going to their website at ForrestSpenceFund.org or mailing their donation to PO Box 2181, Chattanooga, TN 37409.
- They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram by searching Forrest Spence Fund Chattanooga.