Ruthe Rosen - A Compassionate Champion for Families Struggling with the Life-Threatening Illness of a Child.

Until January 7, 2005 I enjoyed my “perfect life.” Well, okay, maybe it wasn’t perfect, but let’s just say it was normal. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I owned a small business, was director of sales and education for a professional nail-care company, and traveled the country as a flight attendant.

I loved being a stay-at-home mom and benefiting from the enjoyment of volunteering my time to whatever my children were involved in. Balancing three kids—one teenager, one toddler and one elementary schooler—sometimes made things a bit difficult. Throw in a blended family and a traveling husband, we still considered ourselves normal. I was unprepared for what was to come.

My oldest daughter, Karla, was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor at the age of fourteen. That next year with Karla and my family was filled with tears, strength, love, and fear. Today, God sustains me—and memories of the past now fill my heart with joy.

Sometimes memories and regrets still keep me awake at night, and I often drift off during the day. Remembering birthdays, holidays, school performances, and sports games help sustain me through Karla’s absence. In truth, my regrets sometimes rob me of current moments that could be experienced and shared today. Through faith and prayer, I have learned to channel some of those regrets and learned wisdom into helping other families who are now experiencing similar circumstances.

Today, along with my husband, Michael, and our two boys, Brandon and Cole, we are honored and privileged to run The Let It be Foundation™, not for Karla but because of Karla and how she truly displayed faith and inspired us to “never give up.” Every day it is with passion and purpose that I run the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Our goal at the foundation is simple: we provide individualized aid to meet the diverse needs of families—medical accessories, sibling care, room enhancements, family recreation, household maintenance, meals, etc.—on a monthly basis while their child is undergoing treatment. We provide monthly care sourced from donations and services from individuals and corporations. The Let It Be Foundation™ is all about helping kids and getting the youth in our community involved.

My wish is that I will provide a message of hope and inspiration to those who are facing challenges of any kind in their lives: the person going through a divorce, the couple who discover that they cannot have the child they so desperately want, the parents living with a troubled child they can’t reach, or the widow/er who longs to be with her/his soul mate. I want this book to give people hope that they too can find purpose in their pain and know that one day, they will laugh again.

Much love to all who read Never Give Up. I welcome hearing from you!