CELEBRATE EVERY DAY Written by Charity Mainville Photo by Jessica Drake
Every person has a dream; may it be of wealth, success, meeting that special someone or having a family. But there are those special people whose dreams are entirely selfless. One Seattle woman in particular, Suzanne Gwynn, is one of those people with a huge heart. She possesses such emotional passion that within minutes of meeting her it’s easy to understand why so many have jumped on board to make her dream for Ladybug House a reality. After being a registered nurse for over 30 years working with children, young adults and families in the oncology unit, Suzanne had witnessed families being separated from their loved ones for various unfortunate circumstances during their last days of life. While hospice is an option available to families, it relies on the family being the caretaker, which creates great stress instead of nurturing and supporting the family to enjoy their last moments with one another. In addition, hospice is only generally available for those considered to be terminal or within six months of death. An alternative option is palliative care, which focuses on improving quality of life during a serious illness at any stage, whether it be terminal or not, and integrates and supports the family throughout the process. In the event a child passes away, caring for the grieving family remains a key focus. There are multiple institutes and homes that offer palliative care outside of the hospital for adults, but currently there are only two palliative care homes for children and young adults in the United States, compared to 49 in the United Kingdom. Suzanne realized the need for children, adolescents and young adults to have a place for their families to be together during those last moments. “Ladybug House will be that home away from home offering the support and care of the hospital with all the comforts of home. We will support the entire family. Whether it is for a short stay for respite or for a longer stay during end-oflife. We’ll celebrate every day, every moment and every life.” Ladybug House will provide a new generation of palliative care homes in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho and, for those who may not be able to afford palliative care, Ladybug House will offer free end-of-life care to children and young adults. Suzanne’s vision has spread through Seattle. Local companies such as NBBJ, Lydig, Leibsohn & Company, Perkins Cole, Foster Care, Garvey Schubert and Barer and End-of-Life Nursing Education
Consortium (ELNEC) have gotten involved and the core team has expanded from Suzanne to over 30 people volunteering their time. As every volunteer is important, a core group of those volunteers provide skills that are essential to bringing Ladybug House to life. Ladybug House’s Vice President and Secretary, Bernel Goldberg, is an expert in law and was awarded as the Non-profit Counsel of the Year by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2013 and 2014, serving developmentally disabled children and adults along with being the General Counsel to the Seattle Art Museum. “I feel that everything I have done to this date, all I have experienced, every success and failure, has prepared me for one thing: Build Ladybug House.” Another board member (not pictured), Joel Fariss’ highly skilled team leadership in both small and large organizations and served as the founding chairman of Artist Reformation, a local nonprofit organization serving artists. When it comes to strategy and design, Jacob Simons is a key player in the creation of Ladybug House, bringing his expertise as a Design Practice Leader and Experience Design Director at NBBJ, a world-renowned design firm. “Nothing have I experienced so difficult as the loss of a loved one the blessing of life so clear yet the frailty and sadness so visceral. I cherish the final moments I have shared with my family and friends caring for those we so deeply love and pray for the day we can provide a home to all those facing these challenging times.” Molly Leonard brings eight years of experience in graphic design and will ensure brand consistency throughout all printed and digital materials and hopes to evolve her role into something more once Ladybug House opens. Carly Andrews and Olivia Arguinchona are volunteering their time and passion to help further the mission of Ladybug House with their dedication and experience in helping charity organizations. This upcoming year will be dedicated to raise awareness, funds, finding the land to to build the home, and develop the design. Construction is projected to start mid 2016 with doors open by 2018. Over the next three years, Ladybug House will need $30 million total to be raised. Once that goal is achieved, Ladybug House will be built on a wooded property nestled in a serene space amongst natural landscape standing by its motto, “If we cannot add days to the life of a child, we will add life to their days.”
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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE NAME Suzanne came up with the name for Ladybug House from experiences that left a huge impact on her heart. One in particular, she admitted a young man, Hunter Simpson, who had been battling cancer for the past year and in the early hours of December 31 in 2005, he passed. As they carefully lifted Hunter into his body bag a ladybug landed on Hunter’s chest and it stayed with him on his journey. When Suzanne visited Hunter’s mom and shared the vision of Ladybug House. Her home was filled with ladybug items because when she was cleaning Hunter’s room after he passed, it too was filled with ladybugs. Over the years, ladybugs have appeared in the rooms of children who passed and not only in Suzanne’s experiences. There are many stories of ladybugs appearing during the passing of a loved one no matter the weather. In many cultures, ladybugs are considered protectors of the soul.
HELP THE CAUSE
Donations can be made via paypal at www.ladybughouse.org. Larger donors can reach out to Bernel Goldberg via the website.
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