Madi Fuegen shares story of loss to help others cope

by Michelle Pawelski

In January 2020, Madi Fuegen traveled to Orlando to participate in her first official volunteer retreat with Inheritance of Hope, a national organization whose mission is to inspire hope in young families facing the loss of a parent. The trip was a year after her dad died of cancer.

“I was so nervous to go and do this on my own,” said the 24-year-old. “I didn’t know anyone but took this leap of faith.” That trip changed her life. “I got to share my story with this family that I served from Boston. The mother came up to me at the end of the retreat and she said, ‘you gave me so much hope that my kids are going to be OK.’ I just started crying.”

Inheritance of Hope was founded in 2007 by a couple with young children searching for resources to help them navigate the mother’s terminal illness. They found nothing so decided to create their own and share with other families.

“Their slogan is Every Family Deserves a Legacy, and they bring these families together that are fighting similar battles,” she said. Madi’s first encounter with the organization came years prior to her Legacy Retreat in 2020. Her dad Lance was diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma in 2012. A family at their church, whose father also had a terminal illness, referred the Fuegens to the organization after participating in a retreat themselves. “In November 2015, we got to go to New York City with our family on a retreat. I got to meet young adults who were going through similar situations.”

Madi joins the Cao family at Magic Kingdom during her first official volunteer retreat for Inheritance of Hope in 2020.

Madi has many wonderful memories from their trip to the Big Apple, however, she did not gain as much out of the experience as she now wishes. “When they told us we were going on this retreat to New York City, I was like ‘Oh my gosh. We don’t need to be a part of this. My dad is not that sick.’”

Madi and her brother Steele didn’t realize how sick their dad was. “He had such a positive attitude and was always gracious to everyone he met. He woke up every day and chose the good in everything even though he knew he was dying. I think that is why I didn’t know my dad was so sick. He didn’t want us to be the kids with the sick parent.”

It was after volunteering for South Dakota State University’s State A Thon, a nationwide dance marathon that raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network, that Madi realized her passion. “I just fell in love with nonprofit fundraising and connecting with the families. I could feel the fire inside of me. I knew there was a reason why I went through what I went through with my dad and I wanted to be able to share it.”

She immediately contacted Inheritance of Hope.

Since the 2020 Legacy Retreat, Madi has increased her service with the organization. While COVID-19 halted the in-person retreats, it opened new opportunities for more consistent connections. Inheritance of Hope created Hope@Home, weekly Zoom discussions for people of all ages dealing with a variety of challenges. Madi helps facilitate the kids’, ages 7 – 12, group and helps host the young adults' group. “It’s a time for those respective groups to get together, discuss what they are feeling and what is going on in their lives.” While

Photo by Andy Greenman

Madi has not physically met those in the Hope@ Home meetings, she feels a strong connection to them. “Ever since COVID hit, and we’ve been able to connect every week it has created a solid foundation of friends that I have that understand when I am having a hard day, missing my dad… those little triggers that other people may not get. You can go to this group, tell them what you are feeling, and they are validated and make sense.”

Madi, who works full time at Black Hills Harley Davidson and is also earning her Master of Education in Administration of Student Affairs, hopes to be involved with Inheritance of Hope long term. She is excited to volunteer with another Legacy Retreat in March and aspires one day to be on staff with the organization. —

December 13 marks three years since Madi lost her dad. She hasn’t yet decided what she will do that day, maybe eat nachos and watch football, a favorite activity of her dad’s. But she will connect with her Inheritance of Hope peer group. “After my dad passed away, I was angry. I didn’t understand why it was happening. Given these opportunities made me realize I can use what I’ve gone through to give hope to another family. I am still angry, but it’s helped me feel more OK with it.”