CHILDREN LIVING WITH RARE ILLNESSES HAVE A NEW CHAMPION
New Non-Profit Miracle Tree Foundation Launches Fundraising Campaign
If children can see their experience reflected in my own, it might help them through a hard day. I wanted to tell about my own personal miracle to give hope to families going thru the same thing.”
LOS ANGELES , CALIFORNIA, USA, October 30, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Actress, author and children’s advocate Austin Highsmith Garces (Dolphin Tale 1 & 2, Scream, Seal Team) today announced the launch of The Miracle Tree Foundation, a non-profit which provides financial and advocacy support for medical professionals to study and develop new diagnoses and treatments for rare childhood diseases and disorders. The Foundation will also assist individual children (and their families) dealing with rare and chronic health issues.— Austin Highsmith Garces
An outgrowth of her children’s book: The Miracle Tree, published by Doce Blant in April 2019, the Foundation is a deeply personal endeavor for Highsmith Garces, who herself was diagnosed with a rare medical condition as a 2-year old and given a 50-50 chance of survival. Though she beat the odds, Highsmith Garces experienced first-hand the trauma of being rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery as a very young child, while her family grappled with the anguish and uncertainty the serious medical diagnosis brought. Recollecting that frightening childhood memory inspired her to write and illustrate this special children’s book which highlights her personal struggle as well as her daddy’s promise to return to the hospital’s Christmas Tree each year to thank God for the miracle of saving his daughter’s life.
“I wrote The Miracle Tree, to inspire sick kids by sharing the story of my own time in the hospital and to give them visibility,” said Highsmith Garces.
An ambassador for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Central Florida, Highsmith Garces regularly visits children’s hospitals across the country to share her story with young patients, providing support and encouragement to them and their families as they navigate their own health challenges.
With the announcement of the launch of the Miracle Tree Foundation, Highsmith Garces is calling on the community to participate in the Foundation’s vision, setting an aggressive goal to raise $250,000 in the organization’s first year. She has already committed a percentage of proceeds from her book sales towards meeting that goal. “As a non-profit, we’re dependent on the generous funding of contributors committed to children’s health,” said Joseph Teddy Garces, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “Long-term financial commitments will not only allow us to grow our efforts today, but also build multi-year collaborations with other organizations that will grow and deepen our impact for years to come.”
“What will make our Foundation successful is the power and passion of our supporters to assist the approximately 27% of U.S. children who live with chronic health conditions that affect their daily lives and at times require long term hospitalization”, adds Highsmith Garces.
She also announced the appointment of Emmy award winning writer, producer and marketing strategist Noam Dromi to the board.
For information about contributions to the Miracle Tree Foundation, contact Austin Highsmith Garces, Executive Director at austin@themiracletreefoundation.org
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Austin Highsmith Garces
The Miracle Tree Foundation
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The Miracle Tree story and Q&A