Hello Everyone, this is the third annual Avens Christmas donation we will be doing for 2022. Last year we were able to raise $2,156 dollars and our goal for this year is $3,500. Last year we were able to provide each family with a gift bag that included some essential items and also $50 dollars to help get a small gift or just help with a decent Christmas meal outside of the RMD house for some normalcy around the holidays for these families who are going through so much. Our goal this year is to provide each family with $100 dollars. Thank you all for the support and I will attach our story below. Merry Christmas everybody.

We spent five months at the Ronald McDonald house of Durham when our daughter Aven Elizabeth Murphy was born. Aven was born with Down syndrome and also a heart defect that kept her at Duke University Hospital her entire life. My wife Jordan Murphy stayed at the Ronald McDonald house with Aven the entire duration. Aven was born on 11/21/2019 and passed on 04/08/2020. We had to spend Christmas at the Ronald McDonald House that year to be with our daughter. I remember coming to our room one evening and being pleasantly surprised that every room had gotten personalized gift bags with personal prayers and also a small Donation to each family to purchase some Christmas gifts. There are plenty of family’s at the house that have other children who are having to spend Christmas there to be with their siblings. Medical bills for these family’s can be unimaginable and money can be tight this time of the year. Those small gift bags were something that brought a smile and ray of light in a dark place. In honor of our daughter we have begun accepting donations to do something special for the Ronald McDonald house at Christmas every year. 2020 was our first year and we were able to make gift bags and also purchase some much needed household items for the families staying at the home. These items include things like paper towels, laundry detergent, ect.. In 2021 our goal was to be able to provide each family with a gift bag as well as a little money so that they could purchase a gift or at least go out and eat a good meal. You would not believe how much just going out to get a normal meal like normal people meant to us during our stay. I hope to achieve our new goal this year and continue to support such a great place that provided so much to my family and thousands of others. Link to Avens story https://www.childrensheartfoundation.org/blogs/stories/avens-story.html

If there are any concerns about the validity of this donation you may contact RMDH Durham or visit their Facebook page. They are familiar with us and also have posted about us every year at Christmas since we have begun our fundraiser!

Merry Christmas,

The Murphy Family