Give to Help A Great Mom Get Even Better

Hi, I'm Robert T. Heusser II and I am fundraising for my wife, best friend, and the mother of our children, Mahya Aung Khin Heusser. Mahya and I have been partners for the better part of 25 years and married each other at a beautiful home ceremony on April 11, 2009. We'd spent the better part of two decades believing (that while married and very much in love) that we could never have children. Well, that wasn't God's plan for us, and for our 40th birthday(s), we welcomed Lily Khin Heusser into the family, and for our 44th birthday(s), we welcomed Leo Robert Khin Heusser, as well. These children are the ultimate blessing from God and the brightest beacon of hope and joy in our family.

However, this blessing and this beacon came at a great price. The stark reality is that the weight of carrying to term these two beautiful children was particularly difficult for Mahya, despite being one of the strongest people that I've ever met. Especially with Leo, we almost lost Mahya during Leo's delivery and quite thankfully narrowly averted a tragic end to a grueling 8-month marathon of doctor visits, massive and seemingly unending swelling, and the everyday mental and physical challenges that mothers face when growing a baby in the womb.

Frankly, this process was much more difficult on Mahya and her mental/physical well-being than she would care to admit. So much so that perhaps looking back Mahya should have taken more time off after the birth of both children (to address the serious, persistent and significant mental/physical health challenges brought on by her pregnancies). Alas, as so many of you know, downtime is not a part of Mahya's vocabulary. Instead, Mahya fearlessly returned to work and daily life as quickly as possible to raise the children while working full-time for her beloved employer (with whom she has shared 22 years of self-sacrifice, commitment, and creativity). In hindsight, this ambition was too great a burden for even a talented and driven career woman and mom like Mahya to take on.

Therefore, we are seeking donations to cover an insurance plan deductible so that we can assist Mahya in taking some time off under the care of a residential treatment facility. The facility's expertise in mental health care will assist Mahya with healing her mind now while giving her the tools to excel in loving herself first so that she can provide the best care for the very things in the future that she so loves the most: Lily and Leo, and the pride of a job well done (and a hard day's work).

Please consider giving what you can to help Mahya heal and grow not only in the near term but for life. Mahya just isn't my spouse and best friend, she's our universally beloved friend, co-worker, associate, boss, mentor, teacher, confidant, daughter, sister, aunt, and the mother of our collective family's newest children. To be sure, your donation will be used to pay for Mahya's health insurance deductible and to defray additional costs associated with the transition to a place of healing and growth. Let's all please help bring Mahya out of the darkness of the disease that is mental illness and into the light of treatment, caring, hope--and above all give her the self-love to know that she is worth "it" every day. Not only for all of us but most importantly, for herself. God Bless you all for your care and support.