Pearl Elizabeth Byrns, 6-year-old miracle daughter of Sara and Tim Byrns of Two Harbors, died just over three years ago on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.

Pearl was born in Duluth on March 23, 2012, with Patau Syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder. Given Pearl's prenatal diagnosis, she was not expected to survive her birth, but she did. Once born, she statistically had a 90% chance of dying before age one, yet she lived. Against unbelievable odds, Pearl thrived for almost 7 years. Those years were filled with immense joy for all those who loved her.

Pearl benefited greatly from the expertise and services of so many fantastic medical and education professionals. On this anniversary of Pearl's passing, please help us ensure Pearl's legacy by supporting a scholarship to fund a Two Harbors graduating senior planning on studying (but not limited to) special education, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, audiology, teaching deaf/hard of hearing students, teaching visually impaired students, nursing, or a related medical degree. Last year the fund raised just over $3,000 and was able to provide multiple scholarships.

With other fundraising events, matching family funds, and your support here, we hope to grow our reach to supporting select college students in need studying speech, occupational, or physical therapy (and perhaps also the assistants for each- SLPs, OTAs, PTAs). While I'm getting a late start in getting this campaign kicked off this year, I believe that we can create a strong showing of support as we finish this school year. To kick this off, and as a challenge to all of you out there that want to support the next generation of helping professionals serving kids like Pearl, I will personally match every dollar raised here up to last year's approximate total of $3,000. Let's team up to donate $6,000 this year! Perhaps we can raise even more!?

All donated funds will be deposited into the memorial scholarship account. Thank you! Your funds will build the capacity of the next generation of helping professionals.

I'm going to finish with this quote- something posted on my fridge with the same picture of Pearl that you see in this GoFundMe:

"Here's to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them." -Amy Rees Anderson

I know that my mom is one of them. I know my aunts are them. I know that my mom raised one. I know that my sister is raising them. And I am raising them by co-parenting with one. I see this evidence all of the time. The world is a better place because of the strong women in our lives!

All my best,

Jason Hay (Sara's brother and Pearl's uncle), Bella Hoffert-Hay, and Madeline Hoffert-Hay