My name is John Longchamps, and I am starting this campaign for my remarkable mother, Cynthia, who is currently fighting an aggressive metastatic cancer. She is the strongest person I know—a selfless, determined, and stoic woman who has dedicated her entire life to bettering the lives of others. Now, she faces the fight for her own life, and our family needs your help.

Cyndy raised my siblings and I as a single mother and amazingly provided us with a middle-class upbringing that typically would require two people to supply. Even more importantly, she worked endlessly every single day for the people and populations she served through the organizations and programs she founded. I have vivid memories as a child of how endlessly she poured herself into her work, and how much she truly loved the people that she served across a spectrum of communities.

From a young age, my mother's life was centered around service. Her journey began at just 14 years old, volunteering as a 'candystriper' in a Seattle hospital near where she grew up. This early experience ignited a passion for compassionate care that would shape her entire career in the nonprofit world, and led to her founding family-centered programs in the Caribbean and Canada in her 20s and 30s.

Decades later, her visionary thinking led her to found the Family Life Center in the early 1990s in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ahead of its time, this holistic respite center was a place of peace and healing for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. She had the foresight to recognize the therapeutic power of nature, integrating it into her care model through horticultural therapy.

I have beautiful, vivid memories of playing in the Healing Gardens at the Family Life Center. These weren't just gardens; they were thoughtfully designed sanctuaries, a project my mother created with her good friend (and landscape architect) - Martha Tyson. These gardens offered patients and their families a space for sensory stimulation, tranquility, and a connection to the healing power of the natural world. It was a truly groundbreaking initiative that showcased her deep understanding of human needs and her innovative spirit.

The Family Life Center's legacy of compassionate care continues today as part of Hope Network, a fitting tribute to the vision my mother poured her heart into, where the Louise DuBridge Wege Healing Gardens are still utilized to this day. Many other programs and organizations founded by Cynthia have ongoing legacies, including BioFest which we co-founded together to inspire youth-led design and innovation inspired by nature. Mom also worked as the Executive Director at Guardian Angel Homes that provided in-home care to folks with developmental disabilities and elderly care.

Now, my mother—the woman who has given so much to so many—is the one who needs our help. The aggressive nature of her cancer requires intensive treatment and ongoing care. Though she is fighting with the same quiet strength she has always shown, this battle is overwhelming for my siblings and I both emotionally and financially.

The funds raised through this campaign will be used for:

>> Medical Expenses: To cover treatment costs, medications, and specialized care not fully covered by insurance.

>> Living Expenses: To provide financial stability and allow my mother to focus on her recovery without the added stress of daily bills.

>> Supportive Care: To help with necessary in-home care and other services as she undergoes treatment.

My mother has never asked for help. She has always been the one providing it. She has spent a lifetime giving, and now it is our turn to give back to her. By supporting her, you are not only helping a beloved mother and friend but also honoring a life devoted to improving the well-being of others.

Please consider donating and sharing her story. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a tangible difference in her fight.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and support.

All of our sincere & heartfelt gratitude,

John, Pierre, and Anne-Marie Longchamps