Love Like Anna

Kristi Hyten is organizing this fundraiser.

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“I can’t even imagine.” Words we’ve heard a few times this week. Words we had said before existing through the reality. Words said because of the fierce and unwavering love we feel for our kids.

Anna knew something we often overlook – there are kids that don’t have anyone thinking of them in these moments saying, “I can’t even imagine.” In true Anna style she didn’t just feel empathy and move on with her day. She took action.

Our family exists because Anna & Abi were best friends in preschool. They decided to be sisters. They were smarter than us even at 5 years old so they parent trapped us. Through the years Anna brought home “bonus kids.” I’ll never forget the panic and sadness in her eyes as she pleaded with us to take in Alissa “for just a few days.” Fast forward a few months to adopting another daughter who had always been ours. We simply didn’t know she’d been missing until Anna found her. Most recently Anna asked us to help Niyah who is the sweetest, kindest, newest daughter that completed our sorority house of teenage girls. Adley is positive she's a teenager, and the boss of them all. Eric is unreasonably outnumbered, but our daughters are our world. We owe it to Anna…and her blue eyes.

We’ve been asked where to send memorial funds. We are going to continue her mission by setting up a scholarship foundation – Love Like Anna – to assist with secondary education for the kind of kids Anna had a passion for loving.

The scholarship will be for those kids who slipped through the cracks of society. We know firsthand that given a chance, and the love of a family who “can’t even imagine,” these kids are able to soar. Anna was ultimately breaking a cycle of poverty one family at a time simply by loving people.

It will take time to set up a 501(c)(3) NFP. Time and more focus than we have right now. In the coming months we will work with our lawyer and accountant to officially set up the foundation and transfer the funds.

Thank you to everyone who is interested in continuing Anna’s mission. Thank you for Loving Like Anna.