Hi, my name is Jenna, and I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to two of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever known—my dear friends, Natalie and her husband, Zac. If there were ever two people who could be called living angels, it would be them.

Long before they fully knew the challenges ahead—years of infertility and the heartbreak of pregnancy loss—Natalie and Zac chose to dedicate their lives to something bigger than themselves: giving children in crisis a safe, loving place to call home. Even in their own pain, their instinct has always been to reach out and help someone else heal.

Over the years, Natalie and Zac have welcomed more than eight children into their home through the Illinois foster care system. They have sacrificed time, finances, sleep, and so much of themselves to create a sanctuary where vulnerable children feel safe, cherished, and wanted. Fostering hasn’t been a temporary commitment—it has become their family’s entire purpose. They have made it their mission to stand in the gap for kids who have no one else to fight for them, no matter the cost.

Recently, they were entrusted with caring for a newborn baby boy who needed a long-term, loving home. At the same time, they have continued to care for their foster daughter, who joined their family as a newborn herself and is now a bright, determined toddler with significant medical needs. Providing round-the-clock, specialized care for a medically fragile child would exhaust almost anyone—but Natalie and Zac do it with grace, humility, and an unwavering belief that every child deserves to be loved unconditionally.

Natalie, who works full-time as a registered nurse, was initially told she would be eligible for parental leave to care for this growing family. Trusting that information, she and Zac took a leap of faith and moved forward with closing on a new home—so they could expand their capacity to welcome and care for even more children in need.

But in the final week of her leave, Natalie was told there had been a misunderstanding about her eligibility for paid time off. Without warning, her leave was not covered as they believed, and her PTO hours were exhausted. When her time away ended, she and Zac were suddenly left without income—right as they were caring for a newborn, supporting a medically complex toddler, covering rent, and finalizing their move.

Despite reaching out repeatedly for help and clarity, they have been left with no resolution and an overwhelming financial strain.

I am sharing their story because if there were ever people who deserved to be lifted up in return, it is Natalie and Zac. They are the kind of people who quietly change lives every day without expecting anything back. Natalie has spent countless nights by patients’ bedsides, caring for strangers with compassion and dignity. She and Zac have poured every bit of their hearts into children who needed hope, stability, and love when no one else could give it.

If you’ve ever wondered what true generosity and selflessness look like, it looks exactly like this family. They have already transformed so many lives—including mine—simply by showing what it means to love without limits.

While I know $5,000 doesn’t come close to covering what they’ve lost, I hope it can ease the immediate burden and remind them that all the goodness they’ve shared is rippling back to them now.

If you are able, please consider donating. Your support would mean the world to a family whose kindness, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to others have made this world a better, more compassionate place.