The Garner Foundation Non-Profit Start-up Costs

Hi, my name is Alexis Montz and I'm starting a non-profit foundation in honor of my son Garner Tatum who passed in September of 2020 due to a rare condition called Bilateral Renal Agenesis (BRA). Due to the condition's rarity, limited knowledge and education left me without direction, adequate resources, and support. Every day, parents worldwide are given rare diagnoses for their unborn and live children accompanied by very little support, research, medical resources, funding, and education, often due to a lack of research related to rarity.

As a single mother, I was given a fatal diagnosis for my son and had to make life-altering decisions regarding my child's medical care within a 3 hour period with minimal scholarly evidence provided to me. I made multiple decisions that were solely based on my inability to relocate or support myself, due to a complicated pregnancy, in another state at Johns Hopkins Hospital for a medical trial that very well could have saved my son's life.

Support should be available to those struggling with complex and rare diagnoses given to their child; we cannot allow a diagnosis to equate to a life sentence for these families. Proposed support areas include assistance with airline tickets, lodging, ground transportation, medical bills, funeral/memorial services, as well as emotional/spiritual guidance and reputable education and consultation.

In honor of Garner and the lives of all children we've lost to these rare disorders, help us prevent lives from slipping through the cracks due to a lack of resources and assistance that we are more than capable of giving. These families are at their lowest and need help keeping their heads above water while protecting the very lives they've created.

Steps? State filings, including 501(c)(3) and becoming legally registered via Tennessee state submission of Articles of Incorporation and Non-profit establishment. All filings are accompanied by hefty filing fees that we'd feel honored to have sponsored by our community as a tribute to our spunky Garner and other sweet babes who have passed on.

We're hoping to get The Garner Foundation up and on its feet so we can begin to bring solace and hope to those in the greatest need. Any donation is a HUGE donation to a cause bigger than all of us!