Dear Take A Breather,
I want to thank you so much for granting my wish to go to Atlantis, Bahamas. Everything about my trip was AWESOME! As soon as we arrived and checked in I was off to the pool to swim. After that I spent ever day at the water park going on all the rides and swimming in the pools. My favorite ride was the Leap of Faith! I also got to spend some time on the beach with my family and went on a jet ski ride. It was a lot of fun and I owe it to all of you for giving me the chance to take a "breather" from Cystic Fibrosis.
Love, Evan
Review from Guidestar
The Take A Breather Foundation sent my daughter Maddy to see Hamilton on Broadway in NYC. Words can not express how much this trip has meant to her. It lived up to every high expectation and more. It is hard to believe our family received such an amazing experience. Maddy has been in the hospital a lot lately. She was in patient at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 5 times in the span of 6 months. She is a freshman in high school, in a new school. She has missed over 60 days of school. She was supposed to go on a field trip with her school to see another Broadway show. She was not able to attend due to being stuck in her hospital room receiving IV antibiotics. Her social worker Debby got her in contact with Matt at TAB, He wanted to know what her wish would be. She said she wanted to see the show Hamilton more than anything. He was able to get her amazing seats to the show!
TAB sent a film crew to document her experience, traveling to NYC , staying in Times Square, and actually getting to see this amazing show. She felt so special.
She has missed so many normal activities in her life due to cystic fibrosis. This is a memory she will always have. As her parents sitting in the Hamilton theater watching her get to watch this show was a experience we will never forget. After spending months worth of time in the hospital with her, missing out on everything, just trying to stay healthy, this was more than we could have ever asked for. Seeing her get to watch this show she knows every word to, with music she has listened to on repeat to try to pass the time in the hospital, couldn't have been a more perfect moment.
Words can not express our gratitude for this wish. So in the absence of anything else, to everyone at The Take a Breather Foundation: Thank You!
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The Take a Breather Foundation is amazing! My daughter is 11 years old with Cystic Fibrosis.The foundation went above and beyond to make her feel special. They delivered an ipad to her hospital room at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The idea that people would care enough to come see her and give her such an amazing gift was so great for her morale. The ipad has helped to keep her busy during long hours of treatments. The feeling this foundation has provided for my daughter is priceless!
I would like to take a minute to say thank you to the Take A Breather Foundation for granting my sons wish. All he wanted for Christmas was his own computer. Well the Take A Breather Foundation made his wish possible. He was jumping up and down when it was delivered. What made him happier was that the neighbors were over and could enjoy his excitement. He was ripping open the boxes and couldn't wait for us to get it set up for him. He always wants to play on the computer all the time and we set it up next to his pappy's chair and every time he clicks on a new page he asks his pappy to look. This is a gift that he can use for years to come for play and school. My son is the strongest kid I know and nothing not even Cystic Fibrosis will bring him down. I work harder everyday to give him the life he deserves. Thanks again to the Take A Breather Foundation for making his Christmas extra special!
Sincerely
Christina and Zachary Laughman
Review from Guidestar
Dear Take A Breather Foundation,
I've shed many tears over cystic fibrosis and the toll it has taken on Emmett (and all with this disease), but this past week I've cried more tears of happiness than I can remember. To see Emmett, and his sisters, Noreen and Brigid, "take their breather" at the Give Kids The World Village was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. This past week, the burden of CF was forgotten. From the pirate party and endless ice cream at Give Kids The World to Magic Kingdom, Mickey Mouse, Jedi Training, Epcot, and everything Disney World offers, Emmett experienced more fun times and got to live how a child should: without cares and lots of laughs! Even though he had to stick to his daily treatment regimen, the anticipation of fun for the day overshadowed this. We couldn't have taken this trip without TAB. Thank you! Thank you for giving us tears of happiness, instead of tears of frustration! Thank you, most of all, for the giant smiles left on Emmett's and his sisters' faces!
Review from Guidestar
Thank you so much to the Take a Breather Foundation! The Smith family would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to TABF for our wonderful family vacation to central Florida. Our son, Charlie, had an amazing time at the Disney parks, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. TABF provided everything, from the transportation, to the heartwarming accommodations at Give Kids the World, to the amusement park tickets. We did not have to concern ourselves with any travel details and were able to enjoy some much needed fun, especially given Charlie’s daily battle with Cystic Fibrosis. We were treated with respect, kindness, and love everywhere we went. We were truly moved by the generosity and will be forever grateful.
Review from Guidestar
My 8 year old daughter, Katalina, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was a week old. For years now, it has been her dream to go to Disney so she could meet the Disney princesses. In September 2016, thanks to the Take A Breather foundation, my baby girls dream came true. This MAGICAL respite vacation for our family of 5 was so much more than we ever could have imagined, more than my husband and I could have ever done on our own. The memories you've given our family will be carried with us forever. The limos, the flights, the theme parks, the gifts and surprises, Give Kids The World Village, EVERYTHING WAS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE. My gratitude for this experience is immeasurable, truly. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making my daughters wish come true.
Review from Guidestar
Our family just returned from a week vacation for disney for my daughter abigail .Abigail is ten years old and has cystic fibrosis.We on behalf of Abigail and our whole fAMILY would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.We appreciate everything you do for all of the families who children have cf.We had some tears and it was very nice and kind to share the memories we will forever hold close to our hearts .May god bless you all ,and thank you dearly for making my daughter Abigails dream come true!We will be forever grateful thank you for everything yours truly Herrejon family
Review from Guidestar
I cannot say enough about the Take a Breather Foundation. Matt and the team work hard every day to raise money and awareness in order to grant wishes with children living with Cystic Fibrosis. There isn't any bureaucracy - Take a Breather works directly with the CF Centers and the social workers to get in touch with families that could use a respite from this disease. Members of the Foundation meet with each and every wish recipient to welcome them into the Take a Breather family and let them know that there is support out there that understands what they are going through. Hopefully one day soon there will be a cure for CF, but in the meantime it is great that there is a foundation to help those that need something special to make the days brighter.
Review from Guidestar
First let me start by saying, THANK YOU, which is not enough to express our heartfelt gratitude for Dehleana’s unbelievable Take A Breather -Trip to the Florida Keys. This amazingly beautiful experience allowed her wish to come true as she was able to swim with the Dolphins! Honestly, it has been a long time since I’ve seen her smile from ear to ear with pure joy; as her momma, I had happy tears watching her wish unfold in front of me!
The Dolphin Research Center was simply beautiful, their Special Needs Director, Doug was AWESOME in terms of showing Dehleana around the center, he was so kind, caring and very detailed oriented while showing-off the DRC. Doug introduced Dehleana to each dolphin by name, Luna, Pandora, Tanner, Flagger etc. , along with the sea lion , Karen and the beautiful parrot, Big Blue! All the DRC staff were heartwarming and extremely friendly too.
The Sea Turtle Hospital was just as special, as Dehleana was introduced to several sea turtles, which she “bonded” with Nemo, a beautiful little sea turtle who has a special little fin.
TAB foundation has created such happy memories for Dehleana, and her smile continues to tell the story—as if she is still there! The reality of cystic fibrosis, treatments, pills, nebulizers, inhalers, and pain, was gone for that moment. Her wish became reality- thanks to YOU-TAB foundation!
I simply can’t express how amazingly wonderful the TAB trip was from start to finish - and we were all saddened it came to an end! Let me add, the limo was unreal– Dehleana was in ahhh - what a special ride to the airport! Also, the folks at Hawks Cay Resort & Spa were lovely -The Marina Villa we stayed in was stunning, so spacious and just beautiful; the view from our porch was remarkable!
Again "thank you" from our hearts to yours. We are so honored to know each of you at TAB foundation, Matt ,Molly and the TAB team. You are indeed special people in every way - I can't stress enough the sheer joy you brought to Dehleana and the profound impact you made on her life.
The Take A Breather foundation is truly a caring, fantastic organization for children with cystic fibrosis, and we hope to give back as Dehleana has a sweet 16 birthday party around the corner and she plans to donate birthday funds to the Take A Breather Foundation so another CF child has the dream trip of a life-time experience too!
Sincerely,
Donna Bartman
"I have been on the Take A Breather board for 4 years now, and I find it a privilege to be a part of it. When I hear the stories of the wish recipients in terms of what they go through on a daily basis and then see the pictures from their wish request and read their thank you notes, I know this Foundation is making a profound impact on their lives. It is creating lifetime memories for them that they will always have and be able to draw from, especially on those particularly hard days. Many of the families who have been granted a wish picked a trip which they would not have been able to do own their own for financial reasons. Since the start of the Foundation, we have been able to provide 172 wishes and have expanded our clinic base to NJ, DE, and NY. I am very proud to a part of this Foundation and look forward to continued growth and helping as many people as possible living with Cystic Fibrosis."
