Why partner with Good & Glory?
When we first created the “believe” shirt to represent our daughter’s journey with cancer, we honestly had no idea what would come from it. We simply wanted a comfortable, cozy shirt that could be used to share her testimony. The stories we have heard of strangers talking in restaurants, flagging each other down on boats across the water and more are amazing. Lives changed, more people less alone in their struggles and the blessing of a community of support we never could have expected. There have been countless times we’ve opened a social media app and happened to see a picture of someone wearing “our shirt”. It feels like a hug every time we see it. It’s a visual representation of support that truly brings tears to my eyes. You just can’t buy that off a shelf. Now that we’re further removed from treatment and our darkest days, it might actually mean more to us. A lot of things are a blur when you’re in the thick of it, but now we see someone wearing the shirt and can clearly think – wow, they were with us when it was hard. They were in the trenches with us. And the story is still being shared and told. The pain still has purpose. When we started Good & Glory, we wanted to recreate this for other families who find themselves in similar situations to ours. As we journey forward in this calling the Lord placed on our hearts, we want to invite you to partner with us financially.
Here are three ways your financial contribution to Good & Glory is making a difference:
1. Creating community – often times, it is extremely isolating being a family of a medically complex child. You may have to physically isolate yourselves from others in order to protect your child. You might spend long periods of time in lonely hospital rooms. You most certainly are facing a reality that few people around you really understand. It can all feel very isolating and lonely. Good & Glory is on a mission to build a community of support around families in these challenging situations. Imagine sitting in a cold, sterile hospital room. You open your phone and start seeing pictures of warm friendly faces wearing “your shirt”. Suddenly, you feel less alone. There are people fighting with you. Imagine grocery shopping and your child sees someone across the store wearing “their shirt”. Suddenly their face lights up as they realize this person is on their team. Maybe a child has to live in an entirely different state from their siblings to receive treatment. The siblings are living with other family members or friends while trying to carry on their “normal” routines away from their parents. They walk into school and see friends wearing their family’s shirt. Suddenly they’re not alone. They can physically see the support. You can’t put a price tag on community and what it feels like to be lifted up by others. While you may know there are people joining your fight, it’s entirely different to see it. When you give to Good & Glory, you give a family fighting for their child that type of community.
2. Sharing stories – each of us has a story that matters but if we don’t share it, we clip its wings, so to speak. We believe that our stories give others hope. Stories connect us to strangers. By giving to Good & Glory, you’re allowing families walking through unimaginable circumstances an opportunity to share their story. You’re giving someone who hears their story and finds themselves in a similar situation hope. You’re allowing these stories to travel, to circulate, to fall on the ears of others who need to hear. When we share our stories and the stories of others we borrow faith from each other. We remember what the Lord can do because we’re reminded of what He’s already done. We see Him working in someone else’s life.
3. Easing a financial burden – We’ll never forget the day the social worker came into our hospital room to talk about the financial impact our daughter’s cancer diagnosis would have on our family. Talk about adding stress to an already stressful time. There are the direct costs associated with a diagnosis like this (hospital bills, medicine, etc.) and then there are the million indirect costs. Not only are you facing more costs but usually families are facing more costs with less income because one parent has to stop working partially or altogether in order to take care of the medically complex child. So not only are there added costs but just covering the basics (mortgage/rent, utilities, groceries) becomes a strain. At Good & Glory, our goal is to alleviate some of this burden for families. We want to provide financial assistance for families in these situations and you can partner with us in that.
What a gift it is that you would want to step into this life changing work with us. The honor of having people step into this space and say “I want to be a part” is not lost on us. Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for giving of your finances. It is certainly making a difference. Together we can make a difference in the lives of pediatric patients, one shirt at a time.
Neal & Mackenzie O’Quinn, co-founders of Good & Glory
