Mark is married to a precious friend of mine, Heather. They have two sons, John and Duncan. They and their boys live in Idaho. Mark for 10 plus years now, has been on a mission to find his birth mother. They've had names to go on, but everything came up a dead end over the years. There's much truth to "it's a small world" and Heather, after sharing Marks journey with a local friend of hers, discovered this friend who had a friend who went to school with Marks half-sister (after all the name passing spilled out in the conversation). Phone calls were made and on Wednesday April 24th of this year, Mark spoke with his half-sister for the first time. Come to find out, she had also been trying to locate Mark over the years. Mark also found out that he has three half-brothers and that his birth mother is terminally ill with lung cancer which sadly, has developed into her bones. He got his mother’s phone number from his sister, called his mother on the 25th and FINALLY closed the chapter on his search. His Mother asked if there was any chance of seeing him and that for 45 years, she’d worried that she’d made the wrong decision by allowing Mark to be adopted…that it’s haunted her all this time.
Mark has discovered much about his birth family over the past few days and I can only imagine the joy and exuberance his entire family is feeling at this time. I’ve talked with Heather a time or two about when there might be a family "union" with Marks new found family that he's searched so long for. There's nothing at this time that I'd love to accomplish more, than being able to make some trips possible for their family. There's a parent to meet, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles...Mark and Heather are totally overwhelmed at the prospect of getting together finally with his "missing" family.
I'm asking for your graciousness here...to help provide this wonderful family the funds to rent a car or van and provide for their hotel rooms and food. Possibly a motorhome to save on hotel expenses....Heather LOVES to cook and wouldn’t mind doing so if that options available to her! If we can't provide the funds for the entire family, I hope we at least can for Mark to do so. A plane ticket, a room to provide a bed for him while visiting, etc. We're talking about family in 3 different states. Perhaps the funds to help the entire family meet at one place in order to see them all at once?
I told Heather about Indiegogo and she was hesitant at first, feeling that Mark might not approve yet with the phone ringing off their wall the past few days, Marks on Cloud 9 and very anxious to meet the family he's searched so long for. I can’t imagine him getting this close only to find that he didn’t get to see his birth mother before the cancer takes her. So many of us live paycheck to paycheck anymore and so for Mark and Heather to do this themselves...well, I fear they may miss out on the chance to meet his mother if they tuck a lil bit away here and there until they can accumulate the funds they'd need. Please...can you help? After the reunion, I’m sure she'd be thrilled to give us all an update and maybe even pictures! : D If you can't, we'd understand...please help us get the word out!!
Love and Peace,
Cheri...Heather and Marks friend
P.S. Please bear with my lack of "know how"...this is a first for me.
