It’s April 1st—no fooling. I have never been one for practical jokes on April Fool’s Day although I know a lot of people who plot and plan and execute brilliant schemes. I am not crafty enough for that and I would much rather celebrate the first of April by revealing the results of our Comments for a Cause for March and revealing the new Comments for a Cause for April.

This past month we have been supporting Samantha Scott as she will be joining a host of others on April 19 as they Walk to End Lupus Now in Raleigh, NC.  You may recall that Sam and her husband Cory are good friends of our son, Aaron, and I even got to help at their beautiful wedding last fall.  The post that explains more about her fundraising is here.  Sam has been diagnosed with lupus which is one of those mysterious diseases with a lot of different symptoms –none of which are fun. Sam and Cory and a lot of their family and friends will be walking.  The fundraising still continues and you can make a donation directly if you would like to by going to this link.  How would you not want to help this adorable couple?  I am thrilled to announce that Chris and I will be making a donation of $350 to Sam’s personal fundraising to help her reach her goal of $1000.  She is still a little short of that goal as I type this so I hope some of my wonderful followers will hop over to pledge $5 to help her reach her goal.  She is an amazing young woman and I am privileged to be in their circle of friends.

And now on to the new cause for April.  Every month I ponder what will be a great new cause and generally one just kind of presents itself to me. Sometimes it is because of something I read or see on the news.  Sometimes it is as a result of a friendship that gives me insight into a need or a good cause that I did not know about before.  Sometimes  a tragedy or disaster catches my attention.

This month one of my dear friends suffered an inconceivable loss.  The loss of a child.  The death of a child has to be one of the worst things imaginable and in this case the little boy was born before viability.  To express my sympathy in words seems inadequate.  There are no words that can ease the hole in the hearts of these parents and their loved ones.

What I did find out was that there is a local foundation through the hospital, Mercy Foundation, which serves as a tool in our community to offer assistance in various ways to those who are suffering loss.

Mercy Foundation was established in 1993 as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation generates resources and philanthropic funds to strengthen the mission of Mercy – North Iowa to continue the healing ministry of the Church and to promote the well being of people in our communities.

The Foundation offers philanthropic opportunities for individuals, corporations, and foundations that wish to make gifts and grants to Mercy – North Iowa. Whether it is through unrestricted contributions or restricted gifts for specific departments or programs, all charitable contributions help Mercy continue to serve the community.

When I called to get more information about what my specific donation would do Jill told me that a donation to the Mercy Foundation Birth Center helps in a variety of ways.  Fundraising in the past has included a cookbook that was for sale to help with expenses for an annual  service which is held yearly on October 15 which is the National Day of Remembrance. This is a time when all the parents and loved ones of babies that were born before viability can spend some time remembering their precious child and feel the support of those who cared for them and that baby.  The service is normally held at a local funeral home and the families receive keepsakes which serve as reminders of that precious child.  The staff also uses the funds raised through gifts and donations for training and bereavement materials.

My heart is full of love for these parents and for the loss that they have suffered. Their little boy will always be a part of their lives and even though his life was cut short he will always be an important part of their family.  During April for every comment made on any post on It’s Just Life Chris and I will donate 50 cents to the Mercy Foundation Birth Center in memory of this sweet little boy.  Please join me this month and comment often. Share any post with friends and get more comments going.  I try to respond to every comment as quickly as possible.  I appreciate each and every one that is made.

Thank you for being the wonderful people that you are and for embracing the Comments for a Cause.