When a family faces the terminal illness of a parent, their whole world is flipped upside down. Sorrow surrounds them as they walk through uncertainty, oftentimes in isolation. Joy seems impossible in these moments. They need community. They need hope.
Families need Inheritance of Hope, a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping families create a lasting legacy of memories when a parent is terminally ill.
Created Out of Need
The Inheritance of Hope story began with one young family facing a parent’s terminal illness—a mom and dad with young children looking for resources for their entire family as they all navigated the mom’s illness.
Surprisingly, there were none. They decided to create resources for their family and share them with others.
In 2007, Deric and Kristen Milligan launched Inheritance of Hope with the mission to inspire hope in young families facing the loss of a parent.
Serving Families
562 children in the U.S. will lose a parent to terminal illness today.
Too many people who want to help these families feel helpless. You aren’t sure what to do or say, don’t know how to actually help in the midst of terminal illness. So people pull back, shy away from the situation.
Therefore, too many young families facing the loss of a parent feel abandoned and hopeless. They feel like no one cares.
Inheritance of Hope mobilizes people who care and are brave enough to practice “jorrow”™—joy and sorrow at the same time.
In 2024, Inheritance of Hope served 1,241 families as a whole organization and 126 families on a Legacy Retreat®.
Legacy Retreats
Through Inheritance of Hope’s Legacy Retreats®, families create lifelong memories, find community and receive tools to navigate the challenges of terminal illness at a destination experience. Special programming is available for the patient parent, the caregiver parent and children.
All of their needs will be met, allowing them to enjoy a worry-free weekend with the people they love the most. Volunteers are assigned to help your family have the very best time.
The average cost of a Legacy Retreat® for a family is $9,000. Staggeringly, more than 300 families facing late-stage or metastatic cancer, ALS or another terminal diagnosis are on the waiting list. Sadly, most don’t have the ability to wait. Their loved one may pass away before they have an opportunity to attend.
Creating Hope
Inheritance of Hope fills a void for families battling terminal illness. Inheritance of Hope not only provides resources, but the nonprofit also helps families create memories and establish a community of other families who have shared experiences. Inheritance of Hope gives families hope!
Your credit union can get involved by supporting the Boots & Bowties fundraiser!
