“We thank God for Joni and Friends Missouri—and the donors that make their programs come to life. You truly do hold us up when our strength is all but gone. Thank you, from the bottom of our weary souls, for being the hands and feet of Jesus—for loving your neighbors and helping us get through the day. We are eternally grateful.” 

Natalie Jean seemed to be a healthy baby. But her parents, Brittany and Ryan, could tell something was wrong by the time Natalie was just four months old. Natalie was battling many things—including external hydrocephalus, hypotonia, severe hip dysplasia, and an overall global developmental delay.

The first few years of Natalie’s life seemed like an eternity as she saw one specialist after another and needed multiple surgeries. Right before her third birthday, Natalie received an official diagnosis: Xia-Gibbs syndrome, which is a very rare disorder, with less than 500 cases worldwide.

Brittany and Ryan were overwhelmed with sadness, fear, grief, and so many questions. Without a miracle, Natalie would struggle her entire life and need constant care. All of the dreams Brittany and Ryan had for their daughter seemed to shatter.

Brittany left her career so she could be Natalie’s caregiver 24/7. Being forced to rely on one income with all the expenses that accompanied Natalie’s disability brought a huge financial burden. Brittany and Ryan, and Natalie’s two older brothers, started losing hope.

So, imagine their surprise when we asked if they’d be interested in joining our Respite at Home outreach in partnership with our local university’s nursing program.

“The first day the nursing students came to the house to spend time with Natalie, I cleaned our garage. It had been over a year since I had been able to do such a simple thing like that. I can’t leave Natalie unattended, and I certainly can’t allow her to be in the garage, even with me in it. She’s a curious five-year-old and garages aren’t exactly childproof. After I cleaned it during that first Joni and Friends respite day, I sat down on the garage steps and cried tears of joy, thankfulness, and unbelief. Our God was generous enough to send us help!”
Brittany

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