Mission & Vision
We did not know what our future held during our 5 months in the NICU, but 4those reminds us that the unforeseen outcomes we face in the NICU are greater and more filling than what they threaten to steal from us.
When we feel burdened by the fear and expectation that there will only be less for our children and ourselves based on the outcomes of extreme prematurity, we actively and intentionally pursue and celebrate the victory found in living life from a posture of more.
Our Mission
4those exists with the charitable intent and purpose to promote the general welfare, provide specific adaptive support, and create access to active adventure, affirmation and community for children and families with a history of and/or current health outcomes and disabilities related to premature and early birth.
We primarily serve families with children born before 28 weeks gestation or under 2 pounds. By current medical standards, a micropreemie is any baby born before 26 weeks gestation and/or weighing less than 1lb 12oz (28oz, 700-800g). Having had a child born at 23 weeks and weighing only 1lb 4oz (560g), we have seen firsthand the impact medically, physically, spiritually and emotionally that a long term neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay can present, and we have observed similar experiences for our preemie community up to the 28-week gestational mark.
We reinsert hope and possibility into the narrative. Though very small, micropreemies are a special kind of mighty! Because of the variety of complex medical outcomes that are possible, the NICU can be a long and scary road filled with fear and uncertainty about an abundant future for these children. Difficult and challenging news seems to come at every turn. Because of what we’ve seen and experienced in our own journey, we believe in affirming the hope and possibility that there can and will be beautiful outcomes along the hard road as well, and we know this from the way we witnessed our son overcome unthinkable odds. We do this by creating an environment rich in adaptive adventure, healing, and life-giving connections for these children and their entire families regardless of the medical outcomes of this season, and by providing specific and intentional spaces for them to heal from and celebrate the journey they have traveled, as well as envision and walk out a beautiful future together.
Our Vision
HEALING FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
4those is a place where parents and caregivers of preterm babies can engage in community around their shared experiences of extreme prematurity after they leave the NICU.
Having experienced the journey of extreme prematurity with our son, we know first-hand what the common narrative offers.
You may be told that life will somehow be “less than” for you or your children.
You may be told that the road ahead might not be worth pursuing. That it will be difficult, challenging, and painful. That this road offers only grief.
We endeavor to show families that it is an option to challenge this thinking, and to face hopeless moments with strength and authority to reclaim the hope that there would only be more for them from pursuing and living out the impossible road.
At 4those, families can come together through tailored programming that engages their stories in a new way and allows them to heal physically and emotionally from an intense and miraculous season of life. We invite you to make memories together that you never thought possible and to reclaim a sense of hope to carry forward into your future.
ADVENTURE AND COMMUNITY FOR FORMER MICROPREEMIES
4those offers opportunities for former micropreemies to thrive in a fully-supported environment to discover new adventures and activities that allow them to freely express themselves in early childhood. These experiences will lay the foundation for them to see what is possible and what they are capable of overcoming. At 4those, they are not simply defined by their extreme prematurity—they are celebrated for every part of who they are.
Watching our son do physical things that we were told would likely never be possible for him has given us more joy and appreciation for our journey than we could have ever predicted. We know that many former micropreemies face a variety of complex medical needs and health outcomes, and we aim to create a space where they can freely live out and express themselves as the insightful, curious, and adventurous little humans that they are.
RADICAL ADAPTIVE REPRESENTATION IN OUR FACILITIES AND PRACTICES
4those serves as an example of how we can make the world more adaptive and accessible for kids and adults with disabilities. As we build out or future vision of providing state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, our hope is to eliminate barriers to entry for kids of all abilities to experience the full richness of their dynamic lives. 4those will be a beacon for change in the way we perceive the limitations of how to build spaces in the world for all people.
We subscribe to the belief that no one’s life is “less than,” especially based on the outcomes of extreme prematurity. We were faced with very real and very complex decisions around the perceived quality and functionality of our son’s life after he left the NICU.
In those moments, we knew that regardless of his outcome, our son would have a full and beautiful life. We want to bring this same awareness to families facing hopeless narratives in the NICU right now. We want to eliminate thinking that says “This will be too hard for us or for our children” by setting an example of adaptive functionality in our buildings, accessible adventure opportunities for these kids, and a community of like-minded and supportive individuals.
Legacy
We aim to create a lasting inheritance of transformative love and prosperity between our families and 4those. By offering original opportunities to grow, heal, and thrive in our environment year-after-year and welcoming new members to join our groups each session, we will create a strong social-emotional foundation where we will witness the ripple effect of growing together as a heritage community.
Foundational Elements
Hope
We regard hope as an opportunity not to deny our current challenges but to engage with them in a new way that leads to abundance. In our active pursuit of hope, we honor our past journeys and believe that no matter the outcome of our present struggles, we are entitled to and will surely experience life and goodness through these difficult circumstances and into the unknown future.
Possibility
We strive to change the narrative in order to receive perspective and joy in our pursuit of a life dynamically lived, posturing in possibility rather than limitation. We see our full futures for what they could be, not what the world might say they will be.
Community
We find that experiencing life together creates a space where one can be held and healed through the sharing of our collective stories as we walk them out side-by-side and champion one another along the journey. Community is what sustains our vision of deep care and unwavering support for each other and creates a sense of belonging for both caretakers and children at 4those.
Adventure
We believe that children who have experienced extreme prematurity are uniquely capable of living their beautiful, dynamic lives out loud through the adventurous expression of their gifts and abilities. At 4those, we celebrate a child’s inherent desire for curiosity and exploration by facilitating engaging and life-affirming activities, and providing adaptive care for each child to experience new challenges and thrilling personal growth as they step into their divine potential.
Connection
We provide space for our children and families to connect with each other, with themselves, and with nature, so that they may access a deeper understanding of their purpose and potential as they observe their pasts and look forward to their abundant futures. 4those is a restorative place, informed by soulful and intentional relationships built around genuine and authentic connections.
We are spending our initial seasons of operation creating spaces and opportunities for caregivers and their former micropreemies (born at 28-weeks gestation and earlier) to gather, connect, and share their journeys with one another, as well as promote joyful, accessible and adventurous experiences for the littles and their entire families. We offer curated programming and activities for kids of all abilities, as well as connective and healing experiences for the adults so that we can begin to lay the foundation for our bigger vision around support and radical care for these families as they transition out of their NICU season.
TODAY: BUILDING COMMUNITY & FUNDS
Just as an ultramarathon is run one step and one challenge at a time, so too does a family undertake the NICU journey. We advance the 4those mission using endurance sports as a metaphor and vehicle to build awareness and raise funds for our programs.
FUTURE: A FULLY ADAPTED AND ACCESSIBLE 4THOSE RETREAT CAMPUS FOR NICU PARENTS AND CHILDREN
When we were in the NICU, we were told by science and by society that our son would likely lead such a challenging and difficult physical life and the road ahead would be so heartbreaking for us, that it might not be worth pursuing his life at all. There was abundant focus on what we would never be able to do as a family, and how our worlds would be limited.
We pushed against that narrative by posturing in the belief that no matter the outcomes of his treatment, he would have an impactful and meaningful life that celebrated all of his specific abilities, whatever they were. We would not be overcome by walking the hard road; in fact, we would only benefit from it! This was not about choosing life at any cost; it was about believing in life for us and our children no matter what came next.
We believed in an abundant future for our son, and we want to provide that vision to others in the NICU right now by building a loving, healing, and hope-filled place to land when they are finally released into the world beyond the hospital. No matter how dark the present may feel, 4those strives to be a beacon of light and hope, shining a light on the possibility of the future.
The 4those Campus will be designed as a healing home-away-from-home space that celebrates all abilities and affords families an opportunity to experience togetherness, adventure, play, and community in ways they might have imagined could never be theirs.
Our property and programs will be an example for what a fully adapted world could be for kids with different abilities, whether the result of extreme prematurity or otherwise.
We want families who are hearing the same hopeless narrative in the NICU to think to themselves, “I do not need to fear the outcomes of this season. There is a place for us to go that will celebrate and help cultivate our abundant life!”
