The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Everyone has personal heroes; one of mine is Karli Phillips. It isn't just because of her spiritual journey and honest vulnerability and not because she and her husband, Glen, have experienced a real miracle in their daughter, Yancy. Not because they opened their home to adopt their niece and nephews after the death of Glen's mom and dad, but because her heart is so gentle and real.

Last October, Karli had a life-changing weekend. She went to a Labeled and Loved Sisters Retreat. Karli wrote, " As a primary caretaker of children with disabilities, I am at serious risk of burnout. Nineteen research studies have identified parents of children with disabilities to have an increased risk for depression (95%) and anxiety (90%). The divorce rate is over 85% for parents of children with a disability. I created this fundraiser to humbly ask you to help Labeled and Loved to help our family. At the Labeled and Loved Retreat, every moment is carefully curated to empower moms like me to combat these statistics while relaxing, having fun, finding community, and equipping me to return home with the tools to best care for my child-and myself. I will also meet other moms who will become my lifelines and keep me from feeling alone in this unexpected version of motherhood.-and you can be a part of it. Your support means so much to me and will make a real difference in enabling me to continue to care for my family. Thank you, and God Bless You!"

According to the Labeled and Loved sisters website, "Four women started as four strangers. Women whose lives intersected only because we love someone with a label. Within our own families, we've witnessed firsthand the isolation that can occur when life doesn't go as planned following a child's diagnosis. But we also know the beauty of how connecting with others changes everything. Labeled & Loved is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their motto is "The world will label, we will love."

Our Mission is to embrace and strengthen families with disabilities by providing connective experiences and educational resources for the primary caretaker, igniting personal growth and systemic change within the community.

Karli was invited to the retreat last October, and "It was fantastic all across the board. I mean, mothers with very, very drastic disabilities to mild disabilities. It was just a meeting and getting to know others who are in the thick of things, just like Karli. Karli has a number of children with a variety of disabilities. "They get it! I mean, it's always nice to get support, but getting support from people who are in it is even better. And in the thick of it with you." Children have special needs in many areas. Some children have strict medical needs. Some children have social-emotional disabilities and are on the spectrum. Children with mental health issues and children that have physical disabilities or mental/cognitive disabilities.

In Big Sandy, everyone knows Sonny, who plays basketball. He has enormous support from his teammates and coaches. They tried to get him in every single game if possible. He got two three-pointers in the JV game and one in the varsity. Karli is delighted that the community supports Sonny so much. She is always happy with the community and the school for the support they give her children. But caring for and supporting children who are disabled is exhausting. Daily, you do it because there's no other choice. You deal with it, but you can't get away from it. You just can't because it's part of you now. And you want the best for your kids but can't pour from an empty cup. And so this totally filled my cup."

So, it is faith-based, but it is not ever pushing the faith. It just fills the emotional cup of every mother. Karli is trying to raise $6,000 to take herself and one other mother with her. She believes very strongly in the work of the Labeled and Loved sisters.

I loved the following story found on their site: There are only two scenarios when a herd of female elephants will form a circle: When they are under attack by

predators or when they are giving birth. In the latter scenario, the female

elephants close ranks around the birthing mama so that she cannot be seen, protecting her when she's at her most vulnerable. And after she delivers,

when the pain subsides, and new life has arrived, they all begin trumpeting with

joy. A celebration of new life, of sisterhood. This is what Sisters do. We surround

each other. We caretake and comfort. We form circles around those in pain,

and when the time comes, we take our own place in the center, too. This is the power of a Sisterhood Circle: serving and being served. Sounding our trumpets--because we saw it through together."

The weekend "guarantees to deliver deep connections and meaningful

conversations with moms who understand." Please consider donating to Karli Phillips Fund Raiser. You can find the information on Facebook or connect with her at the post office where she works.