4those is the transformative power of hope in action.
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. 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 longterm 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. For being so 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 feelings of fear and uncertainty about an abundant future for these little babes. 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, providing a space for them to heal from and celebrate the journey they have traveled, as well as envision and walk out a beautiful future together.
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, we actively and intentionally pursue and celebrate the victory found in living life from a posture of more.
Our Vision
• HEALING FOR THE PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS •
Having experienced the journey of extreme prematurity with our son, we know first-hand what the common narrative offers—that there will somehow be a “less than” life for you or your child(ren), or that the road ahead will be so difficult, or challenging or painful that only grief will come from walking it. What we found in these hopeless moments in our own journey was an acute awareness that we were entitled to challenge this posture, and reclaimed the viewpoint that there would only ever be more for us from pursuing and living out the impossible road.
4those will be a place where parents and caregivers can connect with and engage in community around their shared experiences of extreme prematurity after they leave the NICU. They will be able to come together through specific programming that engages their stories in a new way and allows them to heal physically and emotionally from such an intense and miraculous season of life. These families will be able to make memories together as a family that they never thought could be possible and bring the hope they reclaim here into their futures.
• ADVENTURE AND COMMUNITY FOR FORMER MICRO-PREEMIES •
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 that we could have ever predicted. We know that many former micro-preemies 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.
4those will be a place where former micro-preemies will be 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 in a new way. At 4those, they are not simply defined by their extreme prematurity—they are celebrated for every part of who they are.
• RADICAL ADAPTIVE REPRESENTATION IN OUR FACILITIES AND PRACTICES •
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 thriving and beautiful life, and we want to bring this same awareness an opportunity to families facing hopeless narratives in the NICU right now. We want to eliminate the thinking that says that this will be too hard for us or for our children by setting an example of adaptive functionality in our buildings and adventure opportunities for these kids.
4those will be a place where we provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that serve as an example of how we can make the world more adaptive and accessible for kids and adults with disabilities. Our hope is to eliminate all barriers to entry for these kids to experience the full richness of their dynamic lives and to be a beacon for change in the way we perceive the limitations of how to build spaces in the world for all people.
Foundational Elements
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.
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.