A Treasure Valley family who cherished their son for his short four-and-a-half years of life, is now helping other families cope with similar situations.
Megan and Corey Schomer founded Corwyn's Cause shortly after their son passed away, determined to bring support and resources to other families trying to navigate their way through everyday life with a medically-fragile child.
Even before Corwyn was born, his parents knew his life wouldn't be easy.
"The prognosis for Corwyn was to not make it to two-years-old, and definitely not make it to three," Corwyn's mom Megan said.
But Corwyn lived to be four-and-a-half. His name means "heart's companion", chosen because his parents knew he wouldn't live long in the world, but would stay forever in their hearts.
Although doctors first detected irregularities in his brain development early in the pregnancy, his diagnosis didn't come until he was almost two years old. He suffered from a rare brain disorder only documented one other time in the mid-90's.
After Corwyn passed away on November 7, 2016, the Schomers wanted to turn their pain into purpose. A few months later, Corwyn's Cause was created to help fill the gaps in care they discovered, to help others going through it now.
"Corwyn was medically fragile his whole life, and when we ended up bringing him home on hospice, we found that all those charities that come up and visit you at the hospital and bring the super heroes, the blankets and the food... when you come home that all stops," Megan said.
The non-profit aims to help families with around-the-house chores like lawn mowing, snow blowing and house cleaning, so families can focus on what's truly important.
"When you're fighting for your child's life, you really aren't too concerned with how your lawn looks or how your house looks," Megan said.
Corwyn's Cause also gives local families raising medically fragile children a way to get to know each other in a social setting, since hospitals aren't able to share the connection.
"With the laws in place, and HIPAA, they cant see a family struggling with something and connect them to another family," Megan said.
An important part of those families are brothers and sisters who are often overshadowed by their medically fragile sibling's needs, so Corwyn's Cause places a special emphasis on embracing siblings.
"Even if it's just doctors appointments, [siblings] feel that the medically fragile child is getting special attention," she said.
So the whole family is invited to special events put on throughout the year with other charities, called "Heroes in Plain Sight".
Their next event will be a decked out winter wonderland Christmas party at Scentsy Commons, December 2, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Families can stop by anytime, have a snack, participate in crafts, snag a photo with Santa, and pick out a toy of their choosing. (Siblings, too!)
To make a donation or learn more information about Corwyn's Cause, click here.
To follow their progress and learn more about their upcoming events, follow them on Facebook.
