When You Realize Your Children’s Story Is Impacting Kids Around the World

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel 2,000 miles from home to share our story with 200 students and seven staff members over the course of two days. Standing in a school in Scottsdale, Arizona, I felt the weight of what God has been doing through this simple story in a way I never had before.

When you create something from such a personal place, you hope it connects. You pray it matters. But sometimes you don’t fully realize the impact until you’re standing in a room watching it unfold in real time.

At the end of one session, we asked the students if they had ever had a friend or sibling with a disability. Slowly, hands began to rise. Then the stories started coming.

They talked about feeding tubes.

They talked about seizures.

They talked about ADHD.

What struck me most wasn’t just what they shared—it was how they shared. There was courage in their voices. There was relief in being able to say it out loud. For a few moments, the spotlight wasn’t on what made them or their loved ones different in a hard way. It was on celebrating those differences, just like Hazelnut.

After one of the sessions, a young boy waited behind to talk to me. I had shared briefly about my own struggles with reading when I was growing up. He looked at me and asked, “Do you have dyslexia?”

I told him I’ve never been formally diagnosed, but I’ve often wondered.

His face lit up. “Me too,” he said, and began telling me about his diagnosis.

It was a small conversation, but it felt sacred. In that moment, there was no stage, no microphone—just two people recognizing that we are not alone in our struggles.

That is the power of story.

So many people carry their experiences quietly, unsure if anyone else understands. But when one person is brave enough to speak, it creates space for others to do the same. A single story can shift the atmosphere of a room. It can turn isolation into connection. It can turn insecurity into confidence.

I am overwhelmed by the privilege of doing this work. What started as our family’s story has become a bridge for so many others to share theirs.

My prayer is that every child who hears this message walks away knowing they are valued—not in spite of their struggles, but fully seen within them. And that they would begin to see the differences in themselves and in others in a new, compassionate light.

The ripple effect of one story continues to amaze me.