Communications Manager‎‏‏
justin@valerieshouse.org

This story begins with a secret Hayden Toms wants you to know.

"I was scared to tell people what had happened and just like get in touch with my emotions", said Hayden Toms, who lost her father, Brent, several years ago.

Hayden felt anxious as she walked through Valerie's House for the first time several years ago after her father's death, but she decided to give it a chance.

"I can say that I was very scared three years ago", explained Hayden. "I felt very alone. And now – I'm not scared. I know that I'm not the only person going through this. I have a lot of friends who have gone through very similar things. And I'm a lot stronger."

Hayden recently graduated from high school. We welcomed her to our new Fort Myers campus and surprised her with a gift to help her start the next chapter of her life: a scholarship as she begins school at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Hayden is one of the many inspiring stories we're thankful to share. After majoring in health sciences, she plans to work with kids as an occupational therapist.

"I want to say 'thanks' to Valerie's House for the donation. It really does help me a lot. And I just want to say 'thanks' to all of my family and family from out of state, like, really, really helped me through a tough time, especially me and my mom", said Hayden.

At Valerie's House, no child grieves alone, and kids learn that loss doesn't have to limit their dreams. None of this would be possible without generous donations from people like you.

If you’d like to watch this story, click this link — 2024 Valerie's House Scholarship Recipient Hayden Toms (youtube.com)