LITTLE HEROES ACADEMY SUPPLY DRIVE

Little Heroes Foundation needs your help!

We will carry out a supply drive throughout the month of March. We will ship donations to Little Heroes in Mali, Africa at the beginning of April. Please contribute in anyway you can. Attached is a flyer that can be passed around to spread the word! Donations can be scheduled for pick up or drop off.

Supplies needed:

Pencils/pens
Pencil sharpeners
Paper
Binders
Chalk and Erasers
Books (french)
Computers
Printers
Power Strips
Back Packs

For More information Contact:
Sharee Merrell at 801-885-9771 or at:
sharee@littleheroesfoundation.org

Chance Murdock

A FIGHTING CHANCE

Chance Murdock is a niniteen-year-old boy with a heart of gold and a will of iron. He has a passion for hunting and a love of his job operating large tractors on his family's small farm in Hamer, Idaho. Chance is the only child of Steve and Teressa Murdock but dear to the hearts of so many including the Little Heroes Foundation. At the beginning of August 2008 Chance's world turned upside down and was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer and since then his life began to quickly unravel. Starting with the initial biopsy, cat scan after cat scan quickly led to the despair at the thought that it was untreatable. A desperate prayer was answered as the Murdock family found out that surgery was an option. This surgery left Chance with the decision that no nineteen-year-old boy should ever have to face. On August 14, 2008 Chance Murdock's vocal chords were removed in a prayerful attempt to save his life and left him unable to speak. With more surgeries scheduled and regular blood tests, he is still fighting this battle. 

Unfortunately, the Murdock family is a small ranching family that cannot afford the high cost of health insurance. It has never been an option. Despite this family's obstacles they have found strength in one another and are determined to fight this to the end. Chance is a true little hero and has inspired us in more ways than one. Speaking in behalf of the Murdock family, our true heroes, we are asking you to help us help Chance in anyway you can. 

Updates from the family:

Chance is doing well. He has finished his radiation treatments and did very well through them. They burned is neck both inside his throat and outside terribly. He was so tough through it all and ate even when in extreme pain as they told him they would have to put a feeding tube in him if he continued to loose weight. He said no way!  So he ate a lot and suffered quietly, no complaints. He truly is my hero. I draw strength through him every day.  He lives his life to the most and keeps his fears to himself, which is hard for me as I am a talker and want to know what he is feeling and thinking, but he keeps pretty quiet. I don't have a picture to attach to this e-mail but I am going to try to get one from my sister-in-law from Christmas as she had her camera going full blast that day, I will try to get you one soon. We still travel to SLC every two months or so and they are watching his blood work very closely as the cancer indicator test they do has remained high and this is a big concern. All during his radiation treatments it was hunting season and he went hunting almost every day after his treatment. He saw lots of elk but not the trophy one he wanted so he waited and hunted till he saw the one he wanted and he got it. It was a delight to see him so excited and happy.  And now I get another elk rack for my living room, oh boy! We thank you all again for all you have done for us, Chance wears his little heroes T shirt all the time.  As I said I will try to get you a picture soon.  Stay in touch and let me know if there is anything I can ever do to help your wonderful program.

Teresa Murdock

Artem Volcow's Story - LITTLE HERO

Artem Volcow, now 2 years old, was born a hero.  Five days after his birth Artem became very ill due to numerous diseases, including hepatitis, resulting in cirrhosis of the liver.  It was expected that Artem would not live past 3 years unless he received a liver transplant.  During the renovation of the baby hospital in Lyubertsy, Russia we came into contact with him and his mother.  We knew something had to be done.  The transplant was made possible with the help of answered prayers, the Little Heroes Foundation, and the influence of our friend and Russian Surgeon Igor Cojocaru.  On May 13th 2008 Artem was operated on by Sergei Vladimirovich Gotier.  Four other postoperative operations were needed due to complications of the transplantation.  On June 28th 2008 Artem was able to return to his home in Kursk, Russia.

Dr. Cojocaru's response to helping Artem staes, in part, "Artem is doing so well.  He is a beautiful healthy happy boy now!  Thank you for your successful work in the Children Hospital in Lyubertsy, you are doing so much for sick children!  I am proud to be apart of Little Heroes and I'll be happy to do it in the future!"

Little Heroes Academy - Mali, Africa

Little Heroes Foundation (LHF) has partnered with the Mali Rising Foundation (MRF) to build schools in Africa. MRF was established in 2004 to empower and improve the lives of children through education. MRF builds schools in the rural areas of Mali and West Africa so that children can have the opportunity to go to school in their own villages. 

Their model requires that each village must commit 10%, MRF provides the villagers with a press to make bricks to build the school and the villagers use their own resources for the construction process. MRF raises and funds the remaining 90% it costs to build each school. Among other things, they plan medical expeditions two times each year where doctors, dentists and volunteers have the opportunity to travel to Mali at their own expense and treat people in these rural parts of Africa. 
LHF has always believed that partnering up with other elite foundations will create a greater impact and we have been impressed by MRF’s mission and vision. In 2009 LHF will fund and start the construction of a Little Heroes Academy in Mali, Africa. We feel this corresponds with our goals as a foundation at whole and our desire has always been to inspire and improve the lives of children. We feel there are no greater gifts you could give to a child than love and education.

Lyubertsy, Russia Baby Hospital Renovation

For the past year and a half Little Heroes Foundation has had the opportunity to take part in the renovation of a baby hospital in Lyubertsy, Russia. Only an hour drive outside Moscow, Lyubertsy is a small industrial city located in the Lyuberetsky District. Lyubertsy is known for its oil refining industry, mechanical engineering, and agricultural processing plants. The hospital we have been renovating is the main children's hospital for the whole region. This hospital houses many sick children and babies who have been turned over to the state. 

The first phase of the Lyubertsy Hospital project included the renovation of two floors, ten bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining hall, a mother's room, two directors offices, two nursing stations, and a childrens playroom/library. We are now renovating three more floors including another dining hall and kitchen, and a new laboratory for medical testing. We purchased two respiratory machines, two injection machines, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, water heaters, windows, new flooring, doors, refrigerators, cribs, beds, tables, chairs, mobiles, and blankets. With all this accomplished, there is still much to do. We also create opportunities for children with serious illnesses to get surgeries that include liver transplants, clef pallets and club feet.  Contact us if you are interested in contributing in any way.

US Marine Corps Toys for Tots in Russia!

We partnered up with the US embassy (Marine Corps) to give a very Merry Christmas to more than 100 Russian Orphans in Lyubertsy, Russia.  The Marines dressed in their blues and handed out over 400 Christmas presents to very deserving and thankful children.

Letter from the Founders

More than two years ago, LaRee and I couldn't escape the brutal conclusion that in our world today, some lives are seen as worth saving and others are not. We said to ourselves: "This cannot be true. But if it is true, changing this dilemma deserves to be the priority of our lives and foundation."  We created the Little Heroes Foundation because we believe in the principle that every human life has equal worth. We both felt very inspired to start this charitable foundation, because there are so many children throughout the world in need. Children with cancer in Utah travel to Primary Children's hospital 7 days a week for up to 4-5 years to get cancer treatments; imagine the emotional, physical and financial impact on the patient, their parents, siblings and loved ones. Children in Russia sit in hospitals alone with no one to hold them or care for them. 90% of orphans in Russia have living parents; unfortunately the parents have been deemed unfit to raise them. In Ghana 1 million people die from Malaria each year, 90% of those in sub-Saharan Africa. These are a few of the many global issues that we are focusing on. Our time, energy and talents are focused on providing hope, relief and stability to their circumstances. We want to help these children have happy and productive lives. The challenges we face are great, but so is the opportunity to improve children's lives.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity in taking the time to visit our blog and learn more about the Little Heroes Foundation!  Travis & LaRee Hansen