06/15/2026
These boys. This organization. This day. ❤️
If you’ve walked alongside our family for any length of time, you know our son Zion’s story. You know the ways the Tori's Angels Foundation has impacted our family. And you know why they continue to be one of Little House on Main’s give-back recipients year after year.
Today, we attended their annual pancake breakfast, and it turned into one of those moments we’ll carry with us forever. A little over a year ago, our family shared our story at a Tori’s Angels fundraiser gala. Another family shared that night too, the family of Dash. At the time, Dash was hundreds of miles from home, fighting for his life while waiting for a heart transplant. Being almost the same age and both of them heart warriors, Zion immediately felt connected to him. They’ve exchanged video game handles, cheered big for Iowa State together, and followed one another’s journeys from afar. Fast forward to today. Dash is home. Dash has a new heart. And today, these two boys finally got to meet face-to-face. They compared zipper scars. Talked sports and their buddies, Matt Campbell & Rocco. Talked video games. Shared stories. And when it was time to leave, there was an immediate bro hug and handshake, as if they’d known each other forever.
What struck us most wasn’t the breakfast or even the fundraiser. It was watching two boys who have faced things most children should never have to face simply get to be kids together. No explanations needed. Just understanding. As parents, some of the hardest seasons of our lives have introduced us to some of the most incredible people. The kind of people who can look you in the eye and know exactly what you’ve carried because they’ve carried it too. That’s what organizations like Tori’s Angels do. Yes, they help ease financial burdens. Yes, they create opportunities for families to focus on what matters most. But they also create something harder to measure - Community. Connection. Prayer warriors. Hope. Family.
This is exactly why giving back has always been such an important part of our mission at Little House on Main. We don’t just give to organizations + causes in Iowa. We get to witness the lives, friendships, and stories behind them. Every purchase made in our little shoppe helps support organizations + causes like Tori’s Angels that are walking alongside Iowa families during some of the hardest seasons imaginable. Moments like today remind our hearts that we are not just a small business. We are cultivating a community where you sweet customers are truly helping create ripple effects of hope, connection, and support that extend far beyond our space. At the same time, days like today remind us of the families still waiting. Still fighting. Still sitting in hospital rooms. Still searching for answers. And those carrying losses that can never be undone. We never take moments like this for granted because we know not every story unfolds this way.
A few weeks from now, we’ll make the trip to Milwaukee once again for Zion’s annual heart appointments. Even years after surgery, congenital heart disease never leaves a family. Surgery is not a cure. There are still procedures, tests, scans, meds, waiting rooms, debilitating & traumatic symptoms, limitations, and moments that remind us just how precious ordinary days and moments really are. Maybe that’s why today meant so much.
One year ago, we sat in a room listening to Dash’s story, praying and hoping for a miracle. Today, as tears filled our eyes, we watched that miracle hug our son. And maybe what made it even more special was realizing we weren’t just watching one miracle. We were watching two. Two boys. Two stories. Two families who know what it feels like to live between fear and hope. Today, we watched TWO miracles bro hug each other. And that’s something we will never forget.
Thank you, friends, for continuing to support the Little House On Main mission, Tori’s Angels + other give-back causes and the countless families whose stories are still being written. ❤️
