How do you move forward when someone you love leaves too soon? For Beth and Brad Thorp, the loss of their son Mitchell is an experience all parents fear. While their story ended in tragedy, the decision to use their experience as a way to help others has transformed lives for the past ten years.
The Mitchell Thorp Foundation helps families living with life-threatening diseases by offering a customized program that caters to the unique needs of the family. “Experts say that 70 percent of families break apart due, in part, to the stresses surrounding a loved one’s disease,” said Beth, executive director of The Mitchell Thorp Foundation. The foundation’s design helps counter the pressures commonly associated with coping with a child’s disease.
The first program provides medical and home assistance to help keep the house in order. A second program offers healing and rehabilitation. “Once the child leaves the hospital, they need supportive care,” said Beth. The third program is the wheelchair conversion van program. And the newest program focuses on youth leadership. “Currently, we have 60 kids participating,” said Beth. “It’s about healthy kids helping those in need.”
Working in conjunction with other supportive programs, the Mitchell Thorp Foundation focuses on members of local communities and satisfies the need of families up and down the coast.
Everyone knows someone in need. And everyone has the ability to help make a difference. Please visit www.mitchellthorp.org to learn more about the available programs, upcoming events, and the variety of ways to get involved.
A version of this article was published by Good Day Orange County. It has been republished here with permission.
