Lucy Belle’s Story: Rallying Love for a Van That Will Carry Her Forward

December 4, 2025

💛 Honoring Ellie Kate’s 20th BirthdayToday is a sacred day. It is the day Ryan and Mike’s precious daughter, Ellie Kate, would have turned twenty years old.Twenty years is a lifetime of love that began with seven short years here on earth and has only grown stronger as her family continues to hold her close in their hearts every single day.This month also marks thirteen years since Ellie Kate went to be with the Lord on December 23, 2012. December has become Ellie Kate’s Month for their family, a season filled with memories, stories, and the many ways they choose to love others in her honor.Earlier this week I shared how Ryan stepped in to love our ICU neighbors without even knowing them. What I did not say is that she loves this way because of Ellie Kate. Because grief is not a season but an ocean, one that shapes how she sees hurting families and quietly leads her to walk beside them. Ellie Kate’s life held both joy and deep hardship. She fought with courage and a smile, and her love still lives on in their home, in Lucy Belle, and in everyone who carries her story forward.Today, as we honor Ellie Kate’s twentieth birthday, we have a meaningful way to celebrate her legacy.Lucy Belle, who is fighting the same terminal condition Ellie Kate had, needs a wheelchair accessible van to keep traveling safely and fully supported. You can give in Ellie Kate’s name to help Lucy and the McLaughlin family through Help Hope Live.Or you can honor Ellie Kate through Ellie Kate’s Butterfly Wishes, which continues her legacy by blessing children and families walking through NKH.Both are beautiful ways to say, Ellie Kate, your life still moves people. Your light still makes a difference.

🚐 Help Hope Live for Lucy Belle https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26596/

🦋 Ellie Kate’s Butterfly Wishes https://www.nkhcrusaders.com/ellie-kates-wishes

Tya often shares that grief is a long road and those who promise to walk with the hurting must truly stay present. Too many say I am here for you and then drift away, leaving wounds deeper than the loss itself. Let us be people who love well, who stay, and who honor the children who changed our lives and continue to change our hearts.Thank you for helping me celebrate a little girl whose smile, spirit, and short but powerful life still shine so brightly.Happy twentieth birthday in heaven, sweet Ellie Kate. You are forever loved, forever remembered, and forever shining through the people who carry your story. 💛

December 3, 2025

💔 What would you do if your neighbor faced a heartbreak no parent should ever endure?In 2023, our ICU neighbors lived through the unimaginable, the loss of their child after a long and critical illness. The answers we prayed for never came.Without even knowing this family, Ryan, who has walked through the grief of losing a child herself, quietly stepped in and rallied a community to bring comfort and support. I was honored to witness that love and to see how deeply she cares for those around her.Ryan gives so much quietly, and now it is our turn to give back to her and her sweet Lucy Belle.If you feel led to support this need, even a small gift or a simple share can make a powerful difference. Every bit of generosity brings this family closer to a handicap accessible van for Lucy and helps lighten the weight they carry each day.If you have a Ryan story of your own, I would love for you to share it with us in comments.Thank you for your kindness and support. It means so much. ❤️ Melissa

November 19, 2025

Help Give Lucy Belle the Safe Ride She Deserves💛 Sweet Lucy Belle just turned 14.She has spent her whole life navigating complex medical challenges, and every step of the way, her sweet mama Ryan has lifted, carried, and cared for her with a fierce, steady love.This video was filmed by Ryan’s awesome neighbor (Amber) and it shows what their everyday reality looks like — getting Lucy Belle in and out of their current vehicle.It’s possible… but it’s incredibly hard.Every transfer takes strength, balance, time, and constant caution. One slip or misstep could cause injury for Lucy Belle or Ryan. And as Lucy Belle continues to grow, this already difficult process is becoming less and less sustainable.This is why the McLaughlin family urgently needs a handicap-accessible van — something safe, reliable, and designed for Lucy Belle’s needs.We’re joining together to help through Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit that ensures every donation goes directly to Lucy Belle’s van fund and is fully tax-deductible.💛 Please help give Lucy Belle the safe, accessible van she truly needs. Your support — through giving or simply sharing — makes a real difference.

November 7, 2025

Lucy Belle's StoryRallying Love for a Van That Will Carry Her ForwardLucy Belle McLaughlin is a radiant 14-year-old girl living with Non-Ketotic Hyperglycinemia (NKH), a rare and terminal genetic condition she shares with her big sister, Ellie Kate, who went to Heaven in 2012. Though medically fragile, Lucy Belle's life shines with joy, courage, and the purest love. Every day she faces battles most of us will never know, yet she continues to smile, to bring light, and to remind everyone around her of God's grace and goodness even in the hardest places.Her mama, Ryan, is one of the most selfless, faith-filled women you could ever meet. For years she has poured herself out for others, loving and serving families in the medically fragile and special needs community through her ministry, Hopelink, and later through Ellie Kate's Butterfly Wishes. She has lifted weary hearts, celebrated miracles both big and small, and stood shoulder to shoulder with parents walking roads like her own.Now it's time for us to rally around Ryan, Lucy Belle, and their family and give back even a small measure of the love they have poured into so many.• Why a Handicap-Accessible Van MattersLucy Belle is growing, and her family's current vehicle is no longer safe or practical for her needs. Transferring her in and out has become physically difficult and increasingly risky. She needs a new handicap-accessible van, one that allows her to stay safely in her wheelchair, travel with her medical equipment, and be surrounded by comfort and care wherever she goes.This van will mean:i Safe, dignified transportation for Lucy Belle# Freedom for her family to take her to appointments, therapies, and outings with ease# Relief from the physical and emotional strain of lifting and transferring her# The chance to make more memories together and to live, love, and laugh in the precious years the Lord continuesto give herThe total cost for a new van, including tax, title, and necessary fees, comes to about $80,000. This is the amount the family needs to raise to ensure Lucy Belle has safe, reliable, and accessible transportation.How You Can Make a DifferenceThis is more than a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to lift up a family that has faithfully lifted up so many others. It is a chance to honor Ellie Kate's legacy and to celebrate Lucy Belle's beautiful, brave life.Whether you know the McLaughlins personally or are just meeting them through this story, your gift matters. Every prayer, every share, and every donation brings them closer to reaching their goal.Let's show Ryan, Lucy Belle, and the whole McLaughlin family that they are not walking this road alone. Let's give them the gift of safety, dignity, and freedom, a van that will carry Lucy Belle forward, surrounded by love every mile of the way.