Our oldest son was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 when he was 2 years old (don't worry he's happy and healthy now!)
This was before COVID so the idea of expecting a toddler to wear a mask seemed even more unreasonable then. The chemotherapy suppressed his immune system and few times his blood counts came back reporting he had essential 0 defense system. We were expected to isolate, avoid other people and places.
The doctors often reminded us if he had a fever of 100.1 or higher to immediately go to the hospital to receive IV antibiotics. They wanted us to use old fashioned thermometers because they are supposed to be more accurate than the ear ones or the ones that scan your head. They were hard to use and read and the difference between 99.9 and 100.1 was the difference between going to the hospital or not. We decided to buy the same medical grade thermometer that the doctors office used. It had a hefty $225 price tag. At one point we considered starting an organization committed to providing thermometers to cancer families.
Another idea was building backyard playgrounds for cancer kids since they are often discouraged from going to the park. Ultimately, we decided that being in and around the world of pediatric cancer would be incredibly challenging emotionally long term.
So we continued to wait on God and his timing to provide us the right idea. Our son finished his treatment in December 2019 and was able to go on a Make a Wish trip to Hawaii just before COVID and travel restrictions etc. We are so grateful that he had cancer when he did. During covid many hospitals only permitted one visitor at a time, preventing entire families from being together for treatments. This would have made something incredibly challenging even more challenging.
The Marcovia Project was becoming a reality in the Fall of 2021, years after making a commitment to start a non profit. Important things can take time.
There are so many worthwhile causes out there to support. We considered ideas in various areas including education, veterans, and environmental projects. Ultimately, The Marcovia Project was born out of our willingness to follow the inspiration we were provided and we've never looked back.