Our Mission
The mission of the Eliza Hope Foundation is to provide educational support for children and families who are living with Autism Spectrum disorders in the Hampton Roads area and beyond.
We intend to carry out this mission by establishing a center completely dedicated to providing the special services, teachers and equipment necessary to meet the unique learning needs of these children.
Our Vision
Our vision is for no parent to ever have to struggle to find a therapeutic day program for their child with special needs. Our hope is to one day give these families a beautiful and welcoming place that has the ability to provide all of the educational, developmental and physical therapy services that their child needs in order to thrive.
Eliza’s Story
Eliza was a sweet, joyful and loving little girl. She loved popcorn and pinecones. She loved watching Frozen, Bubble Guppies and Mickey Mouse and she would listen to the song “Happy” all day long if she could.
When Eliza was 16 months old she had her first seizure and after months of doctors’ appointments and neurology tests, she was diagnosed with intractable Epilepsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder at 2 years old.
We soon learned that finding a place where Eliza could learn and grow would be an overwhelming task. Out of dozens of local preschools, the majority could not accommodate Eliza’s needs.
After months of searching and hours of frustration, we were finally fortunate enough to find two schools that Eliza was able to attend and worked for our family.
We want to honor Eliza’s life by helping families who have similar struggles. The best part of the day was watching Eliza wearing her backpack, happily walking to class alongside her teacher. Every child deserves that chance and every parent should be able to experience that moment. This is the wish we hope to fulfill through the Eliza Hope Foundation.
