(06/16/19) - Father's Day isn't the same for everyone.
For one mid-Michigan man, it's a reminder of a hole in his heart that can never be filled.
David and Tami Kromer raised three biological children and adopted two more children. After that, they embraced a new challenge.
"Clara was born with a condition called "Hydranencephaly," which basically means instead of having a brain, she had to fluid-filled sacks. She was blind and she was beautiful and she was so perfect," Tami said.
David and Tami knew Clara had a terminal illness, but that didn't stop them from adopting her.
"For us, we feel that every child deserves a family that every child needs love and care, and we just couldn't stand the thought of her living out her however many months or years in a hospital bed. We knew we had love to give and we knew our kids had love to give," David said.
In that five months, David and Tami took her for play groups, visited David's classroom, and went up north.
In 2013, Clara passed away. On Father's Day six years later, David still feels the loss.
"There's time that it's not hard, but Father's Day was hard today. I don't know if every Father's Day has been hard, but today has been a hard day of remembering and missing her, but at the same time, I have the joy knowing I have a daughter who loves me and is waiting for me," David said.
That same year, David and Tami started a nonprofit called Clara's Hope to assist families who also hear the call to adopt. They answer questions and provide resources like house cleanings and therapy that prove it's more than just the foster child.
"Our belief is that you can't just focus on the child that's in foster care. You need to focus on the whole family. The whole family is doing it, so they all need to be healthy," Tami said.
Their goal is to continue taking foster families from surviving to thriving. For David and Tami, it's of course a heartwarming reminder to CLARA-brate their daughter's name every single day.
On July 13, Salon 416 will host Haircuts for Hope. All proceeds will go to Clara's Hope as David and Tami continue to build their daughter's name.
To access the Clara's Hope website and Facebook page, visit the related links below (mobile) or on the right (desktop).