Our Mission
About the Founders
We are Dylan and Lexie Calhoun, and our journey together began in college, leading to our marriage in 2019. In early 2022, we experienced unparalleled joy when we found out we were expecting our sweet Eden. Though the later months of pregnancy were not filled with the carefree moments most couples anticipate, we held tightly to the hope and love we felt for our baby girl. And we were right—Eden made every moment worth it.
Our 27 days with Eden in the NICU brought the deepest lows and the most profound highs, and those precious days remain the highlight of our lives. The pain of losing her is a heartbreak beyond words, but we are comforted knowing that one day we’ll hold and kiss her again in Heaven through our savior Jesus Christ.
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Eden’s time on Earth was short, but her impact was immeasurable. As her parents, we are dedicated to continuing her legacy by supporting families navigating similar challenges. Through this mission, we honor Eden’s life and ensure her light continues to shine.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our mission below.
What we provide
Our goal as a charity is to be financially helpful to families who find themselves in the unthinkable position as we found ourselves in during our pregnancy. How do we stay financially stable, yet give our child the care he/she needs? Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) has a large scale of severity (levels A, B, C, & D). Most hospitals might be able to help children with minor levels of CDH, but babies born with more severe levels of CDH need much more specialized care that most hospitals cannot help with - even if some say they can. Because of this, we specifically want to help families that have to travel 50 miles or more to relocate. As long as their baby is fighting in the NICU to overcome this obstacle, we want to help fight their financial battles our monthly grants.
"Do we qualifY?"
In order to qualify for our monthly grants, our requirements are:
Diagnosis of CDH
Your child must have a diagnosis of CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia) from a licensed medical professional. You must be able to provide proof of the diagnosis in your application. Babies with the more severe cases and who have a high change of receiving ECMO will receive priority over others.
Relocate 90+ miles
You and/or your family must be relocating 90 miles or more away from your current residential address. Our first priority is assisting families relocating to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, TX, but we also currently assist families relocating to various hospitals around the country.
Admission into hospital
Grants are given to families from the time they relocate until their baby is discharged from the hospital. As your baby is discharged (whoo!), monthly grants will stop being sent. These grants do not apply for families with older children needing a surgery - children must be fully admitted to a hospital for a period of time.
Mission statement
The Eden Calhoun Charitable Fund, Inc.'s mission is to provide support to distressed families who have children that are diagnosed with a rare birth defect called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). The primary purpose is to provide financial aid for families who need to relocate cities for hospitals that give specific CDH care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Expenses that will be dispersed may be used for, but not limited to, parking fees at hospital garages, relocation fees for temporary living situations, and meal stipends.
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The Eden Calhoun Charitable Fund, Inc. is a registered Non-Profit Corporation in the State of Alabama and an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization (EIN #92-0959177). All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of applicable law.
Questions? Contact us:
Address
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Florence, AL 35630