Formally established in late December 2008, the Reflections Of Grace Foundation is the result of nearly a year of deliberation, discussion and planning. After the death of their five year old daughter Grace Elizabeth on Valentine’s Day 2008 to a particularly virulent form of brain cancer, co-founders Tamara and Brian Ekis decided to channel their grief in a positive way by establishing an organization devoted to making a difference. The foundations’s name, Reflections Of Grace, signifies the effect their daughter had on the lives of those she touched over the course of her short life. As its mission, the Reflections Of Grace Foundation is dedicated to:
--Providing financial, emotional, and educational support for children and their families affected by pediatric brain cancer.
--Raising awareness of all types of pediatric brain tumors, with a particular focus on Diffuse Instrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs), or Brainstem Gliomas
--Joining with other like-minded organizations in educating, aiding and funding the search for a cure for DIPG and other forms of pediatric brain cancer, in the hope of curing all cancers.
The foundation was officially approved as an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization in March 2009. Through various benefit events, fundraising programs, merchandise sales, and direct donations, the foundation continues to work diligently with the aim of fulfilling its mission.