Dream Foundation to Grant Dying Houston Woman’s Final Dream for Galveston Thanksgiving with Family and Friends
Dream Foundation—the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness—will fulfill Deborah Martin’s dream to share Thanksgiving dinner with those she loves during a family reunion at the beach.
The 52-year-old Houston resident—who will be staying in Galveston with her family the week of Thanksgiving—is facing a prognosis of six months or less in her battle with autoimmune hepatitis. With doctor’s appointments, treatments and mounting medical bills, she was unable to bring her large family together for the holiday without help.
On Thursday, November 27, Dream Foundation will provide the fixings for a Thanksgiving feast for Martin and 23 relatives. The group will begin preparing their meal at approximately 12 p.m. Press is invited to attend. The location is 3118 Ave S, Galveston, Texas 77550. According to Martin,
Thanksgiving—especially this year—holds special significance for her. “This year it falls on my mom’s death anniversary,” she writes in an application letter to Dream Foundation. “Mom was my best friend in the world. She died the Saturday after Thanksgiving and ever since her death, this holiday has not been the same. My father is turning 80 this year and it would make me happy if he could see that our family is close once more.”
A hospice patient, Martin says she contracted hepatitis C from the multiple blood transfusions she received during the birth of her eldest son in the 1980s. She says her health has deteriorated significantly in the last three years.
“There is not much more I can do to ‘fix’ what is wrong with me,” she continues in her application letter. “I do not want my family to reunite at my funeral; I want to experience life with them. I crave another look at the ocean, to feel the breeze and walk on the sand with my bare feet. I need the loving support of my family around my sons and me. I want my sons to know that they will have a support system when the time comes in their lives when I will no longer be around.”
According to Dream Foundation Executive Director Kisa Heyer, Martin’s dream to come together with her family for the holiday perfectly conveys the simplicity of many requests the foundation receives. “A dream for an adult is often a humble request,” Heyer says. “At the end of the day it’s about gathering with loved ones over a special meal, spending a special holiday together.”