Children's Palliative Care
Coalition of Michigan
Our mission is to provide resources for, and to advocate for, medical professionals, volunteers and families caring for children with life-limiting illnesses, and to ensure the availability of compassionate, comprehensive care across the State of Michigan.
Children’s Palliative Care Coalition of Michigan
Supporting Mood Lifters Program for Parents of Seriously Ill Children
Fundraising/Auction Link: https://moodlifters.com/events/
Proceeds from this art fundraiser/auction will enable the Mood Lifters program to be offered to parents of special needs children from all over Michigan. This beautiful glass was created by the late Don Schneider of Plymouth MI, donated to Mood LIfters by his wife Gabielle Lucci.*
In Michigan today there are hundreds of children with medical complexity. Their lives involve multiple daily medications, complicated equipment to keep them stable, and many visits each month to doctors and therapists.
Parents and caregivers of these special needs kids expend incredible energy to keep things as good as possible. Time to care for themselves is hard to find. Stress builds over years. Anxiety and depression become common for these parents who cannot find the time or resources to get help for themselves.
The Mood Lifters 15-week program was modified to fill this need for these parents. Unlike traditional support groups, each one-hour, weekly group meeting teaches and reinforces evidence-based skills that help to improve coping and decrease stress. Groups are led by parents who have also walked in these shoes.
Over 70 parents in SE Michigan have already participated in the on-line Mood Lifters program and have reported great benefit.
*About the Artist
Donald J. Schneider was born in Detroit in 1949 and received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from EMU in 1972. While teaching music at the Friends School in Detroit, Don was challenged by the head glassblower at Greenfield Village to try glass blowing. He quickly became fascinated with the magical medium. After years of mastering the craft, he established "The Glassworks" studio and gallery in downtown Plymouth where he created his art and offered classes. Don especially loved introducing students to the wonders of molten glass and the possibilities of this ancient art form.
His passion lives on in his remaining pieces, which have been generously donated to Mood Lifters by his wife, Gabrielle Lucci, to support the mental wellness programs for two populations desperately in need of mental health resources; lower-income young adults and parents of children in palliative care.
Get a head start on your holiday or birthday shopping with beautiful glass
Visit the auction site to shop Don’s beautiful work at this link