“FoundCare is like a family to me. They don’t just know my medical history. They know my hopes and dreams, too.”

 By the time I had looked up and noticed David, he was already less than a yard away, so, even if I had wanted to ignore him I wouldn’t have been able to—plus, he wore a smile on his face, and that smile, bright as ever, invited conversation. David (who preferred not to be photographed for this story) and I greeted each other and immediately began to talk about the weather (because in Florida, the weather is always the elephant in the room), and we talked about what I was doing sitting out in the sun: I was finishing my lunch. We then talked about what brought him to FoundCare’s offices that day: he was on his way to submit “some forms” to a Case Manager, and finally, about why he chooses to return to FoundCare. David offered a simple but poignant explanation: “FoundCare is like a family to me. They don’t just know my medical history. They know my hopes and dreams, too.”

 Our brief conversation ended with David sharing with me that his “big dream” is to one day own several schools and daycare centers throughout the United States. When I agreed that this was indeed a big dream, he replied: “but, even when I’m a millionaire, I’ll still be coming to FoundCare.”