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HOPE & JOY from Austin Corp is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to enhance the lives of medically and developmentally complex children and their families in Central Indiana.
We operate in the following areas of giving:
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Pre-owned durable equipment & adaptive toys
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Caregiver support
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Local resources (page under construction)
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About Us
HOPE & JOY from Austin Corp was created shortly after our Founder unexpectedly lost her 15-year-old son, Austin, on June 25, 2024. Austin had a unique chromosome deletion which was not discovered until shortly after birth. As a result, he had a myriad of secondary developmental challenges including cerebral palsy, deafness, cortical visual impairment, non-verbal and failure to thrive (g-tube fed). With significant medical challenges much of his life and an inability to verbalize, many hours were dedicated to theorizing and researching possible causes.
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Our Founder was dedicated to ensuring Austin became the best version of himself by finding the ideal therapists and therapy centers for his unique self along with creating hour-by-hour schedules for feedings, therapies and medications. With this, Austin progressed slowly but did learn to sit unsupported and walk with assistance, which led to his longevity and quality of life.
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Despite his challenges, Austin led a joyful life. He exuded benevolent love for all he encountered and brightened the lives of everyone he met with his joyous halo of smiles, loving pats of arms and contagion of belly laughs. Never having met a stranger, Austin loved community outings with his family, school and nurses. Our Founder learned so much from Austin and felt called to assist other medically and developmentally challenged children and families with the knowledge she gained.
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The organization understands the challenges of raising children like Austin in a world that was not designed for them. Between finding the ideal resources, cost of specialized equipment and therapies, and ADA laws which don’t fully cover needs, caregivers and families can become overwhelmed. Inspired by the learnings of raising Austin, we are dedicated to helping families with these challenges in hopes of carrying forward his joyful spirit.
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Our Founder
​Laura Fuquay founded HOPE & JOY from Austin Corp shortly after her beloved son passed in memory of his joyful spirit. She is married to Jered Fuquay and has 2 other children. Throughout Austin's life, she held employment in accounting, finance and strategy by finding ways to balance the demands of her career with the caring for her son and family. Laura has a solid history of successful advocacy, creative solution design and execution, and organization of complex challenges. In March of 2024, she graduated from a 200-hour yoga teacher training program and found her strength and healing following Austin's death from her faith and yoga practice. Laura is passionate about sharing her learnings, skills and heart to assist medically and developmentally complex children and their families in living their best lives.
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Our Board of Directors
​HOPE & JOY from Austin Corp is currently seeking volunteer board members who will bring diverse perspectives and skills to provide fiduciary oversight and governance. Specifically, we are seeking professionals in legal, finance and marketing. If you are interested in being a part of our organization, please send your resume and short summary of how your experience will benefit our mission. HopeJoy4SpecialKids@gmail.com.
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