Help Us Give My Mom the Trip of a Lifetime!
I’m creating this GoFundMe with a full heart and a very special dream: to give my mom the opportunity to attend The Fall Retreat in Amelia Island, Florida (September 25–27) and meet someone who has profoundly changed her life… Hoda Kotb.
This retreat is described as an intimate weekend with Hoda, alongside a curated roster of inspiring people, world-class experts, and research-backed wellness practices designed to create a meaningful shift in mood, energy, and daily life.
I truly cannot think of anyone who deserves this experience more than my mom.
This is something she would never ask for and never spend this kind of money on herself for, which is exactly why I’m here asking for help.
If you know my mom, then you know she is one of the most selfless, compassionate, and genuinely kind people you could ever meet. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She is the kind of person who always puts everyone else first, constantly showing up for others without expecting anything in return.
What makes her strength even more extraordinary is everything she has endured. My mom has been living with two inoperable brain tumors for several years.
Even through the unimaginable physical, emotional, and mental challenges that come with that diagnosis, she has continued to face life with incredible grace, strength, and positivity. She refuses to let her circumstances define her. Instead, she continues to choose hope, joy, and faith… even on the hardest days.
And one of the biggest sources of that hope has been Hoda Kotb.
Hoda’s words, her story, her books, and the positivity she brings into the world have been a true light in my mom’s life. Her message has helped carry my mom through some of her darkest and most difficult moments.
Her books are not just books to my mom, they are a source of comfort, strength, and healing.
In fact, my mom’s copy is filled with countless sticky notes, highlighted pages, and marked passages with words she returns to again and again when she needs encouragement, perspective, or hope. Those words have helped her keep going.
And what says everything about who my mom is… she doesn’t keep that comfort to herself. Whenever she sees someone struggling or walking through a difficult season, she buys them Hoda’s book and gives it to them, hoping those same words will help someone else feel seen, comforted, and uplifted.
That’s who she is.
Even while carrying so much herself, she continues to pour into others.
I wish with everything in me that I could fully pay for this trip on my own and give this gift to her myself. Unfortunately, that just isn’t possible for me right now.
So I’m asking for help.
My dream is to surprise my mom with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to attend The Fall Retreat, spend an intimate weekend learning, healing, and growing, and most importantly, meet the woman who has inspired her through some of the hardest years of her life.
This fundraiser would help cover:
Retreat registration
Airfare/travel expenses
Hotel accommodations
Meals and related travel costs
I want to give her something joyful.
Something healing.
Something uplifting.
Something just for her.
She has spent so much of her life caring for others, encouraging others, and carrying others through difficult seasons.
Now I want to give something back to her. If you feel moved to donate whether it’s $1, $5, $20, or anything at all, it would mean more than words can express. Every contribution brings us one step closer to making this dream a reality. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser would mean the world.
Most importantly, please keep this a surprise. She has absolutely no idea I’m doing this, and I would love nothing more than to somehow pull this off and give her a moment of pure joy.
Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me try to give one of the most deserving women I know a truly unforgettable gift.
Thank you for helping us bring hope, joy, and light to someone who has spent her life giving exactly that to everyone around her.
