Triumph through Tears

By Dorothy Post

In the spring 1986, Terri and Jeff Olson prepared for the arrival of their first child.  They dreamed happily about the baby and the idyllic life they would share.

Reality, however, turned out to be quite different.  Shortly after his birth, their son underwent emergency life-saving surgery.  By the time Joshua was three years old, physicians determined that his primary problem was Pseudo-Obstruction syndrome.  No child had survived this gastrointestinal disorder beyond age six.

Terri and Jeff’s dreams may have died that day, but not their hope and faith.  Soldiers of Norridge Citadel, Illinois, they possess unwavering faith in Christ.  They instilled that same faith in Joshua and in Taylor, his younger sister.

In 1999, 12-year-old Josh reached the end of a lifelong struggle with illness when he was promoted to Glory.  For much of life he had been unable to eat, instead receiving his nutrition through a central line to his heart.  He spent almost as much time in hospitals as at home and endured two unsuccessful transplants.  Yet, remarkably, he was a happy, winsome child.  Jeff describes Josh as “living life to the fullest, waking up every day with a smile and asking, “What are we doing?” and “Where are we going?”

Josh’s sunny outlook was no accident.  “Jeff and Terri worked hard to provide a normal kind of life for him,” observes Commissioner Harold Hinson ®, former Central territorial commander.  “I saw that in the things they allowed him to do.  They did everything to help Josh do what 11 and 12-year-old boys do.”

What Josh loved most, says Jeff, was “hunting, fishing, camping and being outdoors.  He wanted to be outside every waking moment.”  It was no small feat to arrange adventures that involved a vanload of medical equipment.  Some of his doctors worried about the risks involved, but Jeff explains, “We wanted Josh to live a full life.  We would rather have had something happen while we were having fun than while we were sitting at home.”

Over a year after Josh’s death, Terri testifies that, “although we lost Josh, he had a victorious ending to his life.  And we know that we’ve got hope in Christ that we are going to see him again on that glorious day when we are reunited in Christ’s presence.”

Their faith has served as an example for many.  Commissioner Hinson remarks, “Terri and Jeff do not blame God, but thank Him for the years they had with Josh.  Jeff, Terri, and Taylor have shown strength, faith, courage and stamina you don’t see often.  It has certainly had an impact on me.”

Strong as their faith is, it does not eliminate sorrow or pain.  The Olsons continue to mourn the loss of their beloved son.  But in the midst of their grief, new dreams have been born.  They dream of ways to keep the memory of Josh, his faith and courage, alive.  They dream of using their experiences to help others.  “God has had us in training for 12 years,” Jeff says.  “Josh trained us to help somebody.  I don’t know who or where they are, but we’ve been trained to help special needs kids enjoy life.”

And so, on Josh’s birthday the first year after his death, Terri and Jeff invited family and close friends to a party.  There they unveiled plans to turn their dreams into reality.  The result is Josh’s Hope Foundation, whose mission is to be “a Christian organization devoted to aiding special needs kids to enjoy the great outdoors.”

“There are 100 other things a foundation could do, and maybe 99 of them are more important than helping kids have fun,” says Jeff.  “But Josh was about doing things that no other kid had done before.  SO we want to help kids do what others can do and not be tied to a wheelchair or a bed.”

Board member Marge Homer recognizes how important this opportunity can be for special needs children.  “The foundation will open up the world for young people with disabilities,” she explains.

The foundation began, according to Jeff, with “a whole lot of nothing, and we have seen the doors God is opening for us.”  It is now officially incorporated in the State of Illinois with tax-exempt status.  A board of directors is in place and hard at work.  A database of “Josh’s Friends” is growing.  These volunteers offer their waterways, land, cottages, equipment or their services as wilderness guides to make an outdoor adventure possible.  A donated pontoon boat is being converted into a moveable duck blind that will allow wheelchair access.

A playground for the Central territory’s Camp Wonderland is the first major project for Josh’s Hope.  “Josh loved Camp Wonderland,” remembers Terri.  “He was there for music camp and the Central territory music institute.  But it didn’t have a playground that is handicapped-equipped.”  Beginning in the summer of 2001, the many special needs children who attend the camp will be able to enjoy a playground designed for them.  A brick walkway, Josh’s Walk of Faith, will lead to the playground.  Many people have become part of this project by buying bricks and personalizing them with a family or loved one’s name.

While the foundation’s stated purpose is to provide outdoor experiences for special needs children, Terri and Jeff recognize related ministries as equally vital.  Terri is especially drawn to helping families of special needs children cope with a lifestyle that can be devastating.  She and Jeff became skilled and determined advocates for Josh with schools, insurance companies, medical professionals and state and other public aid agencies.  She is eager to share her hard-won expertise with parents in similar circumstances.

This summer, the foundation also instituted the Joshua Olson Honor Award at the Metropolitan divisional music camp.  Such honors are usually awarded on the basis of musical excellence.  But, says Terri, “This award is for the child who shows the most faith in God, hope in Christ and courage,” attributes that characterized Josh.

Beyond everything else, the Olsons have one overarching goal: that the foundation’s activities will present opportunities to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to special needs children.  That hope sustained Josh throughout his life and gave him great joy.

He discovered, as his parents and sister have, that nothing-not sickness, not sorrow, not even death-can destroy hope that is rooted in the love of God.

Josh's Hope Foundation is a not for profit 501 (c) 3 organization and does not discriminate against any type of disability, race, gender or religion.