At Tendercare, we believe every child deserves to be seen, supported, and celebrated for exactly who they are. Some stories remind us not only of why we do what we do, but also of the incredible strength found in love, family, and faith.
Meet Israel Gagnon, a 14-year-old from Winona Lake, Indiana, who lives with Spina Bifida and a whole lot of heart.
Israel’s joy is contagious. He loves his family, his small-town community, and, of course, Elvis Presley. At home, you can find him singing into his karaoke machine, belting out Elvis tunes, or playing in the yard with his siblings. “A good day is a day that we have family and friends over,” says his mom, Stacey. “Israel loves people and he is very loved by his family and friends.”
Finding Family and Healing Through Love
When Stacey and her husband first met Israel, he was almost five years old but the size of a one-year-old. He had lived in a Bulgarian orphanage, confined to a crib and given only liquid meals. He had never been outside.
“Israel was the size of a 1-year-old at the age of almost 5,” Stacey recalls. “He had no language other than shrieking and nonsense sounds. He had rarely been held or touched. Until we picked him up, he had never been outside.”
When the Gagnons brought Israel home to Indiana, he began to heal—slowly, safely, and surrounded by love. “We didn’t know if he would survive because of the lack of medical care to address his spina bifida needs. But also starvation was a big thing. His lack of food and basic human care made it very hard,” Stacey shared. “He screamed a lot and was almost feral. It was months and months of providing safety before he began to trust us.”
With patience, therapy, and constant love, Israel learned to eat, to trust, and to thrive. His parents kept a basket of food available at all times to help ease his fear of hunger. “It was endless hours of teaching him to chew and swallow,” Stacey said. “We concentrated on providing therapies without therapists. We had been foster parents to medically fragile infants for years, so we used techniques we had learned along the way.”
Small Steps and Proud Moments
Today, Israel’s progress is measured not by milestones, but by moments. Stacey explains, “One of the biggest battles with raising a child with a disability is learned helplessness. Oftentimes the ‘help’ given handicaps more than the disability. The proud moments are the ones that he attempts to do hard things. I didn’t say ‘accomplishes’ because it often takes many tries before success. I am always so proud of all the attempts.”
Israel’s faith has also become central to his story. “Israel knows Jesus,” Stacey said. “He understands that he will one day walk and run and jump. This is the most important gift that we can give him; a knowing faith in a creator that loves him.”
A Family Supported by Care
When Israel’s medical needs became more complex, Stacey, who is a registered nurse, had to make the difficult decision to leave her full-time job as a CEO to care for him at home. “This was difficult financially,” she explained, “but being able to stay home and provide his nursing care has helped us manage this. If I cannot work, our nonprofit would close, and we would be in a very bad place financially.”
Home nursing and flexible supports have been vital to keeping Israel safe and stable. Stacey says the biggest challenge is often the isolation that comes with caring for a medically complex child. “Even though we have a loving community, we are basically homebound,” she said. “Taking him into the community has become exhausting for him and for us. How do you best support a family like ours? Every family is different, but for us, we are so grateful for the frozen meals, the porch sitting with friends after the kids are in bed, the encouraging texts, and the funny memes. It’s just the desire to not be forgotten.”
Her honesty is raw and real. “I love my son, and there are days that I want to run away from the hard. Two things can be true at the same time. There’s this tension of guilt and grief that pulls at parents with complex kids. I have had to learn to grieve the life I wanted, while walking alongside my child as he grieves the life he desires. This is what I wish people understood.”
Lost Sparrows: Advocacy Born from Compassion
Out of Israel’s experience came a movement of hope. Stacey and her husband founded Lost Sparrows, an Indiana-based nonprofit that works to empower and equip families, caregivers, and communities to love, nurture, and protect vulnerable children—especially those impacted by trauma, neglect, or institutional care.
Lost Sparrows focuses on advocacy and education for families caring for children who have experienced early adversity, particularly those with medical complexities. Their work helps communities understand what these children need to thrive, both emotionally and physically.
As Stacey explains, “Lost Sparrows was born out of what we saw and experienced with Israel. Medically complex children in impoverished countries often have no access to care. We once watched an elderly grandmother carry her 15-year-old grandchild with Spina Bifida up several flights of stairs because there was no support available. That image has never left me.”
To learn more or get involved, visit lostsparrows.org and consider attending their annual conference to help build awareness and support for families like the Gagnons.
Looking Ahead
Israel’s health has declined recently, and his family is focused on making every day meaningful. “We created a bucket list as he was moved to palliative care,” Stacey shared. At the top of that list was a trip to Graceland. Israel loves Elvis, and this week, he and his family are traveling to Tennessee to visit the home of The King. He’ll even be wearing his Elvis costume and getting a special haircut to match.
“We planned this trip knowing it would take a toll on his body,” Stacey said. “So we’re doing our best to provide this trip and balance the medical needs that will come with it.”
When asked what message Israel would want to share with the world, Stacey didn’t hesitate. “Israel exudes love and joy. I think his message has been that every child, every human is worthy of love. And most importantly, that Jesus loves you.”
We'd be lucky to have you join our family.
Tendercare is honored to walk alongside families like the Gagnons, who remind us every day that love, perseverance, and faith can create something truly extraordinary.
