Our Story

Carrie and Carl Adams grew up, went to school and were married in 2003 in Michigan. They always dreamed of having a family. Their first daughter, Emily, was born in 2006. Several years later, they tried again and were blessed in 2011 with Avery. 

In utero, the couple believed their daughter was fighting a rare heart condition. In fact, she was battling something much more severe called VACTREL syndrome which went undiagnosed until she arrived 3 weeks early. VACTREL stands for Vertebrae, Anal, Cardiac, Trachea, Renal, Esophagus and Limb issues. Avery had all but the limb issues. 

Once she arrived, she needed immediate surgery to repair her esophagus and trachea and connect them so she could thrive. A feeding tube was also put in place while she healed in the NICU for 1 month. 

She then was able to continue to grow at home in anticipation of her December heart surgery at University of Michigan. She had 2 consecutive surgeries to attempt to repair her heart but unfortunately they were ultimately unsuccessful. The family made the difficult decision to choose hospice in April of 2012 and Avery continued to fight and earned her nickname “Av the Brave”. 

The extended family visited with her often and she was always in someone’s arms. Until her very last breath she was loved by the nurses, doctors, staff and all of her family and friends. 

We know how hard it is to lose a child and the importance of building memories at the end. We felt that love with meals, lodging, child care for siblings, and trips to bond as a family. We want the opportunity to share it with others. 

The Avery Faith Foundation was created in honor of 10 month old Avery Faith Adams, who passed away in June of 2012 of a rare syndrome VACTREL and complications of CHD.

The funds will be used to help families with costs associated with day trips to leave the hospital, end of life family pictures, shadow boxes for final mementos, and or family requested financial needs just to name a few. We will share a list of families we've helped with their on-going needs using your dollars.