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Meet Your Neighbor: Meet The Neighbor – Carrie Ostrea
By Callie Thomas
“Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” – Author Unknown
It is said that everything happens for a reason. People come into our lives to serve a purpose, teach a lesson, help us figure out who we are or affect our life in some profound way. For 89052 resident Carrie Ostrea, many have come into her life and have made an indelible impact: her husband Robert, their children Ethan and Abigail, and their miracle child, Little Miss Hannah.
When Carrie and Robert first married 15 years ago, they discovered they were unable to have children and decided to adopt. Ethan was their first and Abigail came next. About four years ago, the couple was surprised to learn that Carrie had become pregnant. On July 25th, 2008 Hannah was born. The family celebrated their joyous arrival until their newborn daughter, just one day old, landed in the neonatal intensive care unit as doctors began to run a succession of tests. Many, many visits to specialists later, they discovered that Hannah suffered from a rare illness known as Neuronopathic Gaucher’s Disease, a life-limiting genetic metabolic disorder.
The couple began an un-ending search for every expert, scientist and researcher in the country to find answers and a cure, of which there is none. Their little Hannah was given a life expectancy of nine months. Hannah made a profound impact on the lives of the Ostrea family, their friends and those she encountered for the following three years until she succumbed to the disease on December 4th of last year. Working through their grief, Carrie Ostrea and her family have found a way to not only honor their young daughter’s life, but also help other families with children diagnosed with terminal illnesses through a foundation called Little Miss Hannah.
You and your family have been through an incredible life journey. Even moving here a couple of years ago was a feat?
“Yes, we moved here from Houston, Texas in order to find work after my husband lost his job and to be near family who lives in Vegas. My husband and the older kids drove across country to Vegas with two dogs and our cat, while Hannah was hospitalized in Texas for 42 days. She and I medi-flighted to Sunrise Children’s Hospital.”
How did the Little Miss Hannah Foundation (LMHF) come to fruition?
“After Hannah passed away, I made a promise to her that what she had lived through and what she taught us would not be in vain.”
How does the organization help others?
“When you have a child with a terminal diagnosis, it is such a difficult lifestyle – emotionally, financially, physically and all around. We learned so much during Hannah’s journey, so we hope we can make it just a bit easier for families to focus on the quality time they have left with their child and give their other children, the siblings, special attention because they too live with the loss of their brother or sister.”
Tell us about the Little Miss Hannah Foundation launch event.
“The launch of Little Miss Hannah Foundation was held this past July 25th, which would have been Hannah’s fourth birthday. The event was called Rainbows to the Sky. It helped create awareness for the foundation as well as other rare childhood diseases. Funds raised are going towards providing support and comfort for families who are faced with losing a child. We can’t change their inevitability, but we can help them focus on enhancing the quality time they have with their ill child. There was music, activities, raffles and a balloon release to honor those that have died. It was a difficult yet inspiring day for me and my family.”
How has LMHF helped you personally through your grief?
“I miss Hannah every day. I need to do something positive that will help me find a reason for Hannah to have gone through what she did and make a change in our community.”
For more information on the foundation, visit www.littlemisshannah.org.
