Hayley’s Hope & Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund
Welcome to the Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund. Here you can learn about the fund, the Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle Walk MS team, signing up to walk with the team, and making a contribution toward the team’s fundraising goal.
The Petit family and the National MS Society, Connecticut sincerely thank participants and donors for their willingness to support this fund to help continue the work of Jennifer, Hayley, and Michaela Petit.
About Hayley’s Hope & Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund
In July 2007, after the tragic loss of Jennifer, Hayley and Michaela, the Petit family established the Hayley’s Hope & Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund at the National MS Society, Connecticut. The Petit women, who were beloved members of the Connecticut Chapter family, had been instrumental in helping to raise awareness and funds in the fight against multiple sclerosis. They were among the strongest fundraisers and most tireless volunteers.
Hayley captained the Walk MS Team Hayley’s Hope and had been named a top fundraiser for multiple years. In 2007, Hayley had planned to attend Dartmouth College and Michaela was already preparing to step into her big sister's shoes to head up her own walk team, Michaela's Miracle.
The locally-restricted memorial endowment fund continues their work, helping more than 7,400 Connecticut residents living with MS and their families. The memorial fund provides for family educational, social and recreational programs, caregiver and family support programs as well as research update events in Connecticut.
The Hayley’s Hope & Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund receives contributions from individual donors, Walk MS and Bike MS teams and those in communities across Connecticut organizing events to raise money specifically for the fund – people eager keep the memory of Jennifer, Hayley and Michaela alive and equally fervent to continue their work to create a world free of MS.
A note from the Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle Walk MS team
We've formed a team for the Cheshire, CT Walk MS—a charity walk that is changing the lives of people with MS and helping fuel progress toward a world free of MS. We'd love your generous support as we prepare for this incredible experience.
Our team, Hayley's Hope & Michaela's Miracle is named in memory of Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, to continue their important work. Their mother, Jennifer Lynn Hawke-Petit, was a pediatric nurse and lived with MS. Hayley started her Walk MS team and began fundraising at age 9, with the goal of supporting her mother and others affected by MS and someday ending MS forever. Joined by her sister Michaela, they raised over $55,000 dollars.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. MS is different for everyone, and that makes it all the more challenging to solve. The National MS Society’s Walk MS was created in 1988 and to-date has raised more than $970 million to drive groundbreaking research, providing life-changing services and guaranteeing a supportive community for those who need it most. When you participate in Walk MS, you are helping create a world free of multiple sclerosis. Together, we become a powerful force. Together, we will end MS forever. That's why we're walking.
We've set an ambitious goal because we know that with support from people like you, we will have a great chance at reaching it. The money raised will provide life-changing programs and guarantee a supportive community for those who need it most. This cause is really important to us, so we hope you can do your part to help families affected by multiple sclerosis.
Will you help us reach our goal by donating what you can?
Thank you for joining us,
Dr. William Petit, Jr. and Kim Quealy, Team Captain