10/10/2026
We are the Founding Family, the Bynum family ~ affectionately known as the
Our princess in the middle is Tessa Rayne. She was born in 2010 and diagnosed a few months after birth with Congenital CMV. This virus changed her life, but by no means, rules or defines her life. She is absolute joy and light. Tessa is nonverbal. She moves around her environment being carried, or pushed in her wheelchair. She hears the world around her with her bilateral cochlear implants and she sees a bit better with her glasses. Brain damage caused by calcifications from the virus resulted in spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and intractable epilepsy.
Isolation is one of the biggest hurdles we consistently try to overcome as a family. Emotional, mental, physical and financial exhaustion threaten our efforts at times. We know our struggles may be a little different, but we know struggling is in no way unique to our family.
Tessa absolutely loves time with family and friends ~ I think if she could tell us, she'd say there's nothing better. We believe God made us for relationships. We believe He designed us for community and connections. We are on this nonprofit adventure to help coordinate opportunities within our community by creating simple gatherings that allow for time to enjoy yummy food, loads of fun, and meaningful conversation and connections.
Suffering is real and unfortunately our struggles can creep in and further separate us, but we are believing that we can come together and help shoulder each other's burdens by fostering relationships within our communities.
It won't be perfect, but it could be beautiful. And if there's anything that my little girl has taught me ~ it's to move through life, a moment at a time, persevering through the things that try and stand in the way of our joy 🩶
