Why September 1 Means So Much: Together for Annie

Today is September 1.

For most people, it simply marks the beginning of a new month. For our family, September 1 will always carry a much deeper meaning.

Three years ago today, on September 1, 2023, Matt underwent emergency surgery for five bowel perforations. He was incredibly sick, and we came very close to losing him.

The surgery saved his life, but it also changed our lives. Matt came home with a colostomy, and because of the amount of damage and scar tissue, that change became permanent. We had to learn how to move forward with a life that looked very different from the one we had before.

There are parts of that time that are still difficult to think about. Looking back at the pictures reminds me just how sick he really was and how close we came to a very different outcome.

But those pictures also remind me of something else.

They remind me of how many people prayed for us.

When a Community Shows Up

At that time, many people in Bladen County did not really know us. We were not from here, and we had not spent years building relationships with everyone who reached out. But that did not stop people from caring.

Churches prayed. Friends prayed. People we had never met prayed. Our names were shared with prayer groups in Bladen County and far beyond it. People checked on us, sent messages, offered help and reminded us that we were not walking through it alone.

Some people prepared food and brought meals to our family. That meant more than they probably realized.

Sarah was at home trying to manage everything on her own while I spent as much time as I could at the hospital with Matt. Bringing a meal gave her one less thing to worry about and helped care for our family when I could not be there to do it myself.

We received a few financial gifts, and we were grateful for every act of kindness, but money was not what we needed most at that time. It was the prayers, the meals, the messages, the love and the people who simply showed up.

It was knowing that people who did not owe us anything chose to stand beside us anyway.

They could not fix what had happened to Matt. They could not take away the pain or change what our future would look like. But they could pray. They could bring food. They could reach out. They could remind us that we were seen, loved and carried by a community of people who believed in helping when someone was hurting.

Three years later, Matt is still here.

I do not take that sentence lightly.

God was merciful to our family, and He used the prayers and kindness of so many people to help carry us through one of the hardest seasons of our lives.

That is a large part of why I feel so strongly about helping Annie and her family now.

Why We Are Standing With Annie

Annie is fighting an aggressive germ cell yolk sac tumor. It is a type of cancer I had never heard of before learning about her diagnosis.

Her family has faced surgery, chemotherapy, hospital stays and all the fear and uncertainty that come with watching a little girl fight something so serious.

I know that our situations are not the same. I would never pretend to understand exactly what Annie’s parents are feeling.

But I do understand how much it means to know that people are praying. I understand how powerful it is when a community decides that a family will not walk through something alone.

When I learned what Annie and her family were facing, I kept thinking about what it felt like when our own world changed so suddenly. I remembered the people who showed up for us, including people who barely knew us or did not know us at all.

Their kindness stayed with me.

As Christians, we are called to do more than simply notice when someone is hurting.

Galatians 6:2 tells us to “carry one another’s burdens.”

We cannot carry every burden, and we cannot solve every problem. But when God places an opportunity to help directly in front of us, we can choose to respond.

Sometimes helping means giving financially. Sometimes it means preparing a meal, sending a message, sharing a post or stopping long enough to pray.

Most of the time, it means using whatever God has already placed in our hands.

For me, that is Udderly Eclucktic Coffee Co.

I may not be able to change what Annie’s family is facing, but I can use this business and the things I create to help lighten a small part of their burden.

That is why I created the Together for Annie Collection.

The Meaning Behind the Designs

Every part of the collection was chosen with purpose.

The gold ribbon represents childhood cancer awareness. It honors the strength and courage found in children like Annie and the families standing beside them.

The Hope in Bloom design uses flowers, warm gold and bright pink to represent hope continuing to grow, even during the hardest seasons. Flowers can push through difficult ground, and I wanted this design to reflect beauty, faith and hope in the middle of the fight.

The Standing Strong design uses gold, black, green and gray for a simpler and more neutral look. The message is still the same.

Annie is not standing alone.

Her family is not standing alone.

Our community is standing with them.

The collection includes clothing for adults and children, leggings, shorts, hats, hair accessories, mugs, bottles, candles, decals, golf towels and other items. I wanted to include different products and price points so more people would have an opportunity to participate.

How the September Fundraiser Works

The Together for Annie fundraiser officially begins today, September 1, and continues through September 30.

During September, 10% of every direct website sale will be donated to the Inman family.

You do not have to purchase something from Annie’s collection for your order to help. Coffee, tea, mugs, gifts, apparel, brew gear and everything else purchased directly through our website are included.

Purchases from the Together for Annie Collection will provide an additional donation to the family.

If you cannot make a purchase, you can still help by sharing the collection and fundraiser with others.

Most importantly, please continue praying for Annie, her family, her doctors and everyone caring for her.

Three Years Later

Three years ago today, people showed up for us.

Some prayed. Some sent messages. Some brought food. Some offered financial help. Many of them did not know us personally. They simply saw a family facing something frightening, and they chose to care.

I have never forgotten that.

Today, on the anniversary of the day God spared Matt’s life, I cannot think of a more meaningful way to honor what others did for us than to turn around and help another family who needs a community standing beside them.

This is not just about selling shirts, coffee or gifts.

It is about taking what God has placed in our hands and using it to love someone else.

Our Community. Her Fight. Together for Annie.

Shop the Together for Annie Collection and the September fundraiser at:

udderlyecluckticcoffee.com