County's 'town' spirit helps parents of baby with heart defect

There's a reason why no matter how old or how big Chicago gets, its inhabitants far and wide still refer to it affectionately as a "town."

The city's outlying areas, like our own Lake County, enjoy the same type of repute and with good reason: because Illinoisans doggedly insist on this small-town feel despite the ever-present thrust of progress.

We prefer to use terms like "folks," and "neighborly." To us these concepts are still current and vital to our everyday existence, and we go to great lengths to come together as a community to ensure that they stay that way.

Case in point: When 8-month-old Autumn, daughter of Leslie and Tim Hasbrouck of Libertyville, was born with the congenital heart defect known as tetralogy of Fallot, their immediate community, from their neighbors to their church, embraced their ordeal as their own.

At the tender age of just 3 months, Autumn required open-heart surgery to try to correct the birth defect.

"This was a buying of some time for Autumn and, although she is expected to live a full life, we know now that there are multiple surgeries ahead of her to continually help her as she grows," said her father, Tim, 42.

Her parents spent the first four months of her life taking shifts by her bedside in the pediatric intensive care unit of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

"When Autumn went back into the hospital for the long stretch, we became keenly aware that, 'Oh my God, Tim isn't able to go to work, Leslie isn't able to go to work,'" said neighbor Justine Gallup who, along with her husband, Liam, organized a meal program in which neighbors took turns cooking dinners for the Hasbroucks.

"Then in a brainstorm on a Saturday night, as all the neighbors were sitting around, we got out big, white, 5-gallon buckets and just started passing them around (for donations)," said Gallup. They brought the buckets to their kids' softball games, soccer games, and marched them up and down the streets of the neighborhood.

They got donations in bills and small change, from people who knew of the Hasbroucks' plight, and from those who had never heard of them.

"Over $1,000 came in change, which really speaks to how even the kids chipped in by emptying out their piggy banks," said Gallup.

"My wife and I are just blown away by all the support," said Tim Hasbrouck, with emotion in his voice.

"I was born and raised in Libertyville, and the outpouring of support and love, and the care that they've shown us, takes my breath away."

The community's support translated into three months' worth of assistance for the Hasbroucks.

"It kept us from losing our home and, when the bills kept coming, it helped to get out from under them and keep moving forward," Tim said.

In addition to the community, the Hasbroucks' congregation -- Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Libertyville -- has been a vital source of support.

"In just the first eight months of Autumn's life, the costs of her care have become astronomical," said Bob Davis, Holy Cross' pastor.

So a few weeks ago, when the church received three truckloads of imported china and other brand-new kitchen items as a donation, Davis decided to sell these pieces in an effort to help the family.

On Friday and Saturday, Holy Cross is holding a warehouse benefit sale with all proceeds going to Autumn Hasbrouck. In addition, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will be matching funds up to $5500.

"In doing so, we offer much-needed support to this precious child and her parents, and provide strength to meet her future medical needs," said Davis.

Despite the hardships, the Hasbroucks believe it is their mission in life now to help other families going through similar ordeals.

"Everything happens for a reason," said Leslie Hasbrouck, 40.

And, "Above all, know that you are not alone. There is help out there," added Tim.

For more information on the benefit sale, call Holy Cross Lutheran Church at (847) 367-4060, or visit the Web site, www.holycrosschurch.org.