When Shae T’Lane Penner was born in 1982, her parents Jim and Elaine Penner were told that she had Turner syndrome and that she needed an immediate tracheostomy in order to breath and a feeding tub for nutrition. In addition, she would never walk, talk, or eat by mouth. Facing grim news and a 180 day hospital stay along with 3 other girls at home, Jim and Elaine began to pray.

While she was faced with many challenges, over time Shae defied all odds. Shae had a contageous smile. She loved more than anything to meet new people and learn how she could pray for them. She also wanted to see their keys. She would then send Elaine on a hunt for a matching keychain. While she had a collection of hundreds of keychains, she also made just as many friends. You could not help but smile when you met Shae.

Shae was my youngest sister, but she taught me so much about how simple it is to care for others. As our family considers how we might be able to serve others, we want to do it in a way that honors Shae and her love for Jesus. We are excited to launch the Shae T’Lane Foundation to do just that.

For Him,

Erin Bernett (Shae’s Big Sis)