Mother’s Day. Family and friends gathered from near and far to celebrate all that it means to be a mother — even through the most difficult times that a parent can endure. Together with their community of faith, the Anderson family stood in front of their church family at Salem United Methodist Church to dedicate the newly renovated nursery space in honor of their son, “Warrior William,” their sweet angel who fought a brave and courageous fight against childhood cancer.

This nursery renovation has been many months in the making, and its completion was truly a labor of love. After William went to Heaven, his parents, Ashley and Cory, knew that they wanted to do something at the church to memorialize him. After a few months, pastor Gary Phillips and Director of Creative Ministries Tina Overton approached the Andersons with the idea of redoing the nursery. Not only was there a need for the space to be updated, but the nursery was also where William spent most of his time while at Salem, so it seemed like the perfect way to honor his memory.

In January, after lots of planning, Cory and Ashley presented their plan to the trustees of Salem, who approved the plan right away. As with all construction projects, things did not go exactly according to plan, but once the contractor was in place to move the room’s bathroom, work was finally under way. No part of the space went untouched — they moved walls, replaced flooring, installed cabinets, built shelving, painted, and acquired new furniture and toys for the children. The renovation was a family effort, too — in addition to putting in long hours herself, Ashley’s parents Bill and Claressa Poppell poured their time and talents into the space as well. Ashley’s vision for the space was for it to be open, clean, and functional, and those goals absolutely come through in the function of the newly-designed space. It is truly, truly beautiful and a wonderful gift to the children of Salem!

To the Anderson and Poppell families — thank you so much for your vision and hard work in transforming this space for the children of Salem United Methodist! I truly cannot think of a better way to honor the memory of your sweet William, and it touches my heart knowing that his name will live on in this space and through the children who are nurtured there for years to come. Much love and big hugs to all of you!