12/31/2025
Dear Will King Foundation Supporters,
As we come to the end of 2025, I find myself reflecting on how far this mission has come over the past eight years and feeling deeply grateful for this community. Your prayers, generosity, and belief in the Will King Foundation continue to carry this work forward. As I look ahead to 2026, I do so with intention and purpose, and I’m excited to share our plans for the year to come.
When we began The Will King Foundation in 2018, it was a way for me to be Will's mom even though he was no longer with us on earth. It gave me a purpose to carry through grief, something to focus on during in a season of deep loss. I could never have imagined what it would grow into and how God would use it not just in my pain, but as a way to bless others. The Will King Foundation has given us the opportunity to bring children from rural African villages to Jacksonville to receive life-saving heart treatment they otherwise would not have access to. We have welcomed these children into our home, worshiped alongside them at church and shared the hope of the Gospel with families, many of whom come from deeply rooted Muslim communities. This work has become the catalyst for an incredible community here in Jacksonville, providing us with a way to serve and bless children both locally and globally, and, for me, a deeply meaningful way to glorify God through unimaginable pain while continuing to honor and remember my son, Will.
This year marked a season of transition for the Will King Foundation as we paused to reflect on our next steps. As our medical partnerships evolved, we prayerfully shifted our focus while remaining rooted in the very reason this foundation began, to support children receiving life-saving heart treatment.
In 2025, we broadened our mission and were honored to invest in our local Jacksonville community, supporting youth in places where healthy hearts are formed every day. We proudly contributed to our local little league organization and helped support a start-up middle school football team, encouraging teamwork, discipline and opportunity for children to develop through youth sports close to home.
Even as we expand our mission, our global heart mission remains deeply important to us. I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Ettedgui a few weeks ago. He is the cardiologist who cared for our twins and who leads Patrons of the Hearts, our longtime partner bringing children from developing countries to Wolfson Children’s Hospital for life-saving cardiac care. I am excited to share that we plan to continue our partnership with the Hospital of Hope in Togo, Africa, with the goal of bringing one child each year to Wolfson Children's Hospital for life saving heart treatment.
In 2026, we look forward to continuing our support of children who come to Jacksonville for life-saving heart treatment, while also investing in local initiatives in youth healthcare, sports and education. As our mission grows, our heart remains the same. In the year ahead, we remain committed to caring for children in need, both those traveling to our city for critical medical care and those growing up in the hometown I love.
We will be sharing updates along the way and invite you to continue walking this journey with us. Thank you for being part of the Will King Foundation story. We believe God is still working, still healing and still writing something beautiful through this mission.
Sincerely,
Courtney Hughes
Founder, Will King Foundation
https://www.willkingfoundation.com/
