Memory Eternal - On Thursday July 9th, 2026, sweet Addie departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection. This precious child of God is at rest. Our hearts and prayers are with Jessie and the children.

Memory Eternal - On Sunday May 24th, 2026, Brian departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection. He is at rest. Our hearts and prayers are with Jessie and their precious children.

Brian and Jessie got married in 2008. After giving birth to 3 healthy children, Nathaniel (Nate), Leah, and Abigail, they found out Jessie was pregnant with the 4th, and that child had Down Syndrome. After Elizabeth (Ellie) was born, they were admitted to the hospital with her because of some minor complications. While there, they noticed so many children alone in the hospital and asked the Dr. about it. At that particular time, there were several children admitted with medical conditions that were in foster care. The needs of these children were more than what their parents could handle, and they were left in the hospital alone under the care of the state. This was a defining moment for Brian and Jessie, and it was the moment that the seed was planted for them to adopt children with medical issues.

In 2017, when Ellie was 1, Brian was diagnosed with cancer, neuro-endocrine tumors, NET for short. He got very sick quickly, but God allowed him to respond well to chemotherapy. His health improved dramatically, even though he would have to stay on chemo the rest of his life.

In 2020, during the pandemic, Brian and Jessie were licensed to foster and adopt, and quickly received a call about a 2 year-old girl named Addie who spent the first year and a half of her life alone in the hospital. She was their first placement. Their promise to her, and their heart's desire, was that she and any child that followed would never be left alone in the hospital, never be abandoned. No matter what happened, no matter what they suffered, they would have a family. Addie was adopted into the Flaherty family in 2021. Next came Norah, a 12 year old medically complex girl who had been in foster care for 7 years. She became a Flaherty in 2023. Finally another son, Joseph, joined the Flaherty home in 2024. His adoption is still in process.

In 2025, Addie entered the hospital with minor issues that turned into an 8 month admission. During that time, the cancer returned and began a very aggressive attack on Brian’s body. Despite every effort made by Brian’s medical care team, the cancer has now spread. The decline has been rapid, and Brian has been referred to Hospice care.

During the period of time when Addie was hospitalized and Brian’s health began to decline, all of his accumulated leave was used to keep supporting the family. Additionally, because Brian was so young when the cancer first struck, there is no life insurance. The children will continue to require intense medical care, with frequent trips to Nemours Hospital. Gas, utilities, and grocery bills have become overwhelming burdens at this time.

Brian and Jessie love the Lord with all their hearts, and raise their children to know God and walk with Him. Now, they need the support of the Body of Christ to lovingly care for them as they navigate and prepare for this next season of life.

From Jessie: This season has been harder than I can put into words. HOWEVER, we are trusting God knew what He was doing when He called our family into the care of orphans with medical complexities. We are trusting Him with Brian's health and the health of our children. We are praising Him for His faithfulness. We know that He wastes NO suffering of his children. We are praying to be obedient and to surrender in complete childlike trust to His care. We are shouting to our own hearts the truth that...HE IS GOOD.