William and Susan Morren Family

In May of 1996, Bill and Sue Morren, both graduates of Calvin – class of 1990, were blessed with twins, a boy and a girl, Blake David and Elise Katherine. At the age of seven months they were both diagnosed with a fatal, genetically inherited neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), also known as Werdnig-Hoffman Disease.

Both happy and bright children, Blake and Elise were familiar with doctors, nurses and long hospital stays because of their weakened respiratory systems. They died before they turned two. Bill and Sue’s third child, Macy Christine, was also born with SMA and joined Blake and Elise in heaven in February 2001 at the age of 21 months.

In their contact with literally hundreds of pediatric medical staff, Bill and Sue have been touched by not only the skill and patience of their children’s pediatric nurses, but also by the compassion these nurses showed and the Christ-like way in which they cared for their children. It is the Morrens’ hope that they can in some small way help enable Calvin students with a desire to enter the nursing field to accomplish their goals.