We are the Brubaker’s, and until the spring of 2019 we were an ordinary family of 4 who loved traveling and living in our cottage in the woods in the Shenandoah Valley. In March, our 10 year old daughter, Norah, came down with a cold. It was just an ordinary virus, but it weakened her system enough that a bacterial infection was able to enter her bloodstream and send her previously strong and healthy body into septic shock. She was flown to UVA medical center, where she spent 3 weeks in intensive care fighting to recover from the devastating effects of the infection. Even though the incredible PICU team devoted themselves and every available resource to Norah’s care, ultimately it was not enough to overcome the severity of her illness.

Throughout those traumatic 3 weeks, our family was sustained by an outpouring of love and support from our community. We kept people up to date by journaling on the website caringbridge.org. The process of writing our story, while difficult, proved valuable to us and many of those who love us. After Norah’s death, we realized that people still longed to hear from us about how we are doing. Though it is impossible to respond to every card, message, donation, positive thought and encouraging word, we hope that this site can be an expression of our gratitude.

I Will Be Grateful was conceived as a travel blog. It chronicles a time in our lives in which we have intentionally turned towards togetherness, towards people, towards love. Eric has returned to touring with his band, The Steel Wheels, and Peggy and L are journeying with them as they travel the country.