Knowing that she would be attending a symposium on health care in Virginia, Chriss decided that she needed to take the opportunity to visit her friends in Washington, D.C. She wondered if she would be "invited in" now. Much had changed since her first visit more than five years before. Then her son Stephen, a medically fragile child was still alive, and she needed to be his advocate. She was living everyday with the issues that families with children with disabilities face regularly. Chriss wondered: "Did she still have a message? Could she still reach the hearts of the decision-makers now that Stephen was gone? Are the issues families face still the same?

THE ANSWER WAS YES.

Here is a portion of the message she took with her...
"While I am a strong person, there is no way I was strong enough to keep on loving my son, kissing his soft cheeks, providing for him and singing all the way through his death. That was the grace of God’s love...People have said many things about our life together and the choices I made, many of them painful. For the last five years, I have listened to other people's arguments and judgments. My revelation? We were born into a war, the war against good and evil. Evil tries to convince us that good does not exist. God exists and He is good."

Chriss was reminded again and again that the perception of value surrounding a child with special needs has not changed. Fighting these perceptions is a fight against evil.

"Many times when Stephen was alive, I was afraid that if I pushed too hard or was too antagonistic, someone could make a decision that would hurt my child. My child can no longer be hurt, so I can step into the gap for other parents and draw attention to the needs of families and children."

Chriss made her first trip to the nation's capital in 2000 at the request of her son, Stephen. Stephen knew that advocating for families would require his mom to travel to the places where families and those who are making decision about their well-being are located. Chriss feared her son might die while she was away, but she went anyway because it was Stephen's request. In his own words, Stephen gave his mother her message and his blessing.

HEART HOME

I like it when the dog jumps up and sits by me in bed
I like it when the cat climbs up and purrs right by my head

I like my room, my fish, my toys, I like my music too
I like my bed, it's soft and safe, I feel at home in it

So go to work and tell the world that I am fine right here
You gave me a home
In a house and your heart and I feel safe right in it

I know you want me to go with you, you want me by your side
But I want to stay right here right in my bed
It's where I need to be
You need to walk to the people now and use your voice out loud
Hug the moms, the dads, and all the kids
And show them that I am okay

You are my legs, my voice, and my arms to tell the world of me
Tell them that I am okay
I love my life, I love my bed
I can't go now in my body, so you go, mom and in my heart I walk by you
I am right here by your side

Stephen wanted his mother tell the people that children need to be able to live at home, not institutions. Providing families with the support necessary to accomplish this goal has been one of Chriss' central messages.