Renewed Hope Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2005 by
Brad and Linda Christensen. In 2000, the Christensen’s youngest son, Justen, was
diagnosed with cerebral palsy at four months old after suffering multiple strokes in-
utero. Most of Justen’s cortex and mid brain were damaged. He was cortically blind,
insensate, immobile, and non-verbal. The doctors said they rarely had seen such
severe brain damage. Justen’s parents were told he didn’t have the capacity to do much
of anything as he got older. In fact, he would probably never even know who they were.
Justen’s parents were crushed, but they refused to accept the bleak prognosis given to
their son. As a physical therapist, Linda determined that if anything could be done to
help her son, she wanted to find it. Thus began a decades-long journey to find methods
and therapies to help Justen improve. They spent years participating in multiple parent-
driven programs and training to learn about the neuroplasticity of the brain and how
various parent-driven treatments could help.
Over the course of Justen’s early years, with the guidance of several organizations, a lot
of hard work, and a significant cost in money and time, Justen did indeed improve. He
went from blindness to seeing. Then, from seeing to reading. His sensation improved.
His respiration improved. He enjoyed a rich intellectual program. He started to vocalize
and learned to communicate with his hand/fingers via a spelling board. Justen’s world
opened up to him as his parents could now know his thoughts and needs. And, of
course, Justen knew who his parents and his family were.
As word spread locally of Justen’s progress and of the information Linda and Brad had
learned, they were encouraged to create Renewed Hope Foundation to share this
information with others, which they have been doing ever since.
In 2012, Brad created the website Special Needs Hope (special-needs-hope.com) to
share their personal journey and hope with families who may have also received a
devastating diagnoses / prognosis for their own children.
Linda and Brad have learned much over the past two decades during their ongoing
search for answers. Their training and knowledge has expanded beyond those first
programs specifically geared towards helping their own son with cerebral palsy to
include excellent programs and therapies that can help children with ADD / ADHD and
Autism, as well as sensory integration and other learning difficulties. With the recent
addition of Renewed Hope’s ability to provide many of these therapies remotely, Brad
and Linda are excited about the opportunity to help many more children in the future.
Sadly, in 2022, our beloved Justen passed away. Justen was the inspiration (and an
honorary board member) of Renewed Hope Foundation. All who knew him miss him
dearly. The best way for us to now honor Justen’s memory and continue his legacy is by
helping as many children as possible through Renewed Hope.