USM鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Center Hosts Surprise Room Naming Ceremony
Wed, 05/12/2021 - 08:44pm | By: Courtney Tesh
Mother鈥檚 Day can be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate, honor, and remember the
moms and the like-moms in our lives. But for many, the feelings of joy and celebration
are accompanied with grief, loss, and sadness. And somehow, when the world seems to
be celebrating, it can make the grief that much more noticeable.
Jean Lincoln knew this feeling all too well as her son, Matt, passed away in 1998 at the age of 20. Knowing this, Jean鈥檚 family and friends were determined to surround her with love and support by dedicating a room at The Children鈥檚 Center for Communication and Development at USM in Matt鈥檚 name.
鈥淭his gift has been a blessing in so many ways,鈥� said Kristy Gould, who says Jean is like a mother to her. 鈥淣ot only was it a joy to be in the moment and celebrate Matt while providing a tangible gift to Jean, we are also helping these families be able to watch their children play, learn and grow. It was just as much a gift for us and something we will continue to cherish.鈥�
The 鈥榃iggle Room,鈥� as it is affectionately called, will forever be known as the Matthew Bryan Guice Freeman Room. The contributions made to the Center in naming this room will help ensure that babies and children with complex disabilities will receive the therapy they need at no cost to their families.
Jean鈥檚 husband, siblings, and the Gould family surprised Jean on Mother鈥檚 Day with this gift, thereby adding another happy memory for her to recall on this day for years to come. The family agreed that they couldn鈥檛 think of a better way to honor Matt鈥檚 memory and to celebrate the lives he touched. His legacy now lives on through the lives changed at The Children鈥檚 Center. 鈥淢att was loved, so much. And we hope we can extend this feeling to these families,鈥� said Gould
鈥淲e were so honored to be present to witness such a beautiful exchange,鈥� said Sarah Myers, Director at The Children鈥檚 Center. 鈥淎nd we are beyond grateful for the generosity of these families. The support provided through the naming of this room will help us continue providing life-changing services to our families at no cost. Words can鈥檛 express
the value of this gift. We are so proud to have Matthew鈥檚 name on this room, and to help honor his life and his legacy in this way.鈥�
About The Children鈥檚 Center for Communication and Development
The Children鈥檚 Center for Communication and Development at The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi is a non-profit that provides cost-free communicative and developmental transdisciplinary services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers while educating, training and supporting families, university students and professionals. For more information, visit www.usm.edu/childrenscenter or