Nicholas Brown, Vice President

Nicholas is the Vice President of Hive & Hope Foundation and delivers a decade of leadership, research and analysis, intelligence, law enforcement, and technical writing experience in both the federal government and private sector. He has worked with leaders and organizations throughout the United States, specializing in research methodology and effective communications and writing. Nicholas possesses vast overseas and domestic travel experience from his former career in the United States Secret Service, arming him with unparalleled exposure to different people from all walks of life. With his unique background, Nicholas is a husband and father who carries a heart for people and provides strategic guidance to champion causes that thoroughly and efficiently support children and their families.

Our Story

It was October 2022 when our lives changed forever; God blessed us with our perfect baby boy, who was born into this world on a perfect autumn morning. Being new parents, Nic and I did our best to embrace the journey of parenthood with joy, until one day our joy turned into despair. On Thanksgiving Day, at only 5 weeks old, he had an “episode” that demanded an emergency room visit. When we arrived at the ED the episode stopped, and after the ED doctor saw that his vitals were normal, we were sent home. This incident ignited a fire that drove us into a relentless search for answers on what these violent episodes that our baby boy experienced daily after that ED visit could be. 

Nic and I knew something was terribly wrong, but we were constantly told that it was a severe case of acid reflux and that we shouldn’t worry because “he will grow out of it.” We advocated for our son daily, sending his former pediatricians and specialists videos, logs, and photos of what our son was experiencing. Despite being told that we shouldn’t worry and to simply monitor the situation, we decided to continue to fight for our son to get him the help he desperately needed. After being misdiagnosed for six months with severe silent reflux and Sandifer syndrome and not having doctors listen to us, we transferred his care to an out-of-state hospital system. He was evaluated by other doctors and was properly diagnosed with epilepsy and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare genetic condition that causes noncancerous tumors to grow in various parts of the body, such as the brain, heart, eyes, kidneys, and skin. Our hearts shattered as the doctor shared the news, but we were thankful that we finally had an answer to move forward. 

Our son finally started to receive the proper treatment for TSC and epilepsy, and it seemed like we were getting some control of his seizures. He was put in West Virginia’s early intervention program to assist with his developmental delays. Toward the end of 2023, things took a turn for the worse as his seizures became life-threatening, and he ended up having urgent back-to-back brain surgeries at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston by the time he turned one year old. He was seizure-free for a few months after the surgeries, but the seizures have since returned and continue to severely impact his life daily. As a family, we felt incredibly isolated since we never knew when a seizure would strike and would plan our days around his medications and nap schedule. But it was during this time that God helped us find the power in family and community, and we experienced more joy than sorrow in spite of challenging circumstances and all because of His goodness.

Despite the challenges of TSC and epilepsy, our son is thriving through the love and support of God, our family and friends, and our community. He is full of life, bringing immense joy to everyone around him, and he’s thriving! He is the biggest snuggle bug with the best laugh and gives the absolute best hugs. He shows Nic and I what resilience, strength, courage, and true joy looks like every day, no matter what challenges come his way, and we are so thankful that God gave us two perfect little boys.

This is the place our nonprofit was birthed out of—a place of prayer, tears, surrender, heartache, and hope. Our family follows Jesus, and we hold onto Him as our unshakable hope through this complex medical journey we are on. We believe we are to empower others who are in the trenches and encourage them to see that there is light in the darkness and that there is hope when everything feels hopeless. You are not alone in this quest of ups-and-downs, uncertainties, and challenges. We are here to advocate for and with you, meet the needs and fill the gaps within our community and beyond, be a bridge between families and the medical community, and come alongside you to intentionally do life together. You never have to walk alone again; welcome to our family. We’re so glad you’re here.

So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change! And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time—an unshakable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold…” — Hebrews 6:18-19 TPT