The Message of Hope Foundation was founded in 2011 by Emi Burke, born out of a desire to bring hope and happiness to hospitalized children with special needs or chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

A parent of a profoundly disabled young son often requiring intensive services, Mrs. Burke was moved to action after witnessing other young hospitalized children undergoing treatment with nothing to engage them or distract from long hospital stays. A physician described the extent to which families invest their resources in expensive treatments as they strive to save the lives of their children, leaving little for small luxuries such as coloring books, crayons or other engaging and uplifting activities.