The following is fourth in a 12-post series.

I moonlight as a freelance writer, and on a sunny Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, I walked into City Art Works – an enchanting gift shop nestled between a Verizon Wireless retailer and a chain store – hunting for a good story. Two minutes into my visit with Susan, one of the shop’s co-owners, I discovered that my mom and Taylor often visit the shop to walk among the twinkling tree branches and colorful wall art and browse the baskets of inspirational quote cards.

Five minutes later, Susan and I had dreamed up several ways for the shop to get involved in the fight against Batten disease.

As a result of our chat, Susan and her staff now share Taylor’s story with their customers and encourage them to take Taylor’s Tale wristbands in return for a donation. More ideas are in the works.

Many of our friends and supporters have been with us from the beginning. We couldn’t do it without them, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. But ours is a long, difficult journey, and I’m just as grateful for all those who’ve joined us along the way. Some of our most ardent allies have latched onto our cause after hearing Taylor’s story via an elevator or hallway conversation or – in the case of the kind City Art Works owner – a conversation among twinkling tree branches and the words of Thoreau and Dickinson and Frost.

Our new friends, like our old, give me reason to believe.