It has been several months since I last shared an update here, but Healing Home Group has never stopped moving forward. Behind the scenes, the vision has continued to grow, new relationships have formed, and an idea has emerged that may become one of the most meaningful journeys we have ever undertaken.
That idea is Hope One Walk.
Beginning in early 2027, I plan to walk from the Santa Monica Pier in California to New York, traveling across the country to raise awareness and support for burn survivors and the mission of Healing Home Group.
This will be more than a walk. It will be a moving platform for hope.
Why I Am Walking
As a burn survivor, I know recovery does not end when someone leaves the hospital. In many ways, that is when a different kind of journey begins.
Survivors may face years of surgeries, painful scar contractures, physical limitations, changes in appearance, financial hardship, depression, post-traumatic stress, and the challenge of rebuilding an identity after trauma. Families and caregivers also carry an enormous emotional and practical burden.
Too many survivors are expected to navigate that road without adequate long-term support.
Healing Home Group was created to help change that reality. Our vision is to develop a healing home where adult burn survivors can recover in an accessible, supportive environment while receiving wraparound services at no cost. It will be a place to rest, rebuild, and rise.
Hope One Walk will carry that mission beyond Colorado and into communities across the country.
One Step. One Story. One Hope.
Along the route, I plan to visit burn centers, meet survivors and families, speak with medical professionals, and connect with organizations serving the burn community.
At each stop, we will listen.
We will ask survivors to share their stories. We will recognize the healthcare professionals who dedicate their lives to burn care. We will honor the families and caregivers who remain beside survivors throughout recovery. We will also remember those whose lives and stories continue to inspire us.
One of the questions we will ask people along the journey is simple:
What does hope mean to you?
The answer will be different for everyone. For one person, hope may mean making it through another surgery. For someone else, it may mean accepting a changed body, returning home, finding community, or simply believing tomorrow can be better than today.
By sharing these answers, we hope to show that no survivor is alone and that healing remains possible, even when the road is long.
That is the heart of Hope One Walk:
One Step. One Story. One Hope.
Meet Hope One
Throughout the journey, I will be pushing a specially designed cart called Hope One.
Hope One is being envisioned as more than a piece of equipment. It will serve as the mobile center of the walk, carrying essential supplies, water, communication equipment, and livestreaming technology. A protective canopy will provide coverage from the sun and weather, while electric assistance will help when the terrain becomes especially difficult.
Through Hope One, people will be able to follow the journey online, hear stories from the road, and experience the walk alongside us even if they cannot physically be there.
The goal is to livestream and document the journey so the burn community can remain connected from the first step in Santa Monica to the final step in New York.
Building a Nationwide Community
Hope One Walk is not about one person crossing the country. It is about building a community around the people whose recovery continues long after the emergency has passed.
Over the coming months, we will continue developing the route, connecting with burn centers, seeking community partners, designing and building the Hope One cart, preparing the livestreaming system, and gathering the support needed to make this journey possible.
We will also share regular videos and updates so you can see Hope One Walk take shape from the ground up.
There will be opportunities for survivors, families, healthcare professionals, organizations, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters to become part of the journey. Some may walk beside us for a mile. Others may host us in their communities, share their stories, provide resources, or help us reach the next destination.
Every form of support matters.
The First Steps Begin Now
The physical walk will begin in 2027, but the journey has already started.
It begins with every person who follows our story. It begins with every survivor who finds the courage to speak. It begins with every healthcare professional who helps us connect with another burn community. It begins with every person who shares our mission and helps someone new discover Healing Home Group.
There is a long road ahead, but we will take it the same way survivors approach recovery: one step at a time.
Please follow and share Hope One Walk, invite others to join our growing community, and stay connected as we prepare to carry hope across America.
Together, we can make sure burn survivors are seen, heard, supported, and reminded that they never have to walk the road of recovery alone.
One Step. One Story. One Hope.
Corey Halstead
Founder and Executive Director
Healing Home Group
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