HENRIETTA MURRAY

MEMORIAL WATER PROJECT

A family of four smiling in front of Christmas decorations, including a Christmas tree and wreaths.

A message from the family:

Henrietta had a big heart and loved others well. She often would talk about how she wanted to help others and tell them about the love of Jesus. When it became clear that Henrietta would not live much longer, she made us promise that we would live out these dreams. Even in her final days, she was making it a priority to care for those around her. This project is one of the ways that we have decided to carry out our promise to our daughter. We would love for you to be a part of making this dream come true.

Love,

Ben, Maria, and Ann Shepard

Henrietta's Journey

  • A young girl with curly blonde hair smiling outdoors on a sunny day.

    THE BEGINNING

    On January 4, 2013, Henrietta was born to Ben and Maria Murray. A precious little sister and a perfect little angel.

  • A man with a beard and a young girl with long hair are smiling and hugging outside near a pink building with a holiday wreath. The man is wearing a baseball cap and a two-tone jacket. The girl is wearing a black knit hat adorned with white beads and a pink and white fleece jacket.

    THE SYMPTOMS

    At the early age of 3 years old, Henrietta began showing symptoms and was diagnosed with being blind.

  • Two smiling girls outdoors, one in a wheelchair and another kneeling next to her, on a dirt path in a wooded area.

    THE DIAGNOSIS

    In February 2022, Henrietta was diagnosed with a rare and incurable mitochondrial disease that affected her entire body.

  • A young girl with curly hair smiling and looking over her shoulder. She is wearing a red sports jersey with the name 'MORKE' on the back and the number 12. The background shows a living room with a TV, framed pictures, and holiday decorations.

    THE SUPERSTAR

    Henrietta captured the hearts of all those who came in contact with her, including her favorite football star, Malachi Moore of the University of Alabama.

  • Three people celebrating Christmas indoors. They are dressed in festive attire with Christmas hats and accessories. The woman on the right is wearing a Christmas tree headband and a necklace of large, colorful lights. The man on the left is wearing a Santa hat with elf ears. The girl in the middle is wearing a pink pajama top with holiday pins. They are smiling and posing for the camera, with holiday decorations like a small Christmas tree, garland, and framed pictures in the background.

    THE WORST DAY EVER

    After an early "Christmas in May" with her family, Henrietta passed away on May 15, 2024, at the age of 11. Her passing has left a deep hole in the hearts of so many who loved her.

  • A smiling girl with curly hair and a black 'Designs for Hope' shirt stands in a wooden indoor event space with people seated behind her and a stage with a speaker and large screen in the background.

    THE INSPIRATION

    Henrietta loved Designs For Hope, where her dad works and ministers. As she left an eternal impact in the lives of so many, we want to do the same in her honor.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HENRIETTA'S MITO JOURNEY
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HENRIETTA'S MITO JOURNEY
Hennietta Murray Memorial Water Project logo with stylized text in black and blue.

To honor this special and precious young lady, we will design, drill, and dedicate a water project in Ethiopia to her life and memory. This project will provide clean drinking water to a community living in a desperate situation where frequent drought and lack of resources have caused great suffering. This one life will bring life to so many in this community. Please consider walking alongside the Murray family to bring hope from the ashes.

Every $25 donation will provide clean water to one person in Ethiopia. Please give as you feel led.

A smiling girl with curly hair in a black T-shirt that has the words 'DESIGNS FOR HOPE' on it, inside a wooden hall decorated with string lights.
Henrietta Murray Memorial Water Project T-Shirt
Henrietta Murray Memorial Water Project T-Shirt
A young man with braided hair smiling, wearing a white Alabama football shirt with a red 'A' logo and Nike swoosh, decorated with a cross necklace, in a room with large windows, cream curtains, and a curtain-covered stage in the background where several people are gathered.

“Henri was my best friend and I hope I was hers. She brought joy to every room she stepped in, never shying away from who she was. We all knew that she would tell you how she feels and that’s one of the many reasons why I love her.”

Malachi Moore, Starting Safety The University of Alabama

A woman with blonde hair wearing a blue and black checkered shirt, standing outdoors with blurred fall foliage in the background.

“Henrietta was a part of the Hope Heals Camp family from the very first days, and she set the community’s heartbeat with her spiritedness, humor, and deep faith in Jesus. She was a living, breathing model of what it means to wholeheartedly live the good/hard life in front of you with hope, honesty, and resilience.”

Katherine Wolf, Co-Founder of Hope Heals Camp

Portrait of a smiling man in a navy blue suit and white shirt, against a plain light background.

“Henri was one of a kind. That sounds like such a simple way to describe her but if you knew her, you know exactly what I mean. There was no one like her. She lived differently than the rest of us. Like in the hard things of life…hard can be held together with joy and comfort, laughter and singing, celebration and dancing. I learned that from Henri.”

Andrew Murray, LIV Development

A smiling man in a suit and tie outdoors, with a tree and a building in the background.

“I loved Henrietta and was given the high privilege of serving as her pastor, yet so often she was the one teaching me.  Henri taught me more about the hope of heaven than any book I could ever read.  Both her life and her longing for heaven continue to make an impact on me and the community she loved.”

James Dickson, Covenant Seminary

A woman with curly black hair smiling at the camera, wearing a patterned blouse and a delicate necklace.

“Henrietta considered complex situations from innumerable angles. She identified solutions long before the adults in her life even recognized dilemmas.”

Rachel Kassel, M.D., Ph.D., Children’s Hospital of Alabama

A middle-aged man with a beard and mustache, wearing a blue zip-up jacket with a tiger logo on the chest, standing outdoors in front of a dark tent or canopy.

“In her short 11 years, Henrietta’s life inspired and humbled us all. She embodied childlike faith, yet her love for Jesus was mature beyond her years. She faced such daunting trials but was able to live in joy because her faith was her sight. Our memories of Henri will always point us to the hope we have in Christ.”

Joe Gunter, Ruling Elder, Christ Church Trussville, PCA

A woman with long brown hair smiling in front of a shrub with white flowers.

“Henrietta understood the value of a moment in time, each priceless and worthy of celebration. With grace beyond her years, she continues to change the world.”

Cynthia Wozow, D.O., Children’s Hospital of Alabama

Close-up of a man with short hair wearing a blue shirt, smiling slightly, against a plain light background.

“I’ve never met someone who understood the reality that ‘Heaven meant being with Jesus more than it meant personal healing’ than Henri Murray. She taught me so much about authentic faith.”

Chris Bond, Designs For Hope

A woman with brown hair smiling in an indoor setting.

“Not a day goes by that I don't think of Henrietta and smile. I could never forget her or how she lived: passionately, boldly, and simply unforgettable. I can't help but smile at how many lives she's continuing to change with her legacy of hope. Thank you, Jesus, for letting me be part of Henrietta Murray's life. I will never be the same because of the difference she made in my life.”

Shayna Swann, Henrietta’s 2nd Grade Teacher, Paine Elementary

A woman with long brown hair and blue eyes smiling outdoors with green trees in the background.

“Henrietta touched our lives through her love for others, honesty, and unrelenting faith in God's goodness in the face of suffering.  Her wisdom was beyond her years and her heart to help others was an outpouring of God's love in her own life.  Providing clean water for those in need is a beautiful way to honor her memory and carry out the work she began while she was with us.”

Emily Michalke, Family Friend

Two young girls smiling and hugging indoors, one wearing a light blue dress and birthday sash, the other in a pink dress.

“Henrietta was kind, honest, and had great taste in fashion. She was the best friend and always stood up for herself and others. She was my best friend in the whole entire world.”

Logan Kinner, Best Friend

A woman with long brown hair and fair skin, smiling, wearing a white shirt, standing outdoors with green foliage in the background.

“Henrietta lived wholeheartedly as a beloved child of God, and she invited us all to embrace our belovedness, too.  She was as strong-willed as she was gentle, and as funny as she was insightful.  There will never be anyone like Henrietta and I am so privileged to have called her friend.”

Alex Wolfe, Hope Heals Camp