On April 13, 2012 we lost a very important part of our family, Julie Valdez passed away at the age of 31 from a blood disorder that caused blood clots throughout her body. She is survived by 4 children and her husband.​ While dealing with her passing, we were faced with many questions from the children that we honestly didn't know how to correctly answer for their young ages. Afterall, how do you tell a 3 year old her mother won't be coming home? Seeing a need for an organization that will address these questions and provide a safe place for the children to have others to grieve, laugh, play and grow with in their community, Sunshine Thru The Rain was born in memory of Julie Valdez.