This is not just another nonprofit story. It is a story about a woman whose pain was ignored, whose access to care was blocked, and whose final wish was that no one else would have to suffer the way she did quietly, invisibly, and alone.
Her name was Sherri Little.
When Sherri and Tami Stackelhouse first met, Stackelhouse was already known for her work helping people living with chronic pain reclaim their lives. An award-winning author and founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute (IFCI)—the world’s only coaching institute dedicated exclusively to fibromyalgia—she was once disabled by chronic illness before developing a recovery framework now used worldwide.
Before the Sherri Little Foundation ever existed, Sherri was one of her clients.
Living with relentless pain, Sherri began working with Stackelhouse in the final months of her life. For two months before her passing, they spoke often not only about Sherri’s health, but also her desire to change the way people in pain are treated.
Photography Courtesy: Tami Stackelhouse / Lynda Mannion
Stackelhouse shared, “I had the privilege of working with Sherri during the two months prior to her passing. From the very beginning, she was clear about one thing: she wanted her story told, even if she wasn’t here to tell it herself.”
A Voice That Refused to Be Silenced
Sherri believed deeply in the power of storytelling. During that time, she traveled to Toronto to be interviewed for Pain Warriors, a documentary created by Give Pain a Voice, so others could understand what life with chronic pain truly looks like.
Behind the scenes, though, Sherri was fighting battles most people never saw.
While working together, Sherri and Stackelhouse tried desperately to find medical care for a serious illness that left Sherri unable to eat normally, severely dehydrated, and physically weakened. Despite countless calls to doctors across the country, and even offering to pay out of pocket, Sherri was repeatedly turned away because she did not have the “right” insurance.
The barrier was access, not answers.
Although her insurance was eventually changed, it came too late to make a meaningful difference. The last message Stackelhouse ever received from Sherri was a voicemail saying she was heading to the emergency room due to dehydration.
Sherri passed away just days later.
Stackelhouse explains, “There are many unanswered questions surrounding Sherri’s death. But for me, there is no question about why she died. Her pain and illness were not treated properly. The system failed her.”
What troubles Stackelhouse most is how easily stories like Sherri’s are misunderstood. They are often reduced to statistics that miss the deeper issue of access, support, and compassion.
Stackelhouse reflects, “I feel incredibly fortunate to have known the vibrant, passionate, deeply caring woman behind Sherri’s pain.”
A Dream Born from Hard Truth
Sherri often spoke about how isolating life with chronic pain can be. How everyday tasks became overwhelming, and independence slowly slipped away. And yet, even then, she dreamed of helping others.
Stackelhouse adds, “Sherri wanted to create a foundation that would support people living with chronic pain in practical, meaningful ways. Not someday, but now.”
In March 2017, after Sherri’s passing, Stackelhouse honored Sheri’s wishes and formed the Sherri Little Foundation (SLF). Built around that vision, the foundation provides micro-grants of $1,000 or less to people living with chronic pain who lack financial and social support.
Not red tape.
Just help when it’s needed most.
When Sherri died, she had unused coaching sessions she had already paid for. Stackelhouse used those sessions to establish the Sherri Little Fibromyalgia Coaching Scholarship, giving qualified patients access to a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, the kind of support Sherri wanted for people living with pain. Graduates of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute continue to donate their time and resources to sustain the scholarship.
Micro-Grants That Change Real Lives
In its most recent grant cycle, the Sherri Little Foundation awarded $10,000 to 10 individuals, each receiving $1,000.
These grants were used for needs often excluded by insurance, including:
- Integrative and alternative therapies
- Advanced pain treatments
- Medical massage and manual therapies
- Mobility tools
- Service dog training
- Accessibility aids that reduce strain and fatigue
One recipient used her grant to pursue a treatment that provided months of relief, allowing her to work more effectively, enjoy longer walks, and participate more fully in her relationships. Another applied funds toward mobility support so she could attend her grandchildren’s activities and return to creative passions she thought she’d lost.
Stackelhouse stressed, “Chronic pain shrinks people’s worlds. Our goal is to help widen those worlds again.”
Not Charity, but Possibility
What these grants buy is possibility. The chance to leave the house, try a recommended therapy, and experience hope when it often feels out of reach. For many recipients, it’s the difference between being confined by pain and participating in their own lives again.
Recipients remain anonymous unless they choose otherwise, preserving dignity and centering real, human impact.
Stackelhouse explains, “This isn’t charity. It’s empowerment. The kind Sherri believed people in pain deserve.”
Carrying Sherri’s Dream Forward
The foundation’s vision is simple and radical in its compassion: to offer these grants every year, for as long as people in pain continue to fall through the cracks of the healthcare system. Each grant is a deliberate act of resistance against a system that too often measures care by coverage instead of need.
Stackelhouse adds, “We can’t fix the entire healthcare system. But we can make life better for real people right now, easing suffering, restoring dignity, and giving someone the support they need to keep going. And that is exactly what Sherri wanted.”
With every grant awarded, Sherri’s voice carries forward, not as a statistic or a cautionary tale, but as a living legacy of compassion, advocacy, and action.
How to Support Sherri’s Mission
While the current grant cycle is closed, community members can:
Register to be notified when the next application window opens:
https://sherrilittlefoundation.org/register
Donate to support future grants:
https://sherrilittlefoundation.org/donate
Learn more about Sherri’s story and the foundation’s mission:
https://sherrilittlefoundation.org/about
