May 18, 2024
2 Years Month 2
Last night was pure magic.
A couple months ago Tate was asked to be an ambassador for RoundUp River Ranch Camp and speak at their upcoming fundraising gala. She happily accepted and all the amazing planning began……
She worked on her speech; her story. She was graciously sent dresses to try on from a boutique called Skipper & Scout in Vail (SO generous and kind!) And a glam squad was planned for her hair and makeup for the big event. All amazing, fun, incredible blessings!
And then all this crazy BP and recent health decline stuff started up again and we started to feel nervous if she was going to be able to pull this off. A Blood pressure of 72/40 upon waking at 1 PM yesterday, the day of the event, really had me concerned. But liters of fluids, extra steroids and lots of grit and adrenaline and nobody would’ve guessed how hard Tate pushed to smile through the night. And we are all still smiling. And my eyes might still be leaking a little.
The last few weeks have felt a little rough around the edges. Last night was just all joy and love and gratitude. We saw Tate on stage again and for the first time, she shared her story publicly with her own words and was able to feel proud of what she’s fought through. There were some tears from Tate. More tears from those listening. We feel so much gratitude for the support of camp, but also for the confidence that was put in Tate so that she had the chance to believe in herself once again too.
It was amazing! Such an honor for Tate to represent how life changing camp has been not just for her, but for so many kids. There were tears and laughter and a standing ovation as Tate did a beautiful job expressing the impact camp has had on her and her health journey that led her to camp. The individuals that come together as a camp family to care for these complex kids are remarkable humans. Paul Newman had a vision for these camps decades ago and his daughter, Clea, is carrying on his dreams. It was an honor to hug her and thank her in person. Last night was a record fund raising night for this gala which means more kids and families can benefit from camp. All free to them. We are forever grateful to not only benefit from camp but to be part of it as well.