Welcome to My Final Year of Jagathon!

In March of 2018, I attended my first ever Dance Marathon event. I came in with no expectations, no fundraising goal, and no real connection to the cause. After 15 hours that consisted of games, dancing, entertainment, stories from our Riley kiddos, and many tears, it became very clear to me that this was a movement I needed to be a part of. I am honored to now serve as the Director of Hospitality on the Executive Board for Jagathon 2021. Going into my fourth and final year as a Jagathon participant, I am filled with emotions – excitement, hope, faith, and a little bit of sadness. I have grown as a philanthropist, a fundraiser, and most importantly, an individual. I would not be where I am or who I am without my experiences in Jagathon. I found my true why and my true inspiration in the last few years, and will continue to carry that legacy on forever. 

Most of you know the root of my Riley inspiration, and that is my cousin Norah Grace. Norah was diagnosed in utero with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which is a congenital heart defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. Norah’s heart defect required her to have a series of at minimum 3 open heart surgeries before the age of 2. After her birth, she was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Turner’s Syndrome. The two diagnoses together weren’t a good mix. Norah Grace lived 3 short weeks. She passed away on May 8, 2018, but not without making a tremendous impact in her 3 weeks of life. 

This past year, however, I have experienced a loss that has broken me in ways I never could have imagined. On October 10, 2020, my beloved papaw passed away. Anyone that knows me, knows how much I treasured and loved my papaw. He was my favorite person in this world, and was my absolute hero. 

My papaw will forever be the most genuine, selfless, dedicated, and kindest person I will ever know. He was my number one fan, and my biggest supporter. He taught me so much about life, and about how to live it. My papaw battled Parkinson's for 25 years, lost his own son 19 years ago, endured the painful loss of his owns parents and siblings, and just could truly never catch a break. Yet, he never once complained about anything. In my 21 years of life there was never a bad thing that came out of that man's mouth. He never met a stranger, never once had anything bad to say about another person, and never questioned "why me?" I admire and look up to him in so many ways. 

In my last year of Jagathon, I dedicate every moment to him. Every push day, every month we get closer to our event, every long night staying up late to ensure we're doing the most we can for those kids right down the street. My papaw admired what we do, just like I admired him. 

Thanks to the incredible love and never-ending support of individuals like you, I have been able to raise over $14,519.66 in the last three years. I have made it my personal goal to raise $5,355.34 this year to cap a total of $20,000 raised over the course of four years. With this being my final year as a student within Jagathon, I know with the continued support from people like you, this goal is more than attainable, and I have no doubt that I'll hit it. So are you ready to help me hit #20kFTK? Are you ready to help me close out the greatest four years of my life? You can do so by clicking the “Support Me” button at the top of the page. Are you ready for some miracle-making?

#20kFTK #2getherforHeartsofGold