Kathy (Carel) Burroughs
Donation protected
When I was 16 years old I had many homes, countless brothers, and a humbling amount of moms. I think this is a typical experience for boys of that age. We have friends that become brothers, their houses become our homes, and their mom’s become our moms. One such house was the Burroughs’, those brothers were Nathan and Tyler, and that mom was, Kathy (KB as she is affectionately know).
KB helped mold me... and countless other young men of El Reno, Ok.
Twenty years ago I sat on a stool in Kathy’s kitchen. Kathy stood making guacamole and talking to me (The Burroughs had moved into a house in my neighborhood many years before. Kathy always made me guac. This was a very familiar scene to 16 year old Joel). She talked to me about school, sports, girls, and the all too awkward subjects of alcohol. She was a special mom. She was the only mom whom I could openly talk with about taboo subjects. She never judged. She never got upset. She always loved and listened. She talked me through girl problems. She helped me understand my changing and hard to control emotions. She understood my fears about college. And she listened with compassion as I uncomfortably admitted to drinking and then drinking too much. She helped me not loose sight of myself. She gave me the strength to continue to love myself through confusing times.
Kathy loved me unconditionally. She taught me that it was ok to love myself unconditionally, even when I knew I could be better.
I am only one of hundreds of young men to sit on that stool, talking to that compassionate and loving mother. As you read this, you might be one of those young men. You will know the stools I’m talking about, the tv on the counter playing Sooner games, the low hanging counter that would whack you on the head if you lost sight of it, the dogs running through the kitchen, and Kathy’s simple, yet powerful laugh.
In that kitchen, Kathy fed me physically and emotionally.
When Kathy would talk to me, she would look me in the eyes and call me by my name. Every time she said "Joel" it was powerful. It was as if she knew the man that was inside of that boys body and was recognizing that he was there. She treated me like the man I was to become, not the confused boy that I was.
Kathy gave me confidence.
It has been 10 years since I sat in that kitchen. Kathy no longer lives at that house, and I no longer live in that town.
Today I'm in front of my computer and Kathy is laying in a hospital bed. Kathy is in a fight for her life. Unfortunately Kathy’s heart is currently not in the fight. Kathy’s heart has been functioning at 25% for the past few days. This makes no sense to me because her heart has always been operating closer to 125% than to the 25% it is now. Over the past few days Kathy has fought back. Her gains are small but significant.
Kathy is still molding me.
Kathy is teaching me how to fight.
Kathy is giving me an opportunity to help. She is giving us the opportunity to help.
And that’s why I am here on GoFundMe.Com. I am here because Kathy is in a fight right now and if you are able to join that fight, you join that fight. It is known that hospital bills alone begin to pile up every day. Add physicians, tests, medication and other medical costs, as well as Nate and Tyler taking multiple days off of work, and one quickly arrives at a very large sum that doesn’t include anything but their immediate reality. If you are able to give, please give. And if you are one of those young men that she helped raise, please take the time to support this campaign and give back to a woman that has given so much, to so many.
Please know how much your support, love and hope means to the Burroughs and Carel family.
Thank you in advance for whatever contribution you can make; it is appreciated beyond words.
After you donate to this campaign, please join me in writing letters to all of the moms that helped mold you and me. For me, that list is long. And for that long list I am blessed.
Here is my first one:
Hi Kathy,
I just want you to know that you made a difference in my life. You taught me valuable lessons and helped me form my opinion about the world. You showed me how to treat people with respect. I am sorry that it has taken me this long to simply say thank you, but THANK YOU. Thank you for being a truly incredible mother to me. Thank you for letting me sleepover so often. Thank you for buying pay-per-views like the WWE live events and the Sooner games. Thanks for maintaining a pool for us to swim in all of those summers. Thank you for the birthday party invites and graduation presents. Thank you for introducing me guacamole! Thank you for raising Nathan and Tyler into the caring, funny men they are today.
I love you, Kathy.
Your son, Joel.
#KBhelpedmoldme #giveback #jointhefight
KB helped mold me... and countless other young men of El Reno, Ok.
Twenty years ago I sat on a stool in Kathy’s kitchen. Kathy stood making guacamole and talking to me (The Burroughs had moved into a house in my neighborhood many years before. Kathy always made me guac. This was a very familiar scene to 16 year old Joel). She talked to me about school, sports, girls, and the all too awkward subjects of alcohol. She was a special mom. She was the only mom whom I could openly talk with about taboo subjects. She never judged. She never got upset. She always loved and listened. She talked me through girl problems. She helped me understand my changing and hard to control emotions. She understood my fears about college. And she listened with compassion as I uncomfortably admitted to drinking and then drinking too much. She helped me not loose sight of myself. She gave me the strength to continue to love myself through confusing times.
Kathy loved me unconditionally. She taught me that it was ok to love myself unconditionally, even when I knew I could be better.
I am only one of hundreds of young men to sit on that stool, talking to that compassionate and loving mother. As you read this, you might be one of those young men. You will know the stools I’m talking about, the tv on the counter playing Sooner games, the low hanging counter that would whack you on the head if you lost sight of it, the dogs running through the kitchen, and Kathy’s simple, yet powerful laugh.
In that kitchen, Kathy fed me physically and emotionally.
When Kathy would talk to me, she would look me in the eyes and call me by my name. Every time she said "Joel" it was powerful. It was as if she knew the man that was inside of that boys body and was recognizing that he was there. She treated me like the man I was to become, not the confused boy that I was.
Kathy gave me confidence.
It has been 10 years since I sat in that kitchen. Kathy no longer lives at that house, and I no longer live in that town.
Today I'm in front of my computer and Kathy is laying in a hospital bed. Kathy is in a fight for her life. Unfortunately Kathy’s heart is currently not in the fight. Kathy’s heart has been functioning at 25% for the past few days. This makes no sense to me because her heart has always been operating closer to 125% than to the 25% it is now. Over the past few days Kathy has fought back. Her gains are small but significant.
Kathy is still molding me.
Kathy is teaching me how to fight.
Kathy is giving me an opportunity to help. She is giving us the opportunity to help.
And that’s why I am here on GoFundMe.Com. I am here because Kathy is in a fight right now and if you are able to join that fight, you join that fight. It is known that hospital bills alone begin to pile up every day. Add physicians, tests, medication and other medical costs, as well as Nate and Tyler taking multiple days off of work, and one quickly arrives at a very large sum that doesn’t include anything but their immediate reality. If you are able to give, please give. And if you are one of those young men that she helped raise, please take the time to support this campaign and give back to a woman that has given so much, to so many.
Please know how much your support, love and hope means to the Burroughs and Carel family.
Thank you in advance for whatever contribution you can make; it is appreciated beyond words.
After you donate to this campaign, please join me in writing letters to all of the moms that helped mold you and me. For me, that list is long. And for that long list I am blessed.
Here is my first one:
Hi Kathy,
I just want you to know that you made a difference in my life. You taught me valuable lessons and helped me form my opinion about the world. You showed me how to treat people with respect. I am sorry that it has taken me this long to simply say thank you, but THANK YOU. Thank you for being a truly incredible mother to me. Thank you for letting me sleepover so often. Thank you for buying pay-per-views like the WWE live events and the Sooner games. Thanks for maintaining a pool for us to swim in all of those summers. Thank you for the birthday party invites and graduation presents. Thank you for introducing me guacamole! Thank you for raising Nathan and Tyler into the caring, funny men they are today.
I love you, Kathy.
Your son, Joel.
#KBhelpedmoldme #giveback #jointhefight
Organizer and beneficiary
Joel LaBahn
Organizer
El Reno, OK
Kathy Burroughs
Beneficiary