Gabe & Denise Reierson

Each day brings new lessons. Some we share. Some we face alone. Some bring us unbelievable joy. Some can be harsh. Few days are uneventful.

The 126 days between September 2nd & January 13th, for Gabe and Denise, have a powerful mixture of the above.

Gabe and Denise were married on September 2nd, in a small but joyous ceremony. This united two families into one. Gabe, with his son Jake and daughter Lauren, combining with Denise and her childen, Corra and Lanes, were now one family. A family of unique and talented individuals who shared a commitment and loving bond to each other. Jake was well into his welding classes, and already had job offers. Lauren & Corra, both very talented Seniors at Beaverton High School, were busy planning for the next phase in their lives. Lanes, the youngest professed a commitment to schoolwork and softball. With that template, they all looked forward with happy optimism.

In December, Denise graduated with a degree as a Registered Nurse.

Her steadfast dedication & hard work, was wholly supported by Gabe, family & friends. The joy & pride was contagious.

When Jake was young, he was diagnosed with kidney problems. He didn't let that affect his personality or outlook. While dealing with the illness, he achieved many goals, including playing Varsity football at Beaverton High School. One of his coaches wrote a letter, describing Jake as the finest person he had ever coached & challenged the more athletic players to learn from Jake's example of pure humanity, sportsmanship, & love of the game.

In those 126 days, Jake has was diagnosed with kidney failure. He has endured surgery to place a port in his abdomen for dialysis, and needs a transplant to survive. His care is extensive &, even with insurance, the out of pocket expenses are multiple thousands of dollars each month.

On January 13th, high winds caused a large fir tree to destroy Gabe & Denise's house. It went through 2 upstairs bedrooms & continued to the main floor. Minutes before, with the high winds, Denise had told Corra & Lanes to come downstairs. They had been in the 2 bedrooms. 2 cars were also heavily damaged. the concussions of the impact trapped Denise's hand & caused serious damage. Since the tree hit at an angle, the whole structure is a total loss.

Through this tragedy, the family has maintained perspective & are so thankful that they allsurvived. They have reached out to others, concerned with their safety, while dealing with their own challenges.

Gabe & Denise know what's important in life & are facing their situation with the grit that makes them so strong.