Get Debby to England!

In the spirit of Christmas and friendship, I am trying to raise funds to purchase airline tickets for my dear friend Deb to fly from Colorado to England. She is a single mother of three girls and has endured unthinkable tragedy and hardship over the past few years. I won’t air her trials in public, but the toll of familial and financial loss she’s had to power through is staggering. Easily, this woman is one of the strongest I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

In October, her twin sister Dawn, also a dear friend of mine for almost 30 years, suffered an horrific accident: while skydiving with friends in Portugal, her parachute didn’t deploy properly. Dawn had performed hundreds of successful dives prior and how she even survived this fall... I just cannot fathom. Her injuries were extensive and there was little hope for any sort of recovery. But Dawn? Also made of the same rock solid strength of her twin, she is progressing every day. I don’t use the word ‘’miraculous,” but there’s no other way to describe how someone with the amount of trauma she sustained is making the strides she is now. It’s one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever been witness to.

Dawn is now recovering in a hospital in England, where her husband works for the US Air Force. Deb hasn’t seen her since their father‘s funeral over a year ago and desperately wants to be with her “Sissy LaLa,” who she very nearly lost just weeks ago. Like many of us, paying for international airfare without saving for years isn’t an easy endeavor, especially so when you’re raising 3 girls on your own.

I’d love to surprise her with money for the flight for Christmas. (PLEASE: if Deb, Dawn, John or Karen are your Facebook friends, do not share this without excluding them from the post!!) Any additional funds raised will be sent along with Deb to give Dawn’s family to help with the expenses of which they’re (gratefully) burdened.

Thank you from the bottom of my very full heart.

Kate/Katherine