Support for Kaelynn Chabot and Family

It brings such sadness to share we lost an incredible and loving father, Jim Chabot, on Monday. Jim passed suddenly from an unforeseen pulmonary embolism - he is now watching over his amazingly talented, warm-hearted, beautiful daughter Kaelynn Chabot.

Kaelynn is 12 years old – she is understandably having a very difficult time processing the loss of her father and holding on to so many questions that do not have answers and so many that possibly never will. Being 12 years old there are numerous precious milestones ahead which she will travel through without her dad, a dad that was incredibly loving and supportive, a dad who always attended her events, a dad who made sure she knows she has a voice and that her opinions matter, a dad who encouraged her to reach outside of her comfort zone in school, activities, and with friendships.

They say smiles are contagious, and as we know both Jim and Kaelynn share the same beautiful smile, however, it is the caring personality that Kaelynn caught from Jim that captivates everyone she meets. The level of caring Kaelynn shows towards her two younger siblings (Adeline and Ronnie), her mom (Samantha), and her aunt and grandparents (who she helps her mom take care of) is remarkable and far exceeds her age.

The act of caring is expressed in a variety of ways and is often open to interpretation – Though no interpretation was needed when it came to Jim and Kaelynn. From the moment Kaelynn was born to the spontaneous fulfillment of burrito cravings, Jim was at his happiest when he was with his beautiful daughter. Jim saw to it that Kaelynn will always know how much she is loved and will always feel how much he loves her.

In addition to being a truly caring individual, Jim was also extremely selfless – he put our country before himself. He served in the United States Air Force - “Aim High…Fly-Fight-Win.”

Jim, we thank you for your service.

Jim lived the motto of the U.S. Air Force and raised his daughter with those principles. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of getting to know Kaelynn, she spreads her wings out wide, has her eyes set on the prize, expects a great deal from herself, and has the resilience to not allow others to hinder her success.

Summer has always been Jim and Kaelynn’s favorite season for joint adventures, they always found the best places to explore. The overwhelming amount of sadness seen in Kaelynn’s eyes when she mentioned they had already made plans for this summer is heartbreaking. As a community let’s help her continue to seek adventure and hold onto her love of exploration.

We would like to ask for your help and support on two levels –

- Sustaining Kaelynn’s needs today and in the many years to come. We want to make sure her daily life is not impacted and that her needs do not go unmet from an economic standpoint as life shifts from being supported by two parents to one. We need to make sure Kaelynn can continue to participate in and have the equipment needed for the many year-round sports she loves. It is also extremely imperative the pursuit of educational wants and goals (college) stay a reality. Let’s continue to show Kaelynn we know she can do it!

-Unexpected Expenses. With Jim’s passing being completely unexpected and very sudden Kaelynn’s family has incurred an alarming amount of unforeseen expenses. While Kaelynn’s mom and dad are no longer married, Kaelynn is Jim’s only child and he did not remarry. We want to remove these unforeseen expenses from Kaelynn and her family allowing them to process, grieve and heal.

Any support you are able to contribute to help Kaelynn is appreciated beyond belief.

Kaelynn said yesterday – “I used to be your angel, now you are mine.”

Please keep Kaelynn and her family in your thoughts and prayers.