Something Happy for Makenzie - Taylor Swift 2024

Hospital gowns, needles, IVs, appointments, surgeries, and overnight stays... these are all things that are all too familiar for our amazing Makenzie! This girl has been through more heartbreak, exhaustion, and bad news than anyone I know throughout her life. Through it all, she has continued to give her all at work, to her family, her church, her volunteer responsibilities with the Miss Utah's Teen organization, and to her close friends. I know her trials have helped her become the woman she is, but I also know how tired she is.

Back in 2018, after 4 years of trying to conceive on their own and through IUI, Justin and Makenzie were about to start the first round of IVF when she found out she was pregnant. She lost this little baby not too far into her pregnancy, which was completely devastating, but she didn't give up hope. It was then time for her journey with IVF to conceive her little Savvy girl to begin. That pregnancy was a roller coaster of medical appointments, bad news, and then a miracle delivery of a perfectly healthy baby girl, who until then, was expected to be born with life altering disabilities.

Several years later, Makenzie began her second IVF journey and was blessed with a perfect red headed baby boy, Mak. During this pregnancy, Kenz had made the decision to opt out of a girls trip to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Not knowing what her life may look and feel like with a brand new baby (especially after the experiences she had with Sav), she had decided to not go.

When little Mak was only 3 months old, on September 26th of this year, Makenzie found herself at the Oncology unit at IMC with a diagnosis of Stage 3B Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Long story short, she ended up having half of her ear removed along with many lymph notes. She had skin grafts taken from numerous parts of her body, including her other ear and neck. Her ear was successfully reconstructed, and we all thought that would be the end of it, other than a year of immunotherapy which has its own set of challenges.

Well, friends, last week Makenzie had a CT scan that came back abnormal. After an MRI, they have decided to send her back to Oncology for more biopsies. This amazing woman cannot catch a break. Our rock, confidant, go-getter, and fierce lover and fighter is possibly needing to continue her fight, longer than anticipated. We are hopeful that her results come back as nothing to worry about, but until then, we want to give her a little bit of sunshine.

What I am hoping to accomplish with this Go Fund Me is to purchase a ticket and travel arrangements for Kenz to attend the Eras tour at the end of this year. 

Today, in a text exchange she and I had about missing the concert, she said “I let my fears and possibilities of being uncomfortable get in the way of doing something I really wanted to do. If there's anything that this journey has taught me.... is to just do things I wanna do. Quit being scared of being uncomfortable” I really, REALLY want to help her do exactly that. 

Ticket prices are STEEP, as you all know, (around $2000 each) so we will do our best to raise enough funds for this. If it ends up not being possible, we will let her use the funds as she chooses for a trip wherever she would like (but I think we all know she will choose to go to Disneyland!)

I know Kenz is loved and adored by so many. She is the kindest person I know, I have seen her time and time again put her needs aside to help others. I know I have been the recipient of this myself many times, even as she has been going through her cancer journey. She works so hard, along with Justin, to provide their children a beautiful life. She loves her 3 kids so much, her stepson Daxton, Savvy, and Mak, and I know they are on the forefront of her mind with every decision she makes, and every medical diagnosis she receives. I have never had a friend like her, and I want to do something for her to reciprocate what she's done for all of us.

Thank you