Owens Hoop

 My closest and dearest friend, Jodie Hansen lives across the street. For the past five years our kids have grown up together running across the street to play. Also, for the past five years, I've watched the Hansens battle to find a diagnosis for their sweet son, Owen. Owen had been struggling with balance, muscle tone and growth yet all tests kept coming back inconclusive. I watched the tears and frustrations and fear of a mother who has advocated for her son day after day. I have seen Jodie fall apart, breaking under the stress of the unknown, and pick herself back up with a smile. Jodie is fiercely brave and strong. 

A couple of months ago, Owen was approved to take a very expensive test. This test was the absolute last step in his journey to a diagnosis. After the test, there was nothing else that could be done. Finally, the results came back and it was devastating. Owen has Ataxia Telangiectasia or AT. AT is a neurodegenerative disease. It will never get better. It comes with a shorten life span and a higher chance of cancer. Eventually, he will loose the strength to walk and use his body. He will end up in a wheel chair. It was not the diagnosis they were hoping for. 

The past couple of weeks have been hard, to say the least. The Hansens are trying to navigate a new normal. They are prepping their house for a major renovation to make it wheel chair accessible. Before that renovation happens, they will be pouring a third bay of concrete and were planning on installing a basketball hoop. Owen LOVES basketball. However, now a traditional basketball hoop just won't due. Not in the long run anyway. 

So, the boys wanted to help. They wanted to raise money to help pay for a handicap accessible hoop that will lower down to five feet. Austin Snarr came up with the idea of power raking yards and donating the proceeds to the Hansen family. Immediately everyone was on board. I reached out to people around the neighborhood and scheduled yards. People caught wind of what we were doing and the donations started pouring in. 

The Saturday we were scheduled to work, was forecasted to be really windy. We wanted to get done before the wind, so we started Friday night and we were able to put a good dent in our list of homes. Saturday came and I knew the winds would too. I prayed and prayed that we would be fast enough to finish the rest of the yards before the wind came. I am not lying when I say the first gust of wind came as we started to load the trailer of the last house. It was a miracle. God heard our prayers and we finished just in time. 

We were really hoping to make about $500. Between the work and incredible donations from our amazing neighbors, we raised a whopping $2000! We paid for the hoop in whole. The boys were ecstatic and could not wait to give Owen the check.  There were tears and hugs and the best feelings all around as we presented it to the Hansens.

I am so proud of all the boys. They worked so hard and never complained. They saw a need and filled it. They have the best hearts. It was a great lesson in compassion and hard work. I hope they never forget how good it feels to help people.