Makenzie's Live, Laugh, Breathe Carnival –> is TOMORROW! TOMORROW! After months and months of planning and organizing the BIG day is almost here. Kendra has poured her heart and soul into making tomorrow a day full of fun… a day of magical entertainment… for families, for children, for everyone. If you are in Utah or know anyone in Utah…PLEASE support this wonderful event, spread the word, let all your friends know that this is going to be a day of fun, laughter, entertainment…and you don't want to miss it!
And…it is a day of celebration… a day to honor the life of a beautiful angel — Makenzie Rye Webster…
My life began on July 18th 2009. The day my daughter was born. Makenzie Rye Webster.
She was perfect.
Our life was perfect.
Everyday was filled with unlimited amounts of unconditional love.
Around her 2 month birthday Makenzie started having trouble breathing. Every doctor we talked to said it was something she would grow out of. As much as I wanted to believe that, I knew deep down there was something more.
November 17th. Makenzie was hospitalized at Primary Children's Hospital in SLC Utah with oxygen levels in the low 70's. Test were done for days. We couldn't find any answers and Makenzie was getting worse. They took her to the PICU and intubated her.
Finally – she could breathe.
It was the most beautiful, most horrible thing to see. To see her that sick, yet so desperate to give her some level of comfort. After several other test we were told she most likely had SMA. We were praying, begging for some miracle. We had never heard of SMA, but once we learned what it is… our dreams seemed to crumble.
Over the next couple weeks we planned our life to accept that SMA is now apart of our family. We put our house up for sale, were selling all of our belongings and getting ready to do whatever we needed to care for our daughter and give her the life she deserves.
My husband and I kept telling each other everyday:
Our dreams are just changing – and that's okay. As long as we have each other…
that's all that mattered.
We will now be dreaming of taking her home, cherish time with her…
Makenzie's smiles and laughs…
December 1st. SMA tests came back negative.
December 2nd. We were told she did not have SMA, but most likely another more rare form of it: SMARD.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy with Respiratory Distress.
She is at the best she will be. She will deteriorate but they were unsure of how quickly.
They know little about SMARD.
We were given our options.
It wasn't about us anymore. It never should have been. We would have kept her forever. We would have changed our whole world for her.
I didn't want to ask Makenzie because I knew what she would say. I kept it to myself. Only for a couple days before I asked what she wanted.
I got my answer.
It was in the middle of a CPT/cough assist. She hated it. I was helping hold her just like I did every 3 hours. She looked me in the eye and through her tubes, through the CPT- she was crying. A silent cry. Tears were falling down her cheeks. She wouldn't stop looking at me. I knew then.
She was ready.
She was done.
She did more than I could have asked her to do in a full lifetime.
She completed my life. She gave me love, passion, hope, dedication, strength and so much more.
Makenzie Rye Webster returned to heaven December 13, 2009.
She changed our world, but now she is supposed to change the whole world.
I will carry her name.
I will do everything I can do to show the world who Makenzie is. I will see in my lifetime a cure for SMA and SMARD.
No other baby will have to miss their first birthday. No other Mother will have to bury their child. No other Father will lose their little buddy.
That's my dream. That's my goal. To do my part, to ensure my daughter's name lives on.
I started MRW Live, Laugh, Breathe. For the rest of my life I will organize projects to help carry on her legacy.
The first – Makenzies Live, Laugh, Breathe Event.
Saturday, July 17th, 2010.
A huge carnival fundraiser. In Farmington, Utah.
There will be:
face painters, bounce house, food, kenzie boutique, princess parties, scales and tails, cotton candy, live bands, belly dancers, dj, snow cones, obstacle course, tattoo station, silent auction + so much more!!!
It will be an amazing event.
My goal is to raise $10,000 for the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation to help end this horrible disease.
We will be honoring Makenzie's life.
Please help Kendra celebrate Makenzie's life and fight the disease that took her. This is going to be a truly special day. The fun begins at 3:00 at Shepard Park in Farmington, Utah. Saturday, July 17th. There is so much for everyone and it is only $8 admission!
Admission: $8 per person
-children 1 and under are free-
that includes 1 meal ticket and 1 voucher for the fishing pond.
With the meal ticket you will get
+1 hot dog
+1 drink
+1 bag of chips
= Dinner!
With your admission that also includes all the amazing activities you can handle.
There is the bounce house, clowns, magicians, princesses, obstacle course, bean bag toss, balloon animals, balls, balloons for kenzie, scales and tails, UFO's, information booths, football toss, bubble machine, play ground, live music, tattoo station, dancers, Pinata and so much more!
The other costs are:
- snow cones: $1
- cotton candy: $1
- face painters: $2
- popsicles: 2 for $1
- fishing pond: 2 for $1
- raffle: $10 for 5 tickets
- silent auction – depends on items.
- kenzie boutique – depends on item.
- And a motorcycle Ride For Life pre-event was just added!
This is truly an incredible day for an incredible little girl. Spread the word – have fun and help support an amazing cause. Lets raise that $10,000 for SMA research and then some!!!
Visit the MRW Live, Laugh Breathe website for more details.