Hole In The Wall

Published on Saturday, September 29, 2012 by Katherine

My neighbor Heather shot her first gun at five years old. And hunting? A grouse at 12 and a deer at 14. That was in Washington State. Now she lives next door, across the country from her mother, father, family and church.

Not long after she and her husband moved in, her husband went on duty overseas. Yup. He is in the Navy. Out of the 28 months they have lived next door, Heather’s husband has been gone 17.

Do you know what she has done since she has been here? Taken care of the house by herself. The bills. The lawn. The trash. The shopping. The animals. The everything. She also got a full time job and bakes almost more than we can eat every time her husband leaves. (OK, so we get something good out of his absence. Let’s just say it is our way of keeping her busy.)

Do you know what else she started doing while her husband was away? Running. Picture the little girl who shot a gun at five years old running down the street, wincing from pain, dog leash tied to her waist with one of two dogs leading the way.

Then came her first full marathon, 26.2 miles. Her husband was able to track her progress from Afghanistan, calling her within three minutes of her finish to tell her how proud he was of her.

Before Heather’s first marathon, her friends and family wrote encouraging messages on a shirt and sent it all the way from Washington State!

Her next goal? THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON. She is raising money and awareness for a very special summer camp. It’s called, “Hole in the Wall Gang Camp” in Northeastern Connecticut.

This charity was founded by Paul Newman in the late 1980’s. The camp was created to give kids with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other seriousness illnesses a different kind of healing and an otherwise impossible opportunity for a summer camp experience.

Before you continue, please watch this video. Just click play. However, before you do, I am going to admit something. I turned it on, and by the SECOND LINE OF THE SONG I WAS BAWLING AND HAD TO TURN IT OFF. I haven’t watched the whole video. ONLY TWO LINES. But that shows what an amazing place this is.

THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. My neighbor Heather has promised to raise THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS to help children with cancer and other life threatening diseases to do something they never could have done under normal circumstances. What she does not raise, she has to find a way to provide.

Can you imagine making that commitment? Honestly, I would not have been able to. Raise $3,000 or pay what you do not raise. I am so proud of Heather. SO SO PROUD.

Proud enough that I am making a modest donation myself, and am asking if any of you can help too. ANY amount… it all adds up. I want to help in any way I can. I love Heather, and I love what she is doing. I don’t have enough money to make a significant dent, but I have an online voice that can help her reach her goal.

This young lady who is so far from home and family. Whose husband seems more away than in her arms. This crazy neighbor who makes my daughter constantly giggle by calling her Kiddoppotamus. She is the reason I’m using my blog to ask for help in her effort to help very sick children. That is just how she rolls – looking for ways to do for others.

If you are able, can you help Heather raise this money for these kids?

CLICK HERE TO HELP