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Inpsirational La Foret Camper featured on 9News
Click here for the video.
A story I have to share. The link above is a news clip I stumbled upon last night and was thrilled to see.
A little background:
For 4 years several of us from Columbine were involved counseling and directing at Voyager Music Camp at La Foret. Two of those years we had a young girl in a wheelchair named Tiffany. She'd been in an accident at age 5 with her mother that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Her mother had been killed in the accident and her grandparents were raising her. They very much wanted a "normal camp" experience for her, since she was sharp as a tack and didn't enjoy other camps for handicapped kids.
We all thought the world of her and did whatever we could to make the camp experience work and she loved it. Barb Rudolf was her buddy for numerous trips and tasks, along with keeping an eagle's eye on the pool when she and friends were bobbing for rings until exhausted. We always found roles in the musicals for her to shine, and she would roll around the stage with pizazz. I think I even remember her "breakdancing" in her wheelchair in a circle of kids on the last night.
The memory that brings tears to my eyes EVERY time I tell it is the day we walked the Labyrinth. Tiffany wanted badly to participate, as she did with everything. There was no way that little wheelchair could navigate the rock path. She has a pretty small build, so Charlie Simmons offered to carry her. I'm not sure he realized what he was offering and was pretty tired by the end! The 2nd miracle was that 40 middle schoolers were actually quietly walking the labyrinth. It was my first experience walking one, and every time I passed Charlie carrying Tiffany, I was so moved I teared-up. She was able to be part of everything with us, including a prayer walk, because no one, including Tiffany, was willing to let any limitations get in the way.
So, the other night we'd almost turned off the news, but caught one more story about a courageous girl overcoming a lot of hurdles to be on a cross-country team in Buena Vista. I caught my breath: I KNOW her! Then they said the name: it was Tiffany! The story got even better: she's not only "running" on the cross-country team, she's inspired her coach who has only one leg to start running again as well!
Click on the link, read the story and watch the video. This isn't any kind of sappy email story that you wonder if it's REALLY true. I absolutely know this is real. Enjoy!
Rev. Rebecca Kemper Poos
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