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Kenny Rogers Children’s Center
We Treat Children Like Our Own
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Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Speech Therapy
CENTERPIECE
December 2011
573-472-0397
www.kennyrogerscenter.org
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Giving
Thanks
Charity Walk total:
$25,170!
We’ve all heard that when you give, it comes back ten-fold. KRCC has been blessed with the ability to provide therapy services
for over 38 years, but we are truly the lucky ones – seeing directly the impact we make on a child’s life and their family’s lives.
Please read the story about the Tyler Family and how Becky and Ed’s love for the Lord has brought together this incredible family.
I tell Becky weekly that she is an Angel on earth as she and Ed have opened their hearts and their homes and have created a
wonderfully unique family; Ed, Becky, Hannah, Andrew, Lottie and Samuel.
Have a Blessed Christmas,
Michelle Fayette, Executive Director
The Tyler’s Family Journey – A Story of Heartbreak, Love and Faith
From the beginning, Ed and I knew adoption was the call of
One of the best things about KRCC is that although our
our hearts. Our first two children were Andrew in 1995 and
therapists are patient and compassionate, they are not
Hannah in 1996. We had sponsored children through Holt
wimps! They challenge our children to reach new goals and
International, an organization that has helped families find
expect their best effort. Each therapist is creative and makes
children for adoption into loving homes since 1996.
the session fun. There is always a lot of laughter mixed in with
On June 5, 2003, our oldest child, Andrew, had a massive
the hard work.
heart attack during swim practice. He went from being a
We are fond of everyone in the center. There is such a
perfectly healthy, normal, active 11 year old little boy to being
family feel. We are especially partial to our three assigned
in a near vegetative state with a trach, feeding tube and
therapists, Carol, Misty, and Mary. If Samuel or Lottie sees
24 hour care. Our lives, especially his, were turned upside
one of them out and about, they always inquire about the
down. With the help of many family members and friends,
other two. In their minds, if you see one, the other two won’t
my husband Ed, my daughter Hannah, and I started a new
be far behind!
norm which included intense therapy and care for Andrew.
And even though as mom I am not officially on the therapy
Suddenly, on October 27, 2004, Andrew went into distress
list, I receive emotional therapy and support being part of
and the Lord called him home. Andrew was set free from his
the KRCC family. We knew Samuel and Lottie had special
broken body, but for those of us left behind, life would never
challenges when we adopted them, but none of us knew
be the same.
Andrew had been born with Long QT syndrome. That one
Through a series of events, the Lord began to stir our
took us completely by surprise, as I suppose is probably the
hearts toward adoption again in 2007. This was difficult. I
case with most KRCC parents. As a parent of a hurt child, you
vividly remember telling the Lord during my prayer time that
eventually begin to adapt to the “new norm” and accept that
He could not replace the child He had taken. Immediately, the
life does not always happen the way you thought it would. It
soft words that came into my mind were, “I’m not replacing
is such a blessing to be in weekly contact with other parents
anyone. I’m adding to your family.”
who understand this.
The child it seemed He was going to add was Hai (now
Living with special challenges actually is the “norm” for
called Samuel) a little boy in a Vietnamese orphanage with no
KRCC families and everyone really is living! KRCC is a place
hands or feet. We had already been through so much heart
of hope and joy. We count it as a huge blessing in our lives
break and exhausting therapy and rehabilitation. Did we really
and praise God that we have such a place so close to home.
want to take on this challenge? Could this really be God’s
We ask God’s blessings on each therapist and staff member.
plan for us? After much prayer and watching Nick, President
We praise Him for the generosity of every donor. May God
of lifewithoutlimbs.org, we were convinced that this was
continue to bless children and their families through KRCC
indeed God’s plan for our family.
and may we each be a blessing to them in return! Merry
On July 4, 2008, we landed in America with Samuel Tyson
Christmas, KRCC Family!
Tyler, then 4 years old! We took him to Shriner’s Hospital
and had
him fitted for prosthetic legs. We soon discovered,
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however, that he was also language delayed. After about a
year, this problem had not corrected itself. We came to the
Kenny Rogers Children’s Center to inquire about speech
therapy. Samuel was put on the waiting list along with Lottie,
the little girl we were adopting from China with Cerebral
Palsy. We also discovered later that she, too, had speech
challenges.
Not too long after arriving home with Lottie, a spot at KRCC
opened up for both children. Wow! How do you put into words
the fabulous professional treatment and care you receive at
KRCC?! Lottie and Samuel love to come to therapy. They
have both improved dramatically in their speech. It is common
for folks to comment, “Oh, I understand him/her so much
(Above) Hannah, Lottie, Ed, Rebecca, Andrew (in photo) and
better!” Lottie is knocking people’s socks off as her walking
Samuel pose for a family Christmas photo in 2010.
continues to improve following her recent surgery.
2012 Telethon: March 17-18
Kenny Rogers Children’s Center
We Treat Children Like Our Own
Charity Walk
This year’s 38th Annual Charity Walk had a total of
120 participants, walkers, helpers and cooks. We
raised $12,126 and we still have some money coming
in! Thank you to everyone who came out for the Walk
this year!
Fundraising Ideas for Telethon
Mark your calendars now for the 32nd annual Telethon.
March will be here before you know it and there are lots of
ways you can participate. Take a look at these past events
and ideas from our creative families:
Jeans Day at work, Raffles, Bake Sale, Dollar Drive/
Penny Drive, Car Wash and Benefit Bingo Night.
Call 472-0397 for ideas…Be creative and have FUN!
Poker Run raises $3000
Top Fundraisers this year:
Top Corporate Fundraiser: Pullen Bros. Trucking
Scott County: Julia McMillen
Mississippi County: Alex Rendon
New Madrid County: Carson McClarty
Other Counties: Lucy Thornton
We want to send a special Thank
You to members of Sikeston’s
Pack 41 who helped with set
up and clean up the day before
as well as the day of the Walk.
THANK YOU!
(Pictured Left): Cameron Mullin and
Brayden Green, Pack 41.
Attention KRCC Parents & Supporters!
From time to time, we need to get information out fast!
If you would like to be kept informed of last minute events
please email us at lsmith@kennyrogerscenter.org to be
added to our broadcast.
Database Housekeeping
Please help us clean up our database.
If you are receiving multiple newsletters, if you are encountering
misspellings or need an address change, let us know! We are
more than happy to make any necessary changes for you.
On Saturday, October 8 Tony
Mullins and Roger Overbeck hosted
the 2nd Annual Poker Run for KRCC
throughout Illinois. The ride started
and ended at L & D Patio in McCLure,
IL. The event was a success!
There were a total of 30 bikes that
participated as well as a silent auction
and a liquor wagon raffle. The wagon
was donated back by the winner to
be auctioned off as an additional
fundraiser which brought in more than
$400!
Tony and Roger said they are
“looking forward to the 3rd Annual
Poker Run! Overall we think that
everyone that came out enjoyed it
and we hope they had a great time.
We are committed to moving forward
with the event and we hope to make it
bigger and better each year!”
Keller Breuer, who receives
therapy at the Center,
spends some quality time
with Roger Overbeck and
Tony Mullins at the Poker
Run.
“We were so happy that
Keller and his mom came
out to the Poker Run again
this year! Everyone really
enjoyed spending time with
him and seeing just what
the Center does,” said
Overbeck.
US Bank makes donation
(Pictured Right)
US Bank presented KRCC with
PRSRT STD
a grant check in the amount of
U.S. POSTAGE
$500 towards general
PAIDoperating
cost and
to helpNO.
with
PERMIT
6 the
MO
7000 sq. ft. SIKESTON,
building expansion.
**For more information on any of the events listed above or if you
would like more information about the Kenny Rogers Children’s
Center, please call 573-472-0397 Ext. 212 or e-mail us at lsmith@
kennyrogerscenter.org.
Check out our new website at
www.kennyrogerscenter.org!
Look us up on
Facebook.
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 6
SIKESTON, MO