Dear Family and Friends,
Today would have been Summer’s 27th birthday. For me, this day has always been an emotionally intense one. There is no preparing for it; it just hits me hard. Yet, there is also joy. I love remembering her wacky ways and her outrageous sense of humor. She could always make me laugh!
Most of all, her birthday is a day to celebrate how she turned her darkness into something so bright. Even though she is no longer here physically, her compassion still radiates out into the world, touching the lives of kids still struggling with cancer.
No doubt, her actions inspired kids like nine-year-old Jocelyn, who spent years battling retinal cancer and lost an eye to the disease. She has given twelve Team Summer gifts (so far!) over the years, while we have watched her grow into a strong and confident girl. We could not be more proud of her!
Her most recent gift was to 12-year-old Dakota. I know Summer would have adored both these girls AND loved this gift especially! Here’s their story:
In 2019, Dakota was on top of the world. She was an aspiring actress booking some pretty big parts. She had just landed a leading role in a major movie when her life suddenly took a dramatic turn of its own.
It started with blurry vision in her left eye. Dakota’s pediatrician did some tests and quickly sent her to an eye doctor…who ordered an MRI. The results were devastating: Dakota had a brain tumor. Her movie career was put on indefinite hold.
Before long, Dakota lost all her hair…and her confidence. And it didn’t help that she was bullied at school for being bald. Because surgery was not an option with this tumor, Dakota has endured years of chemotherapy to keep the tumor at bay.
When Team Summer kid Jocelyn heard about Dakota’s struggles, she knew she wanted to help. We found out that Dakota had always wanted a bearded dragon (it’s a kind of lizard!). It turns out that Jocelyn already had one, so she knew how awesome they were! She was VERY excited about getting one for Dakota, too!
It took some doing, but eventually we found a perfect little guy for Dakota. We bought all the supplies, including live crickets for the bearded dragon to eat. (YIKES! That was a Team Summer first!) On the big day, Jocelyn knocked on Dakota’s door and introduced herself. She had a tiny box with her, but Dakota had no idea what was in it. She listened carefully as Jocelyn read her the welcome letter.
Then it was time for Dakota to open the box. Check out her reactions when she saw what was inside. Shock, joy, and, yes, tears! Her very own bearded dragon!
That’s him in her hand in the picture below. A tiny little thing!
That afternoon, the girls talked about all things dragon, and no one was thinking about cancer. They were busy dreaming up the perfect name for Dakota’s new best friend: Peaches!
If you don’t know anything about bearded dragons, then you are in for a shock, too! This is Peaches just five weeks later:
Dakota’s mom told us that this dragon is always right by Dakota’s side…or on her shirt!…that they are stuck together like glue. Jocelyn, you did SO good!!
Seeing Dakota and Peaches together reminded me of how after Summer’s cancer diagnosis, she longed for a kitten of her own, and Little Bear came into our lives. He was a rescue, just two months old. Like Dakota and Peaches, Little Bear and Summer were inseparable. He even came with us to Houston for Summer’s treatment at MD Anderson.
For all of his fans out there, Little Bear is doing great! At 11 years old, he’s still a rich chocolate brown with maybe a tad of gray. He’s slowing down a bit but still pretty much runs the household. And, of course, he’s not so little anymore. But as Summer would say, “He’s still little for a bear!”
Happy birthday, my baby girl. You were one of a kind, and I’m so lucky that I got to be your mom.
Much love,
Lynne Dale
President
Team Summer
If you feel so moved, please donate today in honor of Summer’s memory and vision.
