I’m so excited to share with each and every one of you how Kurt’s Cause came to life. For the past several years something has been missing in my life. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a wonderful family that I adore and the truly best friends in the world. I lost my younger brother, Kurt Wyatt, on May 2, 1981, so I knew that HE was missing in my life, but it was even more than that. I felt like I s
hould be doing more with my life, like I just wasn't doing enough, even though at times I’m exhausted and need more time! I have thought of several different things to do over the years, in Kurt’s name, but never acted upon them, until now, until the total devastation that took place in the little town of OSO, Washington, on March 22, 2014. It was a devastation that claimed 43 lives, and affected so many more. It was at this time that “I KNEW”. My own family has experienced our own devastation over the years, so the mudslide in OSO touched my heart to the core. I grew up in the small town of Hamilton, WA, and in the 1970’s the Skagit River flooded, and it flooded us out of our home. We had 2 inches of standing water that soaked everything that my parents were not able to get stacked up out of its way. We lost a lot of material items, and had to deal with the mess, washing the silt and watermarks off of the walls, the cleanup. We had to rip out flooring, replace flooring, spend days drying out the house and the floors. Clean up the silt that had accumulated under the house. It was a huge mess. Then in the late 1970’s while we were living in a 10 x 60 trailer house, while our new 4 bedroom home was being built in the small town of Birdsview, Washington, on a New Year’s Eve, the oil furnace in our trailer caught fire while we were all at home, and it burned to the ground, taking all material items with it. All of us were able to escape, unharmed, thank God! We lost EVERYTHING! We lost all of our belongings, we lost our clothing, and we lost our home. But we were all alive! Our saving grace was our house in Hamilton was still empty and getting ready for sale, so we had a place to go. As I mentioned earlier, on May 4, 1981, our family was finally brought to our knees when we received the news that my 16 year old brother, Kurt, had died in the Bering Sea on May 2, 1981. We were lead to believe that he had committed su***de. It didn't sound right. It didn't sound like something that he would do, but what choice did we have? We had no choice but to believe what we had been told. So, my family also understands death, and we respect those families that have to deal with a loved one taking their own life. This is what we believed for over 23 years. Now it gets even more difficult. Around Thanksgiving of 2004 our family learned that Kurt did not take his own life. A man, (a monster) admitted three times on paper and recording, that he in fact took Kurt’s life. In my family’s hearts, my brother had died again. We had to deal with his loss, and his death yet again. This was devastating, and to this day hard to deal with, and a whole story of its own. My point is this; my family knows heartache, disaster, and the loss of an immediate family member. We understand it, we feel it, we live with it and we have to deal with it each and every day. And I suppose it is for this reason that the total devastation that has taken place in the town of OSO, WA, has touched my heart so closely. As odd as it may sound to some of you, I honestly feel blessed in my life, and I feel that I have the ability and the capability to help others, those that for no reasons of their own now find themselves struggling and hurting, and facing daily challenges. According to my mom my compassion started at a very young age of about 5 when I got two identical dolls for Christmas. Without being asked to do so, I suggested that we give one of my dolls to a little girl less fortunate than me; after all, I didn't need two identical dolls. So why not share? I have since then had the opportunity as an adult to rally at one of my jobs during an upcoming Christmas holiday season. I had about 150 coworkers or so and I asked each of them to donate whatever they could for the next three months. Whether it was the change on their paychecks, change in an ashtray, or even dollars that they were comfortable donating. I don’t recall the exact amount that I was able to pool together, but with the help of coworkers we were able to raise enough money to give three of our coworkers $300 - $500 each, so that they and their families could eat well and have a nice Christmas that otherwise would not have been afforded. My coworkers didn't even know which families we were helping. They were just happy to help. At another job I was able to gather a couple hundred dollars and a carload of food for a family that had fallen on hard times. I started the “Got a can, leave a can. Need a can, take a can” box at work. I witnessed people donating to the food box, and I noticed it emptying at times as well. Together we were helping others. Then through family I learned of a young mom with four children who had just been diagnosed with cancer, and then within just days she lost her husband, her children lost their dad. Together with YOU and several people on Facebook, we were able to gift her family with several Christmas items, guaranteeing that she and her children would have the best Christmas possible despite the tragedy that they had just been dealt. And with YOUR help, I was able to present her with a $1,400+ check to help with her medical bills. I am happy to report that she finally received a bone marrow transplant, and is now healthy and enjoying life with her children. Her medical bills still continue, and she still struggles to pay them. But she is alive, and her children have their mama! A couple of years ago I had a coworker who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is my age, so this really hit me. She was so strong and actually had to console ME as she told me that she was going to have to have a single mastectomy in just a few short days. I was crushed for her. She is such a good person. So, I took it upon myself to ask the people at my work to help raise some money for her, to help lift her spirits, and to give her some spending money to purchase some new clothing items that none of us would never know that you would require after this surgery. Together with coworkers, in just a short couple of weeks we were able to present her with $500 to help her feel just a little bit better. She will never forget this, and it truly helped her. I share these stories with you because they are all stories of people who, through no fault of their own, had some sort of misfortune put a difficult twist into their everyday lives. Each of us has the ability to help others in one way or another. It seems as though my gift and my ability is to pool people together, to rally my friends, and your friends, to bring it all together to help people, to help many. So, it is for this reason that Kurt’s Cause finally came to life. I just can’t sit by any longer, when social media has given me the opportunity to reach so many of you (and yours) and ask for help to help others. A little bit of change from each of you actually offers so much change for another life. Your “little bit” doesn't seem like much until it is pooled together with somebody else’s little bit, and then it becomes a lot. And it feels so good to help others. And they are so appreciative of the help. My heart is in this and my actions prove it. And I want to do it in my brother’s name so that he is never forgotten. He didn't even live to be 17 years old, yet he touched so many lives. My plan is to have a special section on his page “Kurt’s Cause”, so that I may share our family’s special stories with you, and even some pictures. I also plan to have a special section for those of you who knew Kurt personally to leave your special thoughts and memories. Kurt will live on through this page, your efforts and my efforts. I can NOT do this without you. I am counting on each and every one of you, and your friends, and their friends to help get Kurt’s Cause out there, to inform the public, and to do everything humanly possible to help others in one way or another. My goal is to be prepared before the need is there. I want to help raise money for the upcoming need. I don’t want to be caught behind the 8-ball. I want for US to be able to help immediately when somebody needs it. I have big ideas, big plans, big goals, and I can’t do it alone. I will need YOUR HELP. A few cents from each of you, and you talking about Kurt’s Cause will allow us to do just that. I’m counting on YOU!
