Amanda was a friend of mine growing up. She was the younger sister of one my life-long friends, Alexis. Whenever I visited their house, Amanda always knew how to make it feel like it was my home too with her bubbly and outgoing personality. She would “dig for the deets” of my love life, make fun of Alexis and I fangirl-ing over our favorite boyband, and join us for movie snuggles. She was the little sister I always wanted.
With her upbeat personality, you would never believe that she was struggling through a life-altering chronic illness called Pulmonary Hypertension. That confidence, no doubt, was partially from her days spent at North Star Reach Camp— a camp for kids with chronic illnesses designed to increase independence, confidence, hope and a sense of belonging.
We recently lost Amanda, and her wish was to provide the same incredible, life-changing experiences that she had to other kids with serious health challenges. This camp is free for these kids and their families thanks to generous donors.
I will be running a 5K on October 2 to raise money for North Star Reach Camp. Please consider donating to this non-profit organization that genuinely makes dreams come true.
https://www.northstarreach.org/about-us/overview/
