Promise to Kate

Promise to Kate Team

I am fortunate enough to have a special friend that I met after moving to Jacksonville. Her name is Elizabeth, but we all call her "Bissy".  Bissy gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Kate, in 2009. Shortly after birth, Kate was diagnosed with Congenital Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy that affects the relaxation of muscles. Bissy and her husband Dave are incredible people, parents, and Kate is very blessed to have such a supportive family. She goes to physical therapy several times a week and has progressed so much in her short 2 years. By the devotion of her parents, family, and therapists, Kate is now able to sit up, crawl, stand, kneel, communicate, and...yes, WALK!

We participated in the MDA Muscle Walk as the Promise to Kate Team. We sported black and hot pink attire and walked around the Avenues Mall. Kate used her walker during the walk, and then at the end, she showed us her stuff by taking a few steps on her own!! What a moment. You can only imagine the tears flowing down my face.

This is just a reminder, that no matter how bumpy the road is, there are so many great outcomes...sometimes just in different packages than we expected. Bissy and Dave are so inspirational and I look to them for guidance in so many ways. Your life can change in a moment, the little things may not matter anymore, but with the love and guidance of your friends, family, and God, anything is possible. Thank you Conte Family for inviting me to a be a part of Promise to Kate. I look forward to walking beside you in the future!