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Beth & Kelsey’s Story BETH BRAA AND KEL SEY KEEG AN O F GARRE T SON A R E T WO PEAS I N A PO D. FO URTEEN- YEAR-OLD KE L S E Y, WHO WAS BO RN WI TH CEREBRAL PALSY, S TA R TED L I VI NG WI TH HER G RANDFATHER, K E VIN , AN D B E T H WHEN SHE WAS 8 M O NTHS O L D. KEV IN , BE T H’S LON G - TERM BOYFRI END, DI ED RECENTLY. A LT HOUGH B E T H H AS BEEN KEL SEY’ S PRI M ARY CARETA K E R F OR MA N Y YEARS, SHE I S NOW HER O NLY FUL L-T IME PA R E N T. “KEVI N PASSED AWAY I N M AY AND M Y WORLD GOT A LOT HARDER. THI NG S WE TO O K FOR GRAN T E D, W E A LWAYS DI D AS A TAG TEAM . TI M E M AN AGE ME NT H A S B EEN THE HARDEST THI NG TO G ET A HANDLE ON . I H AV E TO DO HI S PART AND M Y PART,” BETH SAID, LOOK I NG AT KEL SEY, “ BUT WE’ RE DO I NG A LRIGHT, A R E N ’ T WE? ” A LTHO UG H THERE I S NO BLO O D CO NN E CT ION, T H E LOVE BETWEEN TWO I S PAL PABL E. BET H WORK S F U L L - T I M E AT BROWN AND SAENG ER, A SI OUX FA L L S -BASED O FFI CE SUPPLY CO M PANY. A RE T IRE D
F RIE N D STAYS WIT H K E LSE Y F OR A F E W HOURS AF T E R SCHOOL, MAK IN G IT POSSIBLE F OR BE T H TO CON T IN UE WORK IN G, BUT T HE RE IS LIT T LE T IME F OR AN Y T HING E LSE . LIK E MAN Y PARE N T S OF CHILDRE N WIT H SPE CIAL NE E DS, BE T H’S DE VOT ION TO K E LSE Y IS ALL-CONSUMIN G. BE T H WAS N OMINAT E D F OR 6 0 5 ’S N E W Y E AR’S MAK E OVE R BY COWORK E R JAN ORTON, WHO WROT E TO US, “BE T H IS A PE RSON WHO HAS T HE BIGGE ST HE ART. SHE NE VE R DOE S F OR HE RSE LF, SHE ALWAYS DOE S F OR OT HE RS, E SPE CIALLY K E LSE Y. SHE ALWAYS PUT S HE RSE LF LAST. I T HOUGHT IT WAS T IME SHE PUT HE RSE LF F IRST.” WE AGRE E D WIT H JAN, AN D DE CIDE D TO TAK E IT A ST E P F URT HE R. K E LSE Y WOULD GE T A MAK E OVE R, TOO. T HE Y SPE N T A T RANSF ORMAT IVE E VE NING AT BE LLE TOUCHE SALON & SPA F OR HAIR AND MAK E UP, T HE N AT L COUT URE BOUT IQUE TO CHOOSE AN OUT F IT T HAT WOULD MAK E T HE M F E E L LIK E T HE IR BE ST SE LVE S.
THIS IS KELSEY ’S FIRST TIME HAVING H ER HAIR C OLORED, AN D TH E FIRST TIME EITHE R WOMAN HAD THEIR MAK EUP PROFESSIONALLY APPL IED. “THE MOST AT HOM E I’VE EVEN D ON E IS A LIT TL E EYE SHAD OW AN D MASCARA. THIS IS THE FIRST TIM E GET TING THE WOR KS,” SAID BETH, MOTION ING TOWARD KELSEY, “THIS IS A LOT OF FIRSTS FOR H ER. SH E’S N EVER HAD HER MAK EUP D ON E. JUST A L IT TL E LIP STICK AT H ER MOM ’S WEDDING .”