glo Girls: Kennedy + Columbia Dempsey

By Stacie Ball | Photo Provided

Kennedy and Columbia Dempsey had a terrifying first week of life. Their family found out that Kennedy had a life-threatening condition with only a 50% survival rate. Love, courage, and the Mad Anthony’s Children’s Hope House (MACHH) saw them through, and the girls have decided to turn their early misfortune into a blessing for others.

Kennedy was born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a condition that allows organs to move through a hole in her diaphragm. She had her first surgery when she was just 4 days old. Her parents were devastated to learn that she would be transferred away from them. They were fortunate to learn about the Hope House, which would allow them to be close to their daughter.

“The Hope House isn’t just a place to sleep; it was our home,” shared Jennifer Dempsey, the girls’ mother. “They gave us the emotional support we needed to make it through a stressful time.”

MACHH provided the family a room to stay near the hospital and close to their daughter and took the time to get to know them. The Dempseys felt that the Hope House truly cared.

Kennedy and Columbia’s first birthday was cause for great celebration and thankfulness. In lieu of presents, they asked for items to be donated to the Hope House. This started an annual tradition of collecting items to be donated to either the Hope House or the NICU. When the girls were old enough to contribute their own ideas, fundraising efforts took on a whole new dynamic.

“When the girls were in second grade, we decided to challenge their entire school to bring in food items to donate,” Dempsey explained. “That year we collected about 900 items.”

The next year, the girls held the same contest at their new, smaller school. This time, they brought in over 3,000 items!

This year the girls have been making and selling bracelets, cookies and cinnamon rolls. They also set up a First Giving page for donations. In about 2 months, they collected around $1,600.

“That’s a lot of cookies and cinnamon rolls!” Dempsey exclaimed.

Currently, Columbia plays volleyball and basketball and participates in 4-H and book club. She wants to be a singer or an actress someday. Kennedy is also in 4-H and book club and hopes to be a photographer. Both girls are excited about being room sponsors this year and have more ideas to keep their fundraising efforts going.

“We try to instill in the girls the importance of helping others,” Dempsey said, “The Hope House was such a blessing to us and we can never fully repay them for the impact they had on our lives. They see how the Hope House can touch people’s lives, and they want to help.” a