It's that time again and Dreaming of Three has finally found the next Rodeo Kid. This time around I have been entrusted with the huge responsibility from Jackie to take on this monumental honor. I decided to to volunteer for this and was so eager and excited to make one day for an amazing child as special as possible. This whole experience is such new territory me and I am going to try my hardest to fill Jackie's shoes and get the job done right. Dreaming of Three has really touched my heart since I have joined, but now that I am getting to know this new family, it's taking what DO3 is all about to a whole new level.
I would now like to introduce you to Dominique, and his story of extraordinary courage though something that no child or adult should ever have to go through. Dominique is your regular 11 year old little boy, who battles something not so regular everyday, Leukemia. Him and his father, Billy, are currently living at the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth trying to live as normal life as possible. Last year in August Dominique was diagnosed after going through a series of illness that started at Summer Camp. What began with nausea and throwing up, led to strep and thrush, and then ultimately his diagnoses. Since then he has been getting treatments 3 days a week and will continue on for the next 3 years. So during this time in a little boys life that can be so hard to begin with, life threw Dominique a curve ball that will be making things a little bit more difficult as well. The great thing about this little boy though, is that he doesn't let it get him down and continues on doing all of the regular things that kids love to do like sports, video games, and watching some Dallas Cowboys. I think that is what makes kids so incredibly resilient. They have that ability to go on, keep their head high, and live life to it's fullest despite any detours.
After talking with Billy about Dominique it made me so much more eager to actually meet him. He told me about his love for bowling, even though he could only play about a game or so before getting tired and then he runs off to go play some video games in the arcade. He told me about how much he loves animals and horses. That he likes to play soccer and dodgeball with his friends. And about how he especially loved a school field trip where they went down into some underground caverns!
Dominique also has a younger brother Samuel, who is 10, and Zoe, who is 8. Samuel is the class clown, easy going and always says what's on his mind. Zoe on the other hand is a girls girl who loves playing with her Barbie's, painting her nails and always making sure her is looking good! The one thing that all three of them love is of course, video games. They really like all the Mario versions that they play on their Wii.
This will be the first time for Dominique and his father to go to a real rodeo and I couldn't imagine a better one than the Fort Worth Stock Yards, also known as "Northside" by the locals. Going down to Northside is like taking a step back in time to the original Wild West Days. There are cowboys riding down the roads on horses, all the boutiques and restraunts are like a modern wild west town, they have a daily cattle drive right down the middle of the street, and right in the center of it all is the Cowtown Coliseum, where Billy and Dominique will be hootin' and hollerin' for the cowboys and cowgirls to run faster, rope quicker, or stay on longer!
So in about a month I will honourably be escorting this family to the rodeo in Fort Worth for a night that they will hopefully never forget. A night full of smiles, gifts from our wonderful sponsors, unforgettable memories, and most importantly, a night where they can forget about treatments, and only think about each other and what a great time they are having!
You can find out more about Dreaming of Three at www.dreamingofthree.com and find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Dreaming-of-Three/138438359589181?fref=ts .
