Team Kelsey Foundation

 In June 2011 the Michelsen family was changed forever with 6 little words, “Your daughter has a brain tumor.”   We were scared, confused and desperately searching for answers.  I remember sitting in the hospital room at Mayo searching the internet trying to find out anything I possibly could about this tumor.  There was a lot of information about adult brain tumors but very little about pediatric brain tumors.  I later found out that is the case for most pediatric cancers.  

What we didn’t know during this time was that while our family was scared, confused and desperately searching for answers, back home (3 hours away) our community was also scared, confused and desperately searching for answers.  Fundraisers were started; t-shirts were sold; prayers were spoken, cards were sent to us at Mayo; visitors drove 3 hours to see us.  We realized we were not on this journey alone. 

 For 18 months our community laughed with us; cried with us; prayed for us and finally grieved with us.  Even though Kelsey’s journey on this earth came to an end that is not the end of her story but rather just the end of a chapter.  The Team Kelsey Foundation is the beginning of a new chapter.