GOOD CAUSE
After a terrible accident on July 3 that turned
one Royse City family’s world upside down,
community members are banding together to
support one of their own.
While setting off fireworks to celebrate with
her family, 8-year-old Makenna Brown
sustained a critical eye injury. According
to a post by her family on Facebook, a
firework fell over and shot out at everyone,
and she did not duck in time.
Makenna’s mother and Royse City
Community Development Board Secretary
Tonya Brown said since her daughter’s
eye socket was fractured, it had to be
repaired within two weeks of the initial
injury to prevent infection from spreading.
Doctors later determined that Makenna’s
eyeball would have to be removed through
enucleation surgery and replaced with
a prosthetic.
Tonya said despite the severity of the injury,
her daughter has tried to resume her typical
joyful attitude.
“Makenna has
always been pretty
tough,” Tonya said.
“The hardest part for
her at this point is
waiting to get back
to the things she
loves to do. She had
a rough couple of
days following the
enucleation surgery
on Monday, July 11.
She was in a lot of
pain and slept for the next two days, not
wanting to eat or drink. We removed the
eye patch on Wednesday, July 13, and
within a half hour or so she was ready
to wake up and be a kid.”
Going forward, Tonya said a specialist will
create a prosthetic eye for Makenna over the
course of about one month. The prosthetic
eye will need to be replaced every five
years as Makenna grows.
“It will be a new way of life that we will
all have to adjust to, but we are blessed to
do so, because we still have our sweet
little girl,” Tonya said.
Tonya said her heart has been touched by the
way her Royse City community has rallied
around Makenna and the whole family.
Almost immediately after the accident,
Royse City Chamber of Commerce
President Julia Bryant and Royse City
resident Kelley Robertson set up a
GoFundMe account and an account at
Guaranty bank for donations to Makenna,
as well as a meal chain to help feed her
family. SweetFace Sugar Shoppe & Bakery
hosted “Cupcakes For Makenna” and 100%
from each Vanilla Vanilla cupcake sold
was donated to the “Makenna Brown
Love Fund.”
Bryant also organized a “Back to School
BINGO For Makenna Fundraiser & Silent
Auction” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21 at Big
Sky Event Hall to help with Makenna’s
medical expenses. Community members
are donating food, drinks, prizes and silent
auction items for the event.
“God has shown up big through his people
who are giving of their time, money and
prayers and resources,” Tonya said. “We
feel truly blessed amidst the tragedy. We
have prayed and prayed for a miracle and
we have been blessed by more miracles than
we could have imagined asking for. They
might not be the miracles our simple
minds can think to ask for, but they
are miracles nonetheless.”
By Julie Anne White,
Blue Ribbon News reporter.
Lone Star CASA
(Court Appointed
Special Advocates),
which advocates for
children in Kaufman
and Rockwall
Counties, will host
Information Sessions
for those interested in
learning more
about the organization
and becoming
a CASA volunteer.
CASA volunteers are appointed by a judge
to discover the best possible outcome for
abused or neglected children in foster care.
It is the goal of the CASA volunteer that
every one of these children is in a safe,
permanent home in a timely manner.
You don’t have to be a lawyer or social
worker to be a volunteer. Lone Star CASA
welcomes volunteers from all cultures,
professions, and educational backgrounds.
They are looking for people with a desire
to help abused children.
What does a volunteer do?
•Complete 30 hours of new
volunteer training
•Review case records
•Research information
•Prepare court reports
•Make recommendations to the court
• Advocate in court
•Complete 12 hours of training per year
Volunteer sessions will be 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 29 at the Kaufman CASA
office, Wells Fargo Bank, 2100 S.
Washington, Kaufman, TX 75142; 6:30
p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30 at First Presbyterian
Church, 12433 FM 1641, Forney, TX
75126; and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept.
1 at the Lone Star CASA office, 108
Kenway, Rockwall, TX 75087. For more
information, call 972-772-5858 or email
vickie@lonestarcasa.org.
Lone Star CASA will host a Sporting Clay
Shoot from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug.
27 at Pecan Ridge Outdoor Center, 8930
FM 1390 in Scurry, TX, benefiting children
of Rockwall and Kaufman counties. To
learn more, visit the Facebook event page
or email kaufman@lonestarcasa.org.
21
Back to School Edition 2016
BlueRibbonNews.com
Lone Star CASA to host
Information Sessions
COMMUNITY RALLIES TO HELP
ROYSE CITY GIRL CRITICALLY
INJURED IN FIREWORKS ACCIDENT
BINGO FUNDRAISER SET FOR AUG. 21
Julie Klutts, Lone
Star CASA Volunteer
Best Health Club/Gym
Best Yoga Studio
Best Pilates Class
Best Summer Camp
jerchiltonymca.org • 972-772-9622
THANK YOU!
COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY
J.E.R. Chilton YMCA at Rockwall