I would like to tell you about an extraordinary young man and ask you to support him and his family through what has become a life-and-death situation.

I know what I say about him will come as no surprise to people who already know him, but to those who have yet to meet this exceptional person, I hope you will be moved to help.

Dakota Case is a soon-to-be 25-year-old who is many things to many of us. He is an adoring son to his parents, Chuck and Jennifer Case. To his friends and co-workers, he is a smart, funny, caring, generous, passionate individual who is not afraid to share his faith in God and love of life - and hockey!

To me and anyone else who met him through an avenue of music, he is a wunderkind, a musical prodigy, a guitar wizard on par with many of the best guitar professionals around.

Dakota was born with a rare heart defect and has been through three other open heart surgeries. He has been on the heart transplant list since December of last year and is currently hospitalized in critical condition at the Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha after suddenly developing pneumonia and going into heart failure on May 31, 2015.

Needless to say Dakota will not be able to work for sometime and Chuck and Jennifer will also have reduced work schedules at their Case School of Music due to the need to be with Dakota.

Chuck and Jennifer Case
Courtesy Dakota Case's Facebook page
loading...

No one needs to be told how financially devastating this kind of situation is, but this has been what the Case family has dealt with forever. Keeping all this in mind, I'd like you to know that a Dakota Case Family Medical Fund called "A Heart For Dakota" has been set up on GoFundMe and if you could donate that would be stupendous. If you cannot, I would ask you to put Dakota and his family in your prayers.

Some of my favorite memories of Dakota come from a time when we were in the Blue Twilight Jazz Quartet together. He and his mom Jennifer were guitarists, his dad Chuck, (who was my percussion teacher for almost four years) was our percussionist and I was the vocalist. The music was phenomenal, even magical (to use Dakota's words) at times. People would constantly ask, "How old is that kid?" When they were told he was 14, or 15 or 16, (at the time), their expressions would change from curiosity to outright admiration.

While in our group Dakota and I had many intricate conversations, (unlike the usual communication one has with a person who was his age) about life, faith, hunting, (one of his great passions), books he loved to read and so much more. His zeal for the things he delights in doing, his devotion to God and the people he cherishes, along with his highly intelligent and shy demeanor make him an irresistible combination of adorable (he would hate that I said that).

Dakota talking his beloved hockey
Courtesy Dakota Case's Facebook page
loading...

But I might be somewhat biased, Dakota has been my "adopted" nephew and I his "Aunt" Patty for years now. He was the person who introduced my biological nephew Anthony, (aka "Bubbi") to fireworks.

Living in Colorado, Bubbi had never been allowed to light fireworks of any kind and one July 4th, my sister Carmela, brother-in-law Jon and Anthony spent the day and evening with the Case family in Tea. Bubbi and Dakota were like two peas-in-a-pod at that moment in time; super-smart, sweet-natured boys with an impish sense of fun and adventure. They lit bottle rockets and had fun like crazy. It made me smile and laugh until I cried.

One other memory which also made me laugh - and cry - was the last time I was with Dakota during another hospitalization. It was Easter time and I arrived at the Children's Hospital in Omaha ready to sit and spend time with Chuck, Jennifer and Dakota. I thought I'd need something to keep my hands and mind occupied, so I dug out my old knitting needles and started working on a scarf.

We were in Dakota's room and I was knitting as he slept. At one point a sleepy Dakota looked over at me and quietly said, "Aunt Patty, I didn't know you knitted."

I said, "Sure! Why does that surprise you?"

He replied, "You just don't seem like the kind of person who would sit and do that."

I said, "Because I look like someone's grandma?"

He smiled broadly and said, "Maybe that's it!"

I warned him that in the condition he was in then, I could squash him like a bug, but wouldn't because I loved him. He replied, like the angel that he is, that he loved me too.

Please pray for Dakota to get the heart transplant he desperately needs and deserves. I hope it is a heart as capable of love as his worn-out one is and if you can give to the GoFundMe campaign for him and his family, please do.

Thank you.

 

 

More From KIKN-FM / Kickin' Country 99.1/100.5