Coffee & Cookie

In June 2018, a little coffee shop called The Organic Bean Cafe held a fund raiser to help pay for Tate’s medical expenses. I had never met the owners before, but they knew Tate because they hired him and his best bud Clark to play their cellos one evening.

I can’t adequately explain how it felt to walk into the coffee shop the night of the fund raiser. His diagnosis was still so new, so raw. I burst into tears when I saw the two big, framed pictures of Tate displayed on the counter. They were taken when he was healthy and whole, and we didn’t know if he would ever have that again. There was live music, a jewelry booth, and a frozen treat cart, and an raffle. And, of course, coffee.

I saw some friends there buying raffle tickets and bags of coffee; they gave me lots of hugs. The other people there were strangers; some just happened to be downtown that night, but I have the feeling most of them were part of a kind and generous community brought together by a very special coffee shop.

At the end of the event, the owner handed me an envelope with the proceeds, a beautiful shell necklace donated by a local artist, and the framed pictures. I cried. I got more hugs.

Yesterday Tate wanted to stop by coffee shop for a visit and a coffee. The owner Rachael recognized him right away, and she came from behind the counter and gave us the warmest welcome. She even remembered Tate’s favorite drink is iced mocha.

I don’t usually do this kind of thing, but if you’re ever in Mesa and need a coffee break, please consider stopping at The Organic Bean Cafe. The owners truly take care of their community. They have had two other fund raisers since the one they held for Tate; one for a woman fighting breast cancer; the other for a little boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Tate was too sick for us to attend, but we plan to show our support at future events as we become able. If you’re interested in following an amazing blog about the little boy with Duchenne and his family, check out https://www.fritzandfriendsdmd.org/. His mom’s blog is world class. I wouldn’t know a thing about the disease or this incredible family if it weren’t for the fund raiser event popping up on my social media feed.

Tate’s Leukemia diagnosis has made us even more grateful for the community we live in. We spent 10 years being happy with the schools, the neighborhood, our big back yard, and easy freeway access, not needing to know what would happen if we really needed help. We look forward to the day we are able to give back to this community that has been so loving and generous to us.