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Advocacy4 min read

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The Rosie Project

Amanda Mattingly
Jan 17, 2012

UPDATE: All the funds needed have come in for Roise’s surgeries. Thank you to everyone that help in any way, whether sharing the story or giving.

Tammy Cupp lives among the beautiful scenery of Staunton, Virginia, where she and her husband wake up each morning to the bright green landscape of the charming site of her family farm, to the sound of their cattle, and the bright sun shining through the openings of their treasured home.

Recently, Tammy went on a trip to Guatemala with World Help, not completely expecting what she would ultimately find. Traveling to the city of Zacapa, she and her daughter Alissa set off to dedicate a clean-water well—“Joshua’s Well.” After losing her son three years earlier due to tragic circumstances, Tammy and her family raised the funds to build this well in his name.

Raising the money for the well and the trip to Guatemala for the dedication proved to be a huge step in my grieving process, [It] provided me with a tangible way to remember my son while helping others. It was just the type of project he would have loved.

Tammy and Alissa ventured to Guatemala for the purpose of this dedication, but while she was there, her world would change. She never imagined that a mere 4-month-old little girl could seize her heart and impact her life.

Tammy entered the Baby Rescue Center, where she first met Rosie. This precious little girl immediately swept her away with her dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. Tammy started speaking to the child, and Rosie instantly propped herself up to look straight into her eyes, offering a smile. Rosie’s sweet grin was radiant, and it simply captured Tammy’s heart.

. . . I saw a baby that rivaled my own children in beauty (for every mother thinks her own children are the most beautiful babies in the world),”

She and Alissa spent the next day with Rosie. Tammy had the opportunity to feed her, change her, and even sing soothing songs to her as she swayed back and forth in the rocking chair. Rosie, however, suffers from a small deformity that she was born with . . . a clef palette. It would take three surgeries in order to correct her condition.

When Tammy returned to her home in Virginia, her heart was completely saturated with a burden to help Rosie. She called World Help to talk through the details of what was needed for Rosie’s three surgeries, a total of $6,500. At that moment, Tammy was determined to find a way to raise the necessary funds to pay for Rosie’s surgeries.

Starting out by saving $500 of her own, she began contemplating the best ways to fundraise for her cause. She first started sending her special homemade jam to those who made a small donation to the Rosie Project. As Tammy continued in her fundraising efforts, she worked through the idea of selling one of her registered Jersey calves to aid in raising money.

She decided to hold an auction, and the highest bidder would win the calf. Tammy set up the bidding online, and she immediately received a great response. By mid-October, the auction reached its completion, and she was able to raise $1,000 for the Rosie Project.

I named the calf ‘La Vida’ [which means life] and considered her a gift from God, given to me for a short time so that I could help Rosie

With the incredible response to this auction and $3,600 already raised for the Rosie Project, Tammy was eager to continue fundraising and set a goal to reach the $6,500 needed for the surgeries by the end of 2011. Going into the holiday season, she offered a raffle for a 6-month-old Miniature Jersey bull calf, registered with the American Miniature Jersey Association. Each ticket cost $50, and all the proceeds went to the Rosie Project. On Christmas Eve, the winner received this Jersey calf.

Now, with only $500 remaining, the Rosie Project has had an overwhelming response. At the completion of the Rosie Project, this treasured little girl will have the opportunity to receive all three surgeries, resulting in her no longer living with this condition. Rosie’s life will forever be changed, and it is all due to the love, compassion, and determination that Tammy had to help Rosie, as well as a tremendous amount of gratitude to those who gave.

I am already eager to help find ways to rescue more babies in Guatemala, and I am planning a trip back to Hope of Life as soon as I am able to do so….Farming means I do not get to travel very much, but I trust that God will one day open the doors for me to go back to Guatemala and see Rosie’s smile again in person.

 

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