Famous Fogelquist Family

Ok, we got featured in another article in the paper, this time, a huge, nearly half page article! Very flattering, cute picture, (taken by Lucinda, my sister-in-law) and the article is mostly accurate. Made me cry, please let me know what you think! Here's what it said:
Stone County Gazette
Kimberling City, Missouri
Publication date: Sept. 16, 2010

Make-A-Wish helps sick youngsters
Kimberling City bash scheduled Sunday at Bearded Clam

PHOTO CAPTION
The Fogelquist family of Branson – parents Doug and Claire, along with
Monte, 8, and Piper, 4 – were the recipients earlier this year of a hot
tub presented by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Monte has congenital
hydrocephalus. The Fogelquists plan to attend the annual Make-A-Wish
barbecue and auction benefit Sunday at the Bearded Clam Lounge and Eatery
in Kimberling City.

By Dave Abner

Managing Editor

Monte Fogelquist had his first brain surgery when he was seven days old.

Branson’s Claire Fogelquist, 31 – Monte’s mother – said she and husband
Doug, 35, didn’t know anything was wrong when they took Monte home from
the hospital.

They’d only been home a couple days when they rushed him back to the
hospital with a medical emergency.

In five minutes, their world was forever turned upside down.

Congenital hydrocephalus.

In layman terms, their precious little boy had water on the brain.

Claire said, “His brain didn’t develop normally.”

In five minutes, she and Doug had to approve the first surgery.

Brain surgery for a seven-day-old baby.

Their baby.

Claire Fogelquist is nothing if not a master of understatement. She said,
“Our life has been since then a series of adventures.”

The second brain surgery came at six weeks.

The almost-unthinkable diagnosis – Monte was blind. He was profoundly
deaf. He has a host of motor skill problems.

Today, Monte Fogelquist is eight. He turns nine next month.

In his young life, he’s had almost 30 brain surgeries. He’s also had
numerous other surgeries, his mother said.

MAKE-A-WISH

Doug and Claire Fogelquist stumbled on the Make-A-Wish Foundation by
accident.

Doug hails from Oregon, Claire from Idaho. They met at an Idaho college.

They later attended Brigham Young University in Utah. Monte was born in
Utah. So was Piper, their four-year-old daughter.

Several years back, the Fogelquists attended a Make-A-Wish fundraiser. A
volunteer took one look at Monte and handed Doug and Claire a Make-A-Wish
application.

Claire was surprised. She thought Make-A-Wish granted wishes for
youngsters with cancer, children with terminal illnesses.

At a second Make-A-Wish event, Doug and Claire were again handed a
Make-A-Wish application.

Claire Fogelquist decided it was time to investigate.

She mentioned the Make-A-Wish applications to her doctor.

Make-A-Wish is for kids with terminal illnesses, isn’t it?

That’s not our boy, she said.

That’s not our Monte.

What he has, Doctor – it’s not terminal, is it?

The doctor gave her the grim prognosis.

Unfortunately, yes.

MOVE TO MISSOURI

Doug’s work took him to southwest Missouri – Branson, in fact.

His employer bought a hotel in Branson. Doug also is involved in theater
management in Branson.

It was after the Fogelquists moved to Branson that Monte became a
Make-A-Wish recipient.

Make-A-Wish representatives contacted Doug and Claire.

What does Monte really want? What’s his wish?

Claire said they considered a number of possibilities – trip to a theme
park, playground equipment.

Finally, they hit on it – a hot tub.

Claire said, “This kid loves water more than anything in the whole, wide
world.”

She remembers the time they took Monte to a water park. It opened at 10
a.m., closed at 8 p.m.

Monte stayed all day. At 8 p.m., he still wasn’t ready to leave.

She said water allows Monte some freedom of movement he doesn’t enjoy
because of gravity constraints.

Plus, she said, with a hot tub, Doug and Claire could sneak in phsyical
therapy “and he would not even know he was getting physical therapy.”

So, area Make-A-Wish supporters – along with a lot of donors – raised the
money for Monte’s hot tub. They presented it to the Fogelquists earlier
this year.

Somebody kicked in extra money for landscaping around the tub.

The electrician came in and wired it for free. He was in and out in 20
minutes and Claire barely knew he was there.

She loves the new hot tub addition at home. “Everybody pitched in and made
it a wonderful paradise,” Claire said.

Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley got in on the act, presenting Monte with a
key to the city.

Claire choked up when she recalled the city proclamation Mayor Presley and
other city officials gave Monte. It stated that Monte Fogelquist was the
sort of citizen Branson was proud to claim as its own.

Claire raves about the folks in Taney and Stone counties, and the way
they’ve taken a shine to Monte Fogelquist.

She recalled her first meeting a few years back with school officials in
Branson.

What sort of class will you put Monte in, she wanted to know.

A kindergarten class.

But what type of class?

Kindergarten, they answered.

But won’t he be in some special class?

They told her, kindly but firmly – Monte’s going to be in a kindergarten
class, with kindergarten kids.

They’ve not ever backed off their commitment to love and to educate and to
take care of her youngster, Claire said.

Monte’s the “uncrowned king” of his school, his mother said. The students,
the teachers, the janitors, the principal – they all love and support her
child, and her family, Claire said.

She’s become a huge fan of southwest Missouri people since she moved here.

Claire and Doug take the kids to a Branson show – they get the royal
treatment, the free popcorn.

They go to a restaurant – the waiters bend over backward to make them feel
special.

It happens every day.

“We feel very loved and very blessed by our community,” Claire said.

And there’s some good news on the medical front – through the years,
Monte’s condition has improved slightly. Claire and Doug are pretty sure
he can hear loud noises, see at least a bit of bright color.

STONE COUNTY EVENT

The Fogelquists are headed to Stone County on Sunday.

The annual Make-A-Wish barbecue and auction kicks off at noon Sunday at
the Bearded Clam Longe and Eatery in Kimberling City.

It’s a daylong event of food and entertainment for a good cause.

Bearded Clam owners Ted and Beth Whitaker have held an annual Make-A-Wish
barbecue for several years running. Last year’s installment corralled
about $6,000 for the Make-A-Wish coffers.

The annual Make-a-Wish barbecue kicks off at noon Sunday. Staffers work
for free on barbecue day, donating their time and tips. The Whitakers give
20 percent of any sales for the day.

For a $10 fee, participants can have an all-you-can-eat lunch. This year’s
menu tentatively includes ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs.

Live music goes on all day with seven bands on the bill, including Classic
Reunion, Smooth Down Under, Lainz Gang, Cruise Control, Dasani and the
Third Gear Band and Highway 13. In addition, Tear Gas – a band of young
players comprised of area teens – are scheduled to perform.

Between each music set, volunteer auctioneers will auction goods and
services donated by local merchants and residents.

All admission and auction proceeds benefit Make-A-Wish.

MAKE-A-WISH FRIDAY

One other Make-A-Wish function is planned at the Bearded Clam this week.

The third of three Make-A-Wish Friday events runs from 5-7 p.m. tomorrow.

Celebrity mixologists Jim and Melanie Christiansen will serve patrons. Tip
jars are scattered throughout the establishment. Tips and donations go to
Make-A-Wish, along with a portion of the business proceeds.

CLOSING NOTES

Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 when a group of volunteers helped a sick
young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer.

The organization is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world,
with 65 chapters in the United States and U.S. territories.

The Whitakers work with the Make-A-Wish outlet headquartered in Springfield.

Make-A-Wish has granted more than 19,000 wishes since its 1980 inception.

Springfield Make-A-Wish representatives hope to grant wishes to more than
50 area children this year.

The goal is not necessarily an easy one to fulfill. Make-A-Wish officials
say the average cost of making a sick youngster’s dream come true has
increased to more than $6,500.

Call 739-4440 for more information.