2021: Kenzi Burnside
From Kenzi’s father, Mike Burnside:
She just turned 23 years old in November; she has a surviving triplet brother (Thor); their other sibling Hunter passed away 5 days after birth due to complications after surgery. Kenzi was born with cerebral palsy. Thor has no disabilities and graduated with his bachelor's of science degree in agricultural business in December, 2017.
Kenzi went to the Little Light House school in Tulsa, Oklahoma through her 6th birthday; they are a non-denominational Christian-based school for children with disabilities offering a no tuition requirement for these children (they are funded solely by private donations).
We put Kenzi into public schools beginning in a kindergarten class; throughout her public school she has her special education class but was included in regular classes by use of a para-professional during the classes. She graduated high school in 2016. As you can imagine, she was well liked because she always had a smile and was laughing. She participated on a special needs cheer team and was also on the high school choral choir team (due to a great music director).
Kenzi has had many medical procedures over her life which includes dorsal rhizotomy spinal surgery along with clipping muscles in her legs to relieve her muscles pulling her legs to "scissor", double hip surgery along with an additional surgery on her right hip, surgery to remove the hardware from the hip surgeries, surgery to place rods along her spine, gall bladder surgery, and other minor surgeries. She wore a molded plastic back brace for 23 out of 24 hours/day for a few years to help with spine scoliosis before she had the rods placed along her spine. She developed double pneumonia after her double hip surgery and they had to use a rescue breathing bag after her rods surgery due to her stopping breathing when she got back to the recovery wing. Other than the dorsal rhizotomy surgery (Children's Hospital - St. Louis), hip hardware removal (Oklahoma City), and gall bladder surgery (Tulsa), her other surgeries were at the Shriner's Hospital in Shreveport.
She loves trying just about anything. She loved amusement parks before her rods surgery where I would take her on roller coasters, her favorite rides. We have been snowmobiling where I velcroed her to the front of me, ridden on jet boats, gone white water rafting in Colorado, rafting on slow water rivers, ridden on regular boats, turkey hunting, fishing in ponds, of course the deer hunts, and the snow skiing every year which is probably her favorite activity.
We have always tried to treat her as if she didn't have medical issues as much as possible so she could experience life to the fullest of her ability. My wife Janet has been a flight attendant for American Airlines for 33 years and I am self-employed doing environmental testing - asbestos, radon, lead-based paint (started my own business when we found out about Kenzi). We plan our schedules so that one of us is always available to be at home with Kenzi; she does live with us and says she wants to stay with us. Janet does 2 to 3 four day trips a month overseas; she may only do 2 depending upon my work schedule. Kenzi goes to an adult day center one day a week that she absolutely loves, most likely because she is one of the younger ones there and I'm sure the elderly individuals dote on her.
Kenzi has a great sense of humor and can be pretty funny. She has a can do attitude and typically does it with a smile.
As a parent, it was emotional to see my child winning the Inspirational Award, knowing first-hand how far she has come and knowing in your heart the impact she has had on not only our own souls as parents, but the impact that she has personally made on people around her. Seeing her be recognized for her perseverance and determination was what every parent hopes for their child. And it was beyond emotional for Kenzi, as she was completely surprised. She was overwhelmed being recognized and in her own words, “I did not bawl, I wailed” pretty much summed up how she was feeling.
By receiving the award, it has increased her self-confidence, knowing she can make an impact on others around her. She always wants to help others and receiving this award has solidified that desire by making her know that her determination and her attitude matters.
She loved the T-shirts and the plastic cups that had her picture and monogram of “Kowgirl Kenzi” on them. She always was so excited and happy to give them to her friends and family. She knew that this was an opportunity, and it was something that she got to do that most people don’t. The track chair has given her an opportunity that she knows is very special. She is so thankful to have the opportunity to roam the 80 acres that she lives on and get to go out and hunt without reservation and go anywhere around the pond fishing that she wants to go to. And the first time to play in the snow in her track chair was very special and brought many thrilling moments when she pulled dad on a sled behind her.
Thank you for the hunt, RecordBuck Ranch
Her hunt at RecordBuck Ranch is one for the memories. She was thrilled that she got to harvest an elk and that she was going to help “fill the freezer” and then she could not get her head around the fact that she also got to get a second animal, a mouflon sheep. Opportunity, memories, special…all words that help explain what the inspiration award meant to Kenzi.
