Joy’s Family

Jeff, Julie, Jeffrey, and Jared are the foundation for Because of Joy.  Each year Joy’s family works together to make sure that Joy’s legacy is experienced by many.  Jeff handles all of the behind-the-scenes while Julie is more the visionary and front-line person.  Jeffrey and Jared started working on Tea for Joy when they were 7 and 4—each year, their participation increases as they get older.  Both of Joy’s brothers have found their place and have expanded the horizon of because of joy in their own way.  Joy & Spina Bifida impacted this entire family in such a profound way.

It’s amazing to see a hard situation filled with such hope, joy, and purpose.  Even as the boys have grown up, their involvement and excitement for each event have increased to volunteering with the camp and with other organizations helping the Spina Bifida Community.  Currently, the whole family spends a week at Summer Camp doing whatever is needed to help out and also volunteer at events held by the Spina Bifida Association of North Texas. Jeffrey is a firefighter/paramedic working for the Irving Fire Department.  He and his wife, Sami, live in Hurst, TX, and both volunteer at camp and help with planning and running the Golf Tournament.  They have 2 children, Marty and Ollie, who are keeping us all on our toes.  Jared is the reason we started Tee it up for Joy—our Golf Tournament, and has been very influential in the building of the scholarship. Jared works as a team lead for ASAP Tires in Denver, Colorado.  He enjoys living where he can enjoy the outdoors through hiking, camping, and snowboarding. Both of the boys are volunteers at the camp in the summer, and (brag alert!) they are fantastic role models for the boys that attend and help other volunteers. Jeffrey & Jared have both recently helped out as the lead counselor due to their interest in working as director one day.  It is great to see young men with this much compassion and watch them reach beyond their lives to step up to help others.  Sami, our awesome daughter-in-law, has jumped in helping most recently with videos for virtual camp as well as helping with Camper Check in for our first camp back after Covid. She is the first to give support in the planning to Julie as well as volunteering at Tee It Up for Joy.

Our family involvement reaches past Joy’s immediate family.  Joy’s Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and Cousins she never met are all very involved.  We feel, as a family, the responsibility to keep spreading joy into our community and educating others about spina bifida.  Joy has truly started a work on earth and continues to inspire us.