A Mother, A Fighter, A Friend - Amy Marie Crabtree

A Daughter’s Perspective

The moment you walk through the doors of the Kittle House, you are entering a truly remarkable place with a history that spans more than 200 years. However, what I am writing here is not a piece that reflects on the many celebrated politicians, singers, actors, artists or other famous entities that we have had the pleasure of hosting here. Instead, I would like to give you a little insight into probably the most special person ever to grace the halls of the Kittle House, from a daughter’s perspective; my mom, Amy Marie Crabtree.

My parents, John and Amy Crabtree, ha the auspicious and monumental task of raising four very different, and very original daughters. I, being the youngest, had the opportunity to watch, learn, and grow to be grateful for an extraordinary life filled with a fantastic family, a deep appreciation for glorious food, and a love of animals which will stay with me forever.

As a high schooler, life was great and easy, and I couldn’t have been a more carefree spirit. As far as I was concerned, life’s priorities were school, sports, and boys (though not necessarily in that order). For me, the present and the future were pretty straightforward, and I knew there was nothing I couldn’t take care of.

Then the great change came into my life, and it began in a truly surreal way.

I was out to breakfast with my friend and her mother when my phone rang. It was my Dad, and what he was telling me just wasn’t registering: that my Mom had had a seizure and had been rushed to the hospital.

Over the next few days, the results of several tests revealed a small mass on her brain – a mass which would eventually be diagnosed as glioblastoma mulitforme, the most terrifyingly aggressive form of brain tumor. The odds of getting a glioblastoma are only 2 to 3 out of 100,000, and fewer than 5% of people who get it survive for five years.

But this was mom, the nurse, the mother, the best friend, the true inspiration for each of her daughters, and also the healthiest person I had ever known. Against the odds, my family found hope and never thought for one second that we would lose the battle we had ahead of us.

Throughout my senior year, wearing her head-scarves and hats in her unique, fashionable way, Mom made it to every volleyball and basketball game I played, cheering me on as the most animated and enthusiastic fan in the stands. None of my friends or their parents could believe that she had brain cancer, and neither could I.

In October of my freshman year in college, my mother’s health took a turn for the worse and I took time away from school to be at home during her last weeks of her life. Our family surrounded her with love, and the reassurance that we would always put forth our best efforts to make her proud.

On November 3^rd, 2009, my mom passed away at our home, surrounded by family and loved ones. I had been 18 for less than a month when she passed away. She never got to see me graduate from college or get my first real job She will never see me go to grad school, get married. She’ll never meet my kids, and worst of all, they’ll never get to know her. She was the most important person in my life, and I only got to know her for 18 years. It was a nearly impossible concept to grasp, but like the rest of my family, I have grown stronger in order to survive in her absence. And I still miss her presence every single day.

As a family, we decided that we had to find and generate some good from this tragedy, and so we created a non-profit charity, the Amy Marie Crabtree Foundation in order to keep alive the great spirit that she had shared with everyone who was lucky enough to meet her.

This Foundation was founded to honor her memory and her natural philosophy which she lived each and every day with limitless energy, strength, and compassion. Her good work and philanthropic spirit have been carried on by the Foundation’s efforts to support many charities that help make this world a better place for us all.

On Sunday, August 2nd from 5:00-8:30pm, The Amy Marie Crabtree Foundation, aka Team Amy, will hold its Fifth Annual Birthday Barbecue to raise funds for dozens of local charities, including those trying desperately to find a cure for this horrific disease. The Foundation provides support and financial assistance to initiatives that benefit the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the unfortunate in order to create a better life for the entire community.

Friends and neighbors will gather at Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn at 11 Kittle Road,Chappaqua for an evening of fun, casual feasting and great conversation, and I hope that you will all join us, if not with your presence, at least in spirit.

Since 2010, Team Amy has raised more than $500,000 for a multitude of charities with events held throughout the year, and we need everyone’s help to keep this good thing going.

For more information about the Foundation, please visit teamamyfoundation.org

-Maddy Crabtree