WEBVTT

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(gentle music)

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<v ->My name is Wade Jackson,</v>

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and I work for JR Motorsports,

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in the fabrication department.

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Been in racing 29 years,

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and I've worked for JR since 2001.

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Camp LUCK is a camp for kids with congenital heart defect,

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who wouldn't be able to go to a regular camp

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because of their medical conditions.

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<v ->It's the most common birth defect.</v>

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One in 100 children are born with some type of heart defect,

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and 25% require surgery.

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<v ->When our son was born,</v>

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he had a congenital heart defect that was diagnosed

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shortly after his birth.

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<v Kim>He had five surgeries and procedures</v>

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before he was 18 months old.

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<v Wade>And several open-heart surgeries.</v>

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<v ->He just would pop back like it was nothing.</v>

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He woke up with a smile on his face, ready to go.

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His feet hit the ground, and he was running,

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and he didn't stop until it was time to go to bed.

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He was never at a loss for words, that's for sure. (laughs)

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<v ->I was getting to that,</v>

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I'm trying to make an emotional pause.

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<v Wade>Okay.</v>

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<v ->Ruined my video.</v>

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I'm done.
<v Boy>Chewy?</v>

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(laughing)

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<v ->As he got older and couldn't experience some of the</v>

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sporting events that he wanted to play in,

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my wife found a camp in California,

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because there wasn't anything on the East Coast.

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<v ->I wanted Jacob to meet other children like him.</v>

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<v Wade>And they fell in love with the whole camping</v>

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lifestyle, and the camaraderie,

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and the lifetime friendships.

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<v Interviewer>Would you change the fact</v>

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that you have heart disease?

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<v ->No.</v>

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'Cause everything happens for a reason.

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(upbeat music)

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<v ->The camp started with the passion of</v>

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Dr. Rene Herlong, who was Jacob's cardiologist,

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Jay Thompson, who was former camp director at Camp Cherokee,

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and myself and Jacob.

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Jacob was at the first camp.

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(upbeat music)

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<v ->I have a stent that's like a metal</v>

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tube in my heart, and it keeps me, keeps the valve open.

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<v ->He was a senior in high school, and</v>

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he went in for surgery to repair his aorta and his valve.

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He had had it repaired twice before,

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and they were either gonna go in and repair or replace it.

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<v ->It went really well, they even came out and said,</v>

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okay, everything went great.

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And you can see him in a little bit.

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And a little bit kept,

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was longer, and longer, and... (inhales)

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He had a stroke, and was not able to recover.

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(melancholy music)

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<v ->Devastating.</v>

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But you can't,

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you can't give up.

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You have to make a choice.

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You have to decide not to give up.

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And sometimes you have to

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make that every day.

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(melancholy music)

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As part of his legacy, Jacob has his initials, J.J.,

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in the root of the four-leaf clover.

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♪ Jacob had a dream one day ♪

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♪ That all of us could come and play ♪

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♪ We jumped for joy and all say, hallelujah ♪

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<v ->Kids' camp is free for every child.</v>

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<v Child>Way to go Travis.</v>

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<v Woman>Bullseye.</v>

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<v ->Cardiologist are here, the nurses,</v>

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there's other doctors here.

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The only limitations are the ones

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that the kids put on themselves.

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<v ->I can't.</v>

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<v Crowd>Yeah, you can.</v>

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<v Woman>It's right there.</v>

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<v Man>Try there, grab it.</v>

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(crowd cheering)

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<v ->To see them just come alive</v>

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and not worry about the scars on their chest.

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Forget about that for a week,

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and just play. (gentle music)

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My wife works at it year-round.

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And then I can come and play,

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and get to go to some of the events and different functions.

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<v ->Wade's Mr. Fix-It. (laughs)</v>

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We just kind of say, okay, we need this done, or carry this.

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<v ->A lot of times, they're short-handed in the kitchen.</v>

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Nobody like to be in the kitchen.

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I just don't mind jumping in and helping out

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wherever they need me. (energetic music)

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<v ->My wish is that the kids that attend Camp LUCK</v>

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carry it with them all year long.

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<v ->You come here and you're not alone,</v>

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and you can hear it's going to be okay,

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but until you see somebody that has the same exact

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defect that you do, just, that there is hope.

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<v ->I feel Jacob is here, and I feel like</v>

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his energy is with me because it's what he would want.

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<v ->You see little signs that you know they're still with you,</v>

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and that's it's gonna be okay.

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You have to know that they wouldn't want you to give up.

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(energetic music)