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2.04.2020

My Adoration For Scout


As you may recall I am a contributor for The Southern C blog and it is one of my favorite things to do.  I love interviews and love getting to know creatives on a deeper level ... I find it so fun and they have so many amazing things to share.  My first blog post for this year was a really good one and I am still absorbing all I learned and discovered about the amazing Owner + Creator of SCOUT Bags, Deb Johns. 



I have loved SCOUT products for a long time and actually do not recall when I was first made known of their goodness, but I have owned and used their bags and bins for years.  I have one in the trunk of my car, a number of them around the house as dirty clothes bins for the kids, and they make the best file keepers in my office.  One of my favorite products is the washable rug that lives in the kids Jack & Jill bathroom.  When it needs it I can just pop it into the washer and dryer and then once again put it outside the shower.  It is so good and used to live in the laundry where I loved it as well.  Maybe a need a second one.  Hands down, you can not go wrong with any SCOUT product. 


One of my favorite places we have used the bins is in my daughter's room in her Ikea bookcase.  Teenagers (especially girls) need so much space to be organized, they gather so many stuff in the middle and high school years.  I took two patterns and alternated them in her bookcase and labeled them with vinyl so she would know where to put all the stuff.  It has worked like a charm!  Her room can still be quite the situation, but when she goes to clean things up she knows exactly where it all goes.  I call that a major win for both of us.


You can read the entire interview on The Southern C Blog and I highly recommend you do.  Deb Johns is so cool, and involved in so many things.  I love that she owns and creates for SCOUT but also styles for clients on the side and has an amazing pop up shop twice a year.  Anyone else want to go?  I am dying to shop it all.

The most amazing part of the interview was the part about her son Bo and how they turned a cancer journey into so much more for others in their same situation.  As we both know cancer and families walking the journey is so close to my heart.  I have such a different mindset after walking such a dark time and how truly blessed we were.  I think about other families all the time and wonder if they feel the same love and support.  Deb didn't just do the thinking I am doing, she did the hard work and continues to do so and I am incredibly inspired by her work and commitment.  I am including the story below ... it is such a good one!  ❤


Our son, Bo, at 11 years old, was diagnosed with large B cell lymphoma. He had cancer in his tonsil. He had a routine tonsillectomy. We found out later that the tonsil itself was not so routine looking. It was heavier and larger. He had gone back to school and a couple of days later I was in Europe at a meeting and Ben called me and said, “Bo’s in the hospital, he’s got cancer.” And I was on the next flight back.

Fortunately, living in Georgetown and having the best pediatric care for his cancer in Georgetown, Bo was already luckier than most. We had incredible support from our neighbors and family who immediately asked, “What can we do for Bo?” And we said, “Well, he has everything he needs.” Ben and I could alternate nights there. The family could visit him easily. Friends could come see him. But what we realized very quickly was that a lot of kids in that ward were not so lucky and their families lived further away. They also might not have had the level of insurance that we had. They were simply not nearly as supported.


So we went to this group of families who reached out to us, and we said that we’d love to support this tiny little fund that the social workers at Georgetown had access to—the most they’d ever had in the fund was $1,000. It was really a discretionary fund for families who found themselves dealing with this brand new club that no one wants to belong to. But when you are, you have a choice: You either pull the covers over your head or you meet it head on. And Bo, on the first day in the hospital, asked me, “Mom, do I have cancer?” And I answered, “Yes you do. Now. You have to decide. Are you going to get it… or is it going to get you?” And he goes, “Mom, I’m going to get it!” And we said, okay, let’s keep this positive full-steam-ahead attitude.

Long story short, we sent out a letter to 1,200 people talking about Bo’s cancer and treatment. And we asked for donations to honor Bo while he was fighting his fight in the hospital. And money started pouring in. And every time I would come in on a morning that I hadn’t been there the night before because Ben had been there, Bo would ask, “Mom, did more money come in for the kids?” It actually motivated Bo. And I’d say, “Bo, every day you’re in here, we’re getting more money for kids who need that support.”


So we’ve put about three quarters of a million dollars through the fund over the last 15 years. We are not trying to raise millions of dollars every season. We’re trying to raise $50,000 to $75,000 because we feel like that’s a number that the social workers at Georgetown in pediatric oncology can manage. If it was millions, it would be a whole different deal. We also want to be around indefinitely. We don’t believe in hitting and running


The other exciting part for us is the Go Bo theme party we do every year. It’s a real celebration of life and fun. And now there’s a second generation participating. All of our kids are of age. They’ve all rallied their friends. Many of our team at SCOUT come and support it and help out with it too. So it’s become a community, multigenerational family event. And we always have a fun theme. We decorate. We come dressed in costume. And the food reflects the theme.

We have no plans of stopping. I actually had somebody at the fifth year mark ask, “So, aren’t you done?” And I said, “Is cancer done?”


I think I may adore Deb Johns beyond what I can explain.  Her creativity inspires me, her amazing career is just so fun, her pop up shop idea is just so fun, and then there is the amazing philanthropic side to her I just can't read enough about.  This is the thing I love most about interviews, you learn so much about others and the inspiration is just unending. 

The next time you shop SCOUT you will have such a deeper love for their company because of their owner + creator Deb Johns.  I know I will! 

Happy Tuesday!  The best part of today ... I am on my way to Sea Island for Summit.  Cue the inspiration and oversharing!!  🎉



1 comment:

  1. Oh my gosh!! I love SCOUT products before but now??? Love her story!! Road trip for the Pop up???

    ReplyDelete

 

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