My Happy Haven unveils bedroom makeover for Rockwell woman

Last Thursday, September 14, was a significant day for Rockwell resident Katie Blackdeer.

It was the 30-year-old’s final day of chemotherapy, after being diagnosed with a grade four medulloblastoma tumor on her brain, and early signs of obstructive hydrocephalus in January 2017. And it was also a day that marked one of her first steps back toward the life she knew before cancer — after months of surgeries, radiation, rehabilitation and chemotherapy — as Mason City-based community service organization My Happy Haven (MHH) revealed her newly redecorated bedroom in her rural Rockwell home.

MHH is a community-based non-profit organization made up of volunteers dedicated to making a difference in the life of women facing the struggles that come with a cancer diagnosis, mainly by providing them with a bedroom makeover to give them an environment to rest peacefully in while healing from the effects of cancer and its treatments. Women residing within a 30-mile radius of Mason City can be considered for the room makeovers.

The evening of September 14 was a double surprise for Blackdeer, as not only her newly designed bedroom was revealed to her, friends and family, but a bedroom upgrade for her four daughters was unveiled as well. With the help of additional sponsorship from CENT Credit Union, two new bunk bed sets were provided for Blackdeer and her husband Cody’s children, Olivia, 6, and triplets Maxine, Bryclynn and Katelynn, 4. All four beds were topped with brightly colored purple, pink and turquoise bedding adorned with hearts.

Read the full article in the September 21 edition of the papers.