News
Hudson pitches in for family in need
Hurler, wife offer financial, moral support to mom, sick child
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
11/28/09 10:00 AM EST
ATLANTA -- What began as just another opportunity for Tim and Kim Hudson to continue their regular ritual of serving dinner to families at a local Ronald McDonald House developed into an evening that provided Deshantris Gates reason to count her blessings during Thanksgiving this year.As Gates sits inside the rental home that the Hudsons have helped her acquire and afford, she can give thanks that her 4-year-old daughter once again escaped death and led her to a relationship that has enriched her life and the one shared by the Braves pitcher and his wife.
"[Gates] has been so appreciative of all the help that we've been able to provide," Tim Hudson said. "To be honest, I don't know what she was going to do. The Man upstairs kind of put her in front of us, and we were glad to help."
A mother of three, Gates had served as a waitress at Longhorn Steakhouse until May, when her 4-year-old daughter, Jazmine Hudson, suffered a brain aneurysm that led to the need of a life support system and an extended stay at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
While Jazmine had been able to battle back from open-heart surgery that she underwent when she was still just one, Gates now had to prepare herself for the possibility that her middle daughter had encountered a fight that she could not win.
This was the message that Gates delivered during a June conversation with Stephanie Clarke, who serves as the executive director of the Hudson Family Foundation -- the nonprofit organization that Tim and Kim Hudson started earlier this year. Their mission is to assist the families of children such as Jazmine, who need assistance with regard to physical, emotional or financial circumstances.
While assisting at the Ronald McDonald House in June, Clarke was first drawn to Gates because she liked her hairstyle. Then after learning the young mother's story and being further intrigued by her positive personality, she provided the introduction to the Hudsons, who were equally moved and motivated to provide assistance.
"She is one of the strongest and most amazing people that I've ever met," Clarke said of Gates. "This is a family that needed us, and we were able to step in and help. When we give thanks this year, Tim and Kim and I will be thankful for this opportunity that the foundation has allowed us to provide."
One day after being introduced to Clarke, Gates signed papers to have her daughter removed from the life-support system. But just before medical personnel followed through with this, Jazmine emerged from her coma-like state and prompted the Hudsons to assist in providing the still-challenging lifestyle that she and her family would now experience.
Surprised and thrilled to hear that Jazmine's fighting spirit had kept her alive, Clarke reacquainted herself with Gates during a July visit to the Ronald McDonald House, and then relayed her situation to the Hudsons, who immediately decided it was time to get the family out of their residence provided by the West Point Housing Authority.
One month earlier, they had found themselves prepared to help with the funeral costs that Gates was expecting to incur. Now, Kim Hudson found herself thankful for the opportunity to spend some nights at the hospital with Gates, providing food and mental support that became more important as Jazmine experienced a series of strokes that left her unresponsive and immobilized.
Having been unemployed for three months, Gates found herself unable to afford the subsidized rent for her apartment, which had been burglarized while she had spent a long stretch with Jazmine in the hospital. Making matters worse, social workers told her that the space was too small to accommodate the bed and medical supplies that Jazmine now needed.
At this point, the Hudsons and Clarke began a search that led them to find a rental home for Gates and her daughters in Newnan, Ga., and away from the poverty-ridden Atlanta neighborhood that they had previously called home.
While finances remain an issue as Gates attempts to fulfill her role as a single parent who has a daughter in need of constant medical care, this family can still give thanks for the fact that they've been provided an opportunity to enjoy an improved lifestyle while still sharing their lives with Jazmine.
When Hudson was recognized as the Braves' nominee for this year's Roberto Clemente Award, he and Kim chose to bring Jazmine and her mother to Turner Field to be with them on the field during the pregame presentation.
"This has been one of those things where you help somebody, and then when you see how appreciative that they are, it makes you want to continue helping others," Hudson said.
The Hudsons are in the process of helping Gates find an affordable used car that will allow her to take Jazmine to her regular doctor visits and also serve as her mode of transportation that she needs now that she has resumed working at Longhorn.
"She was a working mom who didn't have a job because of her daughter's situation," Hudson said. "She has never acted like she was looking for a handout. We've just been glad that we've been able to help."
Those interested in helping Gates can contact the Hudson Family Foundation at 404-584-0095 or via e-mail at info@hudsonfamilyfoundation.com.
Tax-deductible donations can be sent via the Hudson Family Foundation. Checks should be made out to "Hudson Family Foundation" and include Jazmine's name in the memo line. The address is 245 N Highland Ave. NE Suite 230-355 Atlanta, GA 30307.
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
