donor or their donor's family, the parents of
Katlyn's donor happened to be living nearby
in an adjacent town.
After spending eight weeks recuperating in
the hospital and another six weeks in physical
therapy, Katlyn decided she wanted to plant a
memorial tree in her donor's parents' backyard.
Billy, who works at Davey's Northeast
Detroit R/C office, is married to Amy, the
niece of District Manager Dave Bargerstock.
Bargerstock donated the tree.
"We can't thank him enough," Billy says.
"It meant a lot to her to be able to give a
small gift back to a family who gave her the
gift of life."
But Katlyn and her father have plans to
give back in bigger ways.
"We plan to start a non-profit program
to continue planting trees at organ donors'
homes," Billy says, adding he will apply for
501(c) status. "We're in a tight group of
transplant families."
Although Billy's not sure whether Katlyn is
just as much of a true "tree nerd" as he, they
continue to enjoy outdoor activities together
when Katlyn isn't busy with the cheerleading
and dance competitions at which she continues
to excel.
More information about Billy and Katlyn's
non-profit program can be found on the
Katlyn's Krew Facebook page.
F
or Katlyn Scott, extra health precautions
proved to be more than worthwhile. They
were life-saving.
When competitive cheerleader and dancer
Katlyn, the 14-year-old daughter of Foreman
Billy Scott, visited the doctor for a required
heart screening, she discovered she had
cardiomyopathy. Although the disease presents
very few—if any—symptoms, it could cause
heart failure at any time.
"Because student athletes have died on the
field from unknown heart conditions, screenings
are becoming required for students who choose
to play sports," Billy explains. And he couldn't
be more grateful Katlyn was screened.
In an effort to prevent future complications,
Katlyn received a heart transplant at the
University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's
Hospital. Although it's not necessarily common
for organ transplant recipients to meet their
Champions
for a Cause
14 | March/April 2015
Katlyn Scott, daughter of Foreman Billy
Scott, stands next to the tree Davey's
Northeast Detroit R/C District Manager
Dave Bargerstock donated to her donor
after Katlyn's heart transplant surgery.
Davey employees are passionate about trees and their careers.
But outside of the office or outside of the field, some employees
also "go the extra mile" for special causes in which they support.
Read more for the stories of two employees—one past and one
present—and the causes they care about.
A Heart-Warming Tree Story
Idea submitted by: Billy Scott, foreman, Northeast Detroit R/C
