The Kindness of Strangers

In addition to the outpouring of love from family and friends, we've received some heartfelt emails from distant connections and friends of friends, all sending their well-wishes and prayers to Kirk and family. One in particular came from an incoming junior at Woodbury High School, Kevin Kuehlwein, who gave me permission to share his email.  When I read it to Kirk, he was overwhelmed and thankful for the support of people who have never even met him, and he kept saying, "That's amazing."

"Good afternoon, my name is Kevin Kuehlwein and I am an incoming junior at Woodbury High School. I just read your article in the Woodbury Bulletin and I must say that you are an extremely strong man. What happened was unfortunate, but don't ever forget that you are here on this earth today because God cares about you and we all know that he has a wonderful future planned for you. I would like to extend my full thoughts and prayers to you and your family and I wish you all the best, from the bottom of my heart- you have many family members, friends, and community members such as myself who care about you and hope for the best! The one thing I want you to take away from me is that life is a precious thing, and you still have it. I want you to live it to the fullest and enjoy every single moment of it. You and your family are strong and the fact that things are already getting better is a sign that there's plenty more to come, so just hang in there and everything will be just fine. Just stay strong, remember that you're a strong and powerful person and you have the ability to fight through this slight inconvenience and enjoy the life you were born to live. I once again offer my full support to you and your entire family and I wish the best in the long run. Just remember to never give up, and to continue powering through the journeys life brings you. There is always a happy ending. And please do not hesitate to email me at any time of you ever need any extra support, guidance or encouragement. I hope all is well!"


Kirk has also felt the love from the Minnesota Vikings.  On Sunday, August 23, Vikings wide-receiver, Adam Thielen, and his wife, Caitlin, visited Kirk at the hospital.  They brought a football signed by members of the team, including Adam, Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson, and Shaun Hill.

THANK YOU to everyone for your continued outpouring of love and support, including the wonderful strangers that have reached out to share their thoughts and prayers.  A special thank you to Adam, Caitlin, and the Minnesota Vikings as well, for making Kirk's Sunday.  You are all part of Team Kirk and we're glad you're with us!