Don’t Bet Against Me

My husband gave me this book by Deanna Favre, and I was a little less than thrilled. I didn’t tell him, but I had no intention of reading the book, since I considered it “the breast cancer book.”

I was pleasantly surprised when I read the book that it’s not all about breast cancer. In fact, I learned quite a bit about Brett and Deanna Favre, and being a Packer fan, I was quite interested in learning about Brett.

There were several things that were informative and helpful. The Favres have not had the ideal life that many would expect. The Favres have a daughter named Brittany who was born before her parents married. The early part of their relationship was tumultuous. Brett was off playing professional football while Deanna was back in Mississippi as a single mom. She struggled to pay the bills, could not afford health insurance and had the same struggles that so many single mothers have.

One thing I did not know is that Brett’s mother, Bonita, is a special education teacher back in Mississippi. Both Brett and Deanna grew up around special needs children. Because of this, and the financial means that they have from Brett’s career, they have started the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation. (If you’re not a Packer fan, Brett’s number is four.)

This foundation is to help special needs and under privileged kids in Wisconsin and Mississippi. One thing that Deanna stressed in the book is that the majority of the money in their foundation goes directly to the kids and the families. They don’t spend much money on salaries or other expenses so that they can give back the money that they have raised. They hope to be able to raise enough money to help kids all across this country, rather than just these two states. So far they have given away more than $1.5 million.

In my opening paragraph I mentioned that I thought of this as the breast cancer book. Again, if you’re not familiar with the Favres, Deanna Favre was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. Happily, she has beaten the cancer. Again, because of their history and the financial success they have had, they have also started another foundation. The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation. If you watch a Packer game and see pink Packer hats in the stands, the proceeds from those sales have gone to this foundation.

One of the other predominant themes in the book is faith and family. The Favres say that they have gotten through all the adversity in their life through a strong faith in God and with the support and love of their families. I think both of these things are crucial in special needs parenting.

It may sound cold, but it’s kind of reassuring to know that the celebrities look up to don’t have the cushy life that we envision them to have. They can be real people like us, who have some of the same struggles, and might actually understand a little bit about our lives.

If you are watching the NFL play off games, give a cheer for the Packers.

Photo credit – The book “Don’t Bet Against Me”

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