Fundraiser for Cowley boy makes special therapy a possibility

The generous efforts of volunteers and the outpouring support from people throughout the Big Horn Basin and beyond have made it possible for Billy Slabbert, a young Cowley boy with cerebral palsy, to get the therapy he desperately needs.

A team roping benefit held this weekend at the Cowley Rodeo Grounds raised more than $20,000 to help Billy’s parents, Johannes and MaryBeth Slabbert, fund the highly specialized therapy 4-year-old Billy needs. The therapy will help him develop mobility and skills that will help him throughout his life.

“We wish to thank every single person who made Billy’s therapies possible, from the ones who shared the event to the ones who organized it, donated, came out or sent Billy a special gift,” said MaryBeth. “We are humbled to tears at the outpouring of our community.”

Billy is already scheduled to begin his first round of therapy in Denver starting in early July. The intensive therapy will last three weeks and will need to be repeated twice a year.

“We have high hopes for Billy, and we are excited to see what this will do for him over time,” said MaryBeth. “I was hopeful for help toward the cost of a single intensive session but never imagined he would get the opportunity to attend two, thanks to the gifts from many people. Billy already has an amazing story and testimony, and is touching lives around the country. Regardless of his abilities, Billy is a gift to all of us and a living example of hope, resilience and joy despite the struggle.”

The event had a massive turnout, attracting more than 120 roping teams and many spectators. Johannes Slabbert said funds were raised through concessions, roping entry fees, a silent auction and, in some cases, people just opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to make a cash donation.

It was a heartwarming experience for the Slabbert family, which includes a total of six children.

“I stood there on Saturday night,” explained Johannes, a pastor at the Water of Life Church in Cowley. “The roping was over. People were standing outside visiting. The music was playing. Kids were having a ball, and everywhere you looked it was just open country. 

“It was like an inspirational movie about a small community from yesteryears. It’s something you don’t often see in the world today. The whole community coming together to rally around a person in need. Doing something they love. Cowboying. It was a fun time. It made me think of those truly inspirational movies I’ve seen, and I felt like we were in one of those movies. This is the type of thing those movies are made of, and it would be the type of movie that would make people feel inspired to be a better person. It gave me hope.”

Johannes said the family, in a leap of faith, put Billy on a waiting list to get into the therapy program in Denver. At the time, they had no idea how they would pay for it. They received a notice of acceptance shortly before the event was held.

“I don’t know if saying thank you is enough,” said Johannes. “It’s amazing the support we got from just right here in our home town. People also came from all over. They travelled from Montana and from all over the Big Horn Basin for this event. There were folks who knew us and folks who didn’t know us.

“We are so blessed, and we want to thank everybody who played a part in this, no matter how large or how small. This act of kindness blessed our family beyond belief and blew my mind. We feel so loved and cared for.”