Wisconsin Woman Writes: An Open Letter Of Gratitude To John Deere

Nathan & Sarah Kopf & Colton Brandenburg
Chilton, WI 53014

July 23, 2014

John Deere World Headquarters
One John Deere Place
Moline, IL 61265

Dear Deere & Company,

How does one sum up the quality of an experience in just a single letter, within a few solitary paragraphs, when their life has been so dramatically changed by that experience? It’s a difficult task if you’ve never been challenged with it. But if there was ever an opportunity to give it a shot, it’s definitely now…

A few years ago, you didn’t know who we were. You only knew that a young boy named Cole from Wisconsin had battled cancer for three years, that it had returned a second time, that his future was now questionable, and that he desperately wanted to come down and visit John Deere. His doctor had suggested he embrace the things he loved and that we, as his parents, try to provide him a quality of life that was as captivating as it was memorable while we could. “Time” became something we were both blessed and terrified by…

And so we asked our Cole, who is the absolute light and joy of our life, ‘Buddy, if you could go anywhere and do anything right now, right this second, what would you do?’ To our surprise, he didn’t just blurt out an answer. He let it roll around in his mind for a few hours, and all of the sudden came decisively into our kitchen to us, and said, ‘Could we please go to John Deere? Could I see the machines get built and see the people? Could I see the planes or go to the store to get a shirt and some tractors?’

Nathan and I exchanged a silent glance with each other- and we knew. Immediately. Yes! Yes, this was definitely it! Now I know it might seem like a strange request from a ten year old boy. Most children would be eager to head off to Disney or Six Flags. But not our Cole. He wanted you. He wanted John Deere. And the more we thought about it, the more it made complete sense. This is who he is. This is what he loves. From the time he was a small child, there was something about those big, strong green machines that he watched till the fields, harvest the crops, and tow the feed wagons that absolutely captivated him. What we didn’t realize is that they would soon captivate us too…

It would come to pass over the next few short weeks that our family and friends, as well as our oncology team, would reach out to the good folks at John Deere Aviation, John Deere Corporate, and John Deere Harvester, and devise a plan that could never be replicated or matched in genius. Every detail was planned. The doctors cleared Cole to leave on his vacation and even reworked his chemo schedule so he could be less sick on the trip. The hotel was not only booked, but paid for entirely, immediately, by concerned loved ones wanting to help. Medical travel kits were packed and loaded. Directions were printed off. Emergency hospitals, just in case, were contacted and informed. And most importantly to Cole, the tour of a lifetime at John Deere was all laid out.

We got into the car to head to Moline very much not knowing what to expect, but wishing to provide our Cole with a few lasting memories to help him, hopefully, endure the tough years ahead. What we received though was so much more… From the very first moment we arrived at the hotel, magic seemed to unfold all around us. We were given hugs from the hotel staff. Dinner was sent up to our room and waiting. And there were flowers for mom and dad and a huge gift basket full of John Deere gear for Cole in our hotel room upon arrival. At the time, Cole was so awestruck by those gestures of kindness that he simply thought it couldn’t get any better. He laid on our big hotel bed, tore open every single package, put on a new green hat, and set up ‘roads’ with towels on the bedspread so he could play with his new toys. And he smiled! Oh my gosh, did he ever SMILE! We didn’t know it then, but that was just the beginning…

Over the next 48 hours, we would be whisked away by John Deere & UAW staff members that can only be identified as incredible, hospitable, and committed- to their company, their union, and community. It’s difficult to name them all individually for fear that we would leave one of those pivotal people out, but please know that it’s not for lack of love or appreciation for them on our part. They were AMAZING!

The first stop would be John Deere Aviation. You see, Cole has hoped to be a pilot since he was little, but once he learned that John Deere had a corporate flight department, it was all he talked about. And so he was invited in to not only tour the hanger, but to see the planes, talk to the staff and chief pilot, and really get a feel for what it’s like to be there- a part of the company. And it was SO special! We cannot say thank you enough to the good people at John Deere Aviation! While we are saddened that Cole has learned recently that his long term health will never be strong enough post cancer to be a commercial pilot or to work in the towers, he is at peace knowing that he was given a commercial flight experience that will last a lifetime in his heart. He wants you to know that he will still wave hello to JDA as he flies over Moline some day after he earns his private pilot license.

After that, the three of us headed over to the John Deere Headquarters. Truly, the only thing more breathtaking than the grounds at HQ, are the people that work within it. We cannot identify one single part of that day as our favorite, but from Cole having filet mignon in the dining room, to taking a moment to sit in the VPs chair, to climbing up into every piece of machinery available to get a picture with it in the showroom, each moment was more special than the next! Thank you for pulling out ALL of the stops!

And finally, we come to the part of the tour that included John Deere Harvester. We had no idea at the time how much this particular stop would impact us, but from the second we walked through the big doors, received the royal welcome we did complete with hugs and high fives, and climbed onto our tour carts, it was evident that something big was about to happen—and did it EVER. The Harvester staff, who represent UAW 865, had cleverly put together several “stops.” At those stops were big groups of wonderful people and stacks of gifts- of every kind, color, and type. From clothing, to toys, to a bike, and so much more-and all of it was donated by your incredible staff! (I can’t remember when I started to cry, but I also can’t remember when I stopped either. My husband admits the same. It was overwhelming in such a touching way!)

As we progressed through the plant, one-of-a-kind items, crafted by UAW worker hands on their own time, made their way, one by one, to Cole. My husband and I were absolutely speechless. If you’ve never seen a stranger take your ailing child into their arms, present him a handcrafted gift, tell him they love him and to keep fighting, and then give him a huge hug, you’ve never witnessed selflessness… Not really. What we witnessed was love in its purest form. At each stop Cole’s face would just light up! He just could NOT stop smiling. And if you knew how LONG we waited for that… If you knew how agonizing and taxing it was literally holding him down to endure injections, dragging him to chemo treatments, negotiating radiation visits, and promising him again and again that it soon would be all over and we could go home from that hospital permanently, you would understand how life changing those hours were for all three of us. It had been years since we saw that kind and that measure of joy envelop and consume our son. It had been years since we felt our own hearts fill with happiness the way they did. How priceless is that?

It’s immeasurable. Every second of it.

In closing…

One of the most pivotal moments of Cole’s tour through John Deere Harvester works was climbing up into the big combine and being the very first to turn the key and watch the roaring monster come to life for the first time. And that is what you saw if you were there. A new combine. Being started by just another little guy. Firing up. But not me… No… No, it wasn’t a combine- but my son that came alive and roared to life that day… He took the very first breath of what would become his future, in the company of people and a corporation that would forever change all of our lives. He would become determined to beat his cancer. He would become determined to give back every ounce of love that was shown to him and use it to benefit others. His life would change- because you all changed him. Three years later, we are proud to tell you that Cole is cancer free, excelling academically despite a daunting expectation due to the after effects of 6 years of chemo & radiation- even earning his way onto the honor roll, and is involved in several community organizations which keep him busy paying forward all of the love he has garnered the last few years. He spends his extra time working towards earning scholarships for college, because he plans to graduate with honors, move to the Quad Cities in four years to attend college, and then apply to intern at John Deere!

All that said- what really is there left to say? … Except thank you! We want you to know that this, without a doubt, is who John Deere is as a company. These are the things that John Deere does. And that will be the John Deere legacy- in our eyes, in the eyes of everyone who knows us, and especially in our Cole’s eyes.

To John Deere and UAW 865: Thank you, thank you, thank you—a million times over—thank you! In addition, we wish to send a very special thank you to Terry Edwards, Randy Samuelson, and Jim Dichiser, who have kept in touch with us over the years, and who just recently hopped on their motorcycles and traveled up to Wisconsin to spend an entire weekend with Cole. We genuinely hope that these three gentlemen are commended by the company and their union representatives for their kindness and love for going the extra mile to find a spot for us in their hearts- even outside of the professional affiliations. We knew our time at John Deere was special, but the moment these gentlemen pulled up outside of our house on their motorcycles and Cole ran down and threw his arms around them like he would his own family, we were reminded that even the most beautiful moments are meant to be amplified. Life is about living, after all…