GARDEN VALLEY, Idaho — Dash Jones and Makenzie Peters have been best friends since they were just out of diapers.
"Dash and Makenzie have had a very sweet friendship, it started in preschool. They have been friends for five years," Kylie Peters, Makenzie Peters' mom said.
Dash, who is nine years old, still remembers the day they met.
"I remember right when we walked into preschool, we started talking to each other and that's how we became best friends," Dash said.
Now, they are both in the fourth grade and live in Garden Valley, Idaho. They are also in 4-H together.
"My mom kind of encouraged me to do it, and then I heard Dash was doing it," Makenzie said.
They decided on showing sheep for their 4-H projects.
"Rose is McKenzie's sheep and Todd is my sheep," Dash said. "I like how they are cuddly, you can go hang out with them in the pen."
"They get the sheep the beginning of May, they spend three months taking care of the lamb, training it, exercising it," Dash's mom Crista Jones said. "They get them ready to sell at market."
The summer was going really well for both kids, and they were really enjoying taking care of their sheep. Tragically, in July, Makenzie's parents noticed something about her that changed everything.
"We noticed some slight deficits in motor skills on the left side of her body on July first," Makenzie's mom Kylie said. "Then, on July 2 we brought her to the ER where they scanned her, and they found a mass on her brain stem pushing into the cerebellum. I mean, it was the scariest moment of our life."
Makenzie had two brain surgeries in July.
"I'm just like, let's get this done, whatever it takes," Makenzie said.
Mom Kylie said she is so proud of how brave she has been through it all.
"Her will and determination has been amazing," Kylie said.
Once Dash realized that Makenzie may not be able to care for Rose and show her at the fair in August, he stepped up... big time.
"I offered to help her get her ready for the fair, and to show Rose. I didn't want her to worry about her, I wanted to get all the stress off her," Dash said.
Makenzie said she was so happy to hear that Dash was willing to help.
"He just knew what he needed to do, he offered, and he took care of her," Makenzie said. "That was really, really nice of him."
Dash worked hard in July to get both Todd and Rose ready for the sale. He said he was happy to do it for his best friend.
"If someone is down and they can't do something, help them," Dash said. "It feels good, it's a good feeling in life."
The night before the Gem/Boise County Fair in Emmett, Makenzie was at St. Luke's being monitored. Her neurogurgeon gave her the go ahead to go to the fair, and show Rose! She was over the moon.
"I got out that night, and got to go home and the next morning I drove to Emmett and got to show Rose! I got to go in the pen with Dash, and my whole entire 4-H club was there," Makenzie said.
"They had these purple shirts that said show up for Makenzie," Dash said.
That's just what they did. When it was time to bid on Rose, the money just kept coming in for the Peters family.
"People just kept standing up, and pledging add on bids," Dash said. "It just kept going up and up and up."
"I remember me and Dash were just looking at each other so surprised," Makenzie said. When the donations started coming in, I asked Dash what was going on and he said well, you're just making some extra cash!"
Over $27,000 was raised for Makenzie's fight.
"It was just a really special moment for all of us, I don't think there was a dry eye in the audience," Kylie Peters said. "It was amazing to watch people show up for us."
Makenzie and her family are so grateful to the Garden Valley 4-H community.
"Thank you for supporting me through this time," she said.
Makenzie will have some imaging done this month to see what is next for her and if she will need more surgery. She is grateful for Dash, her best friend, who stepped up when she needed him the most.
"Thank you, Dash for supporting me and taking care of Rose for me and doing all this for me," Makenzie said. "I think I will be friends with Dash forever."
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