By JOEY JOHNSTON
Tribune Staff Writer
(c) Tampa Bay Times. Originally published May 11, 2000.
Dear Andrea,
Watching my 9-year-old daughter make the decision to have her leg amputated, when she had been the fastest runner, a dancer, a gymnast, the best athlete within her elementary school, and see the acceptance of what life has put in front of her with very little anger, is the hardest thing I have ever done. But meeting groups like yours makes it possible for me to get up in the morning. Thanks for being the person you are. And for sharing your heart.
Sincerely,
Linda Henderson, a mom.
A few months ago, Andrea Jaeger was on a flight to Los Angeles. Somebody stopped her in the aisle. “I know you … I’ve seen you on television,” the person said. Wow, Jaeger thought. Hadn’t heard that in a while. After all, it had been 17 years since she made the Wimbledon final, even longer since she was the world’s No. 2-ranked women’s tennis player.
“Yeah, I used to play professional tennis,” Jaeger said.
“No, no, no,” they said, “you’re the one who helps those kids with cancer.”
Jaeger got teary-eyed.
That’s how she wants to be known. Forget the tennis.
She recently was contacted by the Wimbledon tournament director, who invited her to play in the 35-and-over event. No thanks, she said. I’ll be too busy.
Jaeger’s Silver Lining Ranch, a refuge for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, is going strong in Aspen, Colo. For 10 years, she has brought kids to Aspen for week-long adventures of whitewater rafting, fishing, swimming, arts and crafts, skiing, horseback riding, sing-a-longs, talent shows, dancing and dinners.
Instead of cancer patients, they can be kids. Instead of drawing stares, they receive hugs.
Some might call it an escape. Jaeger calls it an entry point.
Last year, the ranch opened its permanent home, a $6 million, 18,000-square-foot facility on 10 acres of prime real estate, which was donated by Fritz and Fabi Benedict. It’s a monument to Jaeger’s tenacious fundraising and the generosity of financier Ted Forstmann, who pledged $1.7 million.
Saturday, the ProSure Foundation, a local non-profit organization, will host the “Fore The Children” Golf Classic at The Eagles Golf Club in Tampa. Proceeds will be used to sponsor kids from All Children’s Hospital to attend the Silver Lining Ranch.
Jaeger, originally from Chicago, has deep roots in the Tampa Bay area. For years, her father was a tennis instructor at Saddlebrook Resort. After retiring from tennis – following seven shoulder surgeries – she lived and worked in Tampa.
SHE WAS DRAWN to volunteer work at the Moffitt Cancer Center, where she distributed mail. When talking with the kids, she discovered kindred spirits.
Jaeger turned pro at age 14 and had few friends on the tour. On the road, she often returned to her hotel room and drifted into a childlike dream world. Sometimes, she played Monopoly alone – her left hand against her right hand.
She was a misfit in an adult’s world.
“I didn’t have a peer group,” Jaeger said. “I turned pro so young. I missed out on proms, dances and stuff from my childhood. So I really feel something in common with the kids who come to our ranch, just like I was always drawn to kids in hospitals when I played.
“They’re trying so desperately to fit in. They’re not given a chance. They’re having to live with cancer, but it doesn’t have to mean they’re dying. We want to bring them some happiness.”
It has been a consuming vocation. In the beginning, Jaeger’s kids were housed in an Aspen hotel and taken by van to various activities. Expenses mounted for airline tickets, meals, activities, medical attention. Meanwhile, she was chewing through her bankrolled $1.4 million in prize-money earnings, buying time by charging necessities on credit cards and searching for benefactors. There were few takers.
Then John McEnroe sent a check.
And word spread. The tennis community got involved. Pete Sampras still donates money each time he hits an ace. Pam Shriver, Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier have sponsored kids.
Jaeger cold-called wealthy people profiled in Forbes magazine. She approached Madonna in a restaurant and nervously told her about the Silver Lining Ranch. A few weeks later, Madonna’s check arrived. Kevin Costner and Cindy Crawford have been ardent supporters. The work isn’t done. Next project: A $30 million endowment.
More than 400 kids have visited Jaeger’s ranch. One of the first was Rhea Olsen of Chicago. She worked late hours at a grocery store because she needed gas money for transportation to chemotherapy treatments. Eventually, she joined Jaeger’s staff and designed the organization newsletter.
In Aspen, Olsen would look for shooting stars, the ones she never seemed to spot in Chicago. Near the end, she cried and told Jaeger her life would be forgotten. Jaeger vowed that wouldn’t happen. When the Silver Lining Ranch opened last year, people were struck by the main building’s tower. It’s called Rhea’s Tower because it’s closest to the stars.
Of course, there are funerals and sadness. Jaeger and her staff won’t focus on that. Instead, they’ll think about Tampa’s Cherish Lopez, who was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a highly malignant soft-tissue cancer, at age 12. She was given four months to live, but held on to her dream of working with animals. Last year, she graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She works in zoo education and conservation at Busch Gardens.
THEY’LL THINK ABOUT Jackie Diaz, who had cancer of the lymph nodes at age 16. She dropped out of high school, then briefly withdrew from life. Her mother was told Jackie would live another few days, maybe a week.
A few years ago, Jaeger received a wedding invitation – from Jackie Diaz. Now Diaz is 24, living in LaPuente, Calif., with a husband and three children. “They had to force me to go to Andrea in Aspen,” Diaz said. “I didn’t want to talk to anybody or see anybody. But that week helped me open up. I came out of my shell. It was one of my best weeks ever. It taught me I was worth something, too. It brought me back to life.”
Sometimes, Jaeger wonders about her life’s direction. What if her shoulder had stayed healthy? What if she could go back, maybe make a run at No. 1, maybe win Wimbledon this time? Would she leave Aspen for another shot at the glory? Would she run from the occasional tears and return to the stadium cheers? Would she give it all up?
Her answer never wavers.
“Of course not,” she said. “Of course not. This is what I’m doing for the rest of my life.”
Dear Andrea Jaeger,
My daughter has endured two very extensive surgeries, four minor surgeries and months of chemotherapy. An incredible team of doctors was able to save her right leg. She recently enjoyed a weekend at your ranch. Picking her up at the airport, I witnessed that light in her eyes that was taken away for so many months. Of course we missed our little girl, but a different one came back. What this did for her self-esteem and spirit that was lost, I can’t even begin to describe.
Sincerely,
Anni Cusack
