Refuse to Lose, The story of a brave little cowgirl

By Cindy Meyers
Posted Monday, November 20, 2006

Refuse to Lose. This was the motto of young Austin Roberts and her family when a brain tumor was found in the left side of her brain. Many of you have probably heard of her father, Dan Roberts, well known Cowboy Western Recording Artist, is her father, but cancer doesn’t care who you know or who you are. When they found the tumor Austin and her family began the fight of a lifetime. Today, due to modern technology she was able to have the tumor removed and will live a normal life. Austin and her family could have stopped there but they chose to bring the technology that had saved Austin in California back to Fort Worth-Dallas and the Cook Children’s Hospital. Austin and her family started the Refuse to Lose Foundation and with the help of many great friends including Garth Brooks they raised over $4.5 million dollars to make this life saving technology available at Cook Children’s Hospital. Last year children from 37 states were helped at this Texas hospital. This year at Rob Smets' retirement party Dickies and several of his other announced they were forming the Rob Smets Foundation to benefit the Cook Children's Hospital. The Cook Children’s Hospital in the heart of rodeo country has helped many young cowboys and cowgirls live normal lives and deserves all the help and support the rodeo industry can give it.

Austin was honored by Macy’s and the NBC Today Show on November 1st for her dedication to the Refuse to Lose Foundation and helping other children after she was cured. Austin and her family will be the guest of Macy’s and NBC and she will cut the red ribbon that starts the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. What an honor, but then what a young lady!

I want to thank Ken Fitting and Lyle Sankey for bringing this remarkable young lady and her story to our attention. She is truly a cowgirl with a Rodeo Attitude!

Here are two web sites with videos you won’t want to miss. They may change your life or that of someone you love.
Click here for Dan Roberts’ site and to view video from her appearance on the Today Show: http://www.oldbootsmusic.com/

Click her for Refuse to Lose Foundation site ( I highly recommend you take the time to view the video about Cook Children’s Hospital): http://www.refusetolose.org/