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Maria McLeay - “Tami Hauser Supports Real Life Miracle”
Tami Hauser Supports Real Life Miracle
By J1 Reporter Maria McLeay
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In a big brick house across the street from me lives Tami Hauser, one of the strongest people I know. I grew up driving home from school with Hauser going over to her house for cookies and playing with her kids almost every day. She is a mother of seven and a devout Catholic and a big part of my life.
Hauser grew up in Omaha, Neb. and went to high school at Central High downtown. She volunteered at St. Margaret Marys, the church my neighbors and I all belong to and where we all went to grade school. She enjoyed activities like gymnastics and dance and had two brothers who were Episcopalian Priests. “I wish I did more with singing in high school, that’s why you need to try everything”, Hauser said. She met her spouse, Tracy and had seven kids. None of her kids were my age, but were all pretty close. Hauser continued to be involved in anything she could do to help the community and especially the parish. Her mom converted to Catholicism when she married her dad and Tami followed in her footsteps of being a strong leader at St. Margaret Marys. “I think it’s funny how when my mom converted, she went to church more than my dad did!” Hauser said.
She and her family moved in down the block about two years after my family moved in. We quickly became very close and have an amazing neighborhood community. My childhood was filled with playing outside with her kids and the other neighbors and making memories I will never forget. Their family was not complete without their youngest John Paul. John Paul was close in age to my brother.
John Paul had a chromosome disorder which made him rely on Hasuser and others for close to everything in his day-to-day life. He was not supposed to make it past birth and the doctors encouraged Hauser to get an abortion. Hauser felt as if this child needed to be born and she was not even considering an abortion. Hauser went forward with the birth and John Paul lived 12 amazing years. He filled our neighborhood with happiness and made everyone smile and appreciate every day a little more. John Paul had a lot of complications in his life, but he was still always happy.
Hauser prayed to Pope John Paul II in hopes of him helping her son who she and her husband then named John Paul. At the time he was not a saint but she was hoping her son could be one of his miracles to become one. “Tracy and I thought that this child could be one of those miracles” Hauser said. John Paul had issues his whole life but unexpectedly passed away this past summer which left everyone that met John Paul devastated.
Hauser and her family had tremendous support during hard times from her neighbors, church and community. She saw them as representing the Body of Christ. That is what God’s love looked like to her. “All of these people coming together to support us were the body of Christ in action” said Hauser. Everyone embraced him, prayed for him and so much more. After his death, one of his siblings, Josh, said that it would be impossible to not believe in God after John Paul.
John Paul taught everyone so much. He was an innocent baby in his head, only about 12-18 months old. He showed unconditional love and how much it can do. He will be remembered by all of the happiness that he gave to people. Hauser will forever be paying it forward by all the gratitude they received. She wants to continue to help special needs kids like she did when he was alive. She still has some projects that she is working on memorials of John Paul and other special needs kids at his school JP Lord and the Monroe Meyer Center.
Hauser has this beautiful analogy that she told me. Hauser is creating a butterfky garden at John Pauls old school. “All of the special needs kids represent the flowers and all of the amazing people that help them are the butterflies being brought to the garden to help them” Hauser said. COVID was a blessing to the Hauser Family, they had a year of special times with John Paul before his death which was so unexpected. “God is a cheerful giver”(Corinthians 9:7), this quote reminds me of Hauser in so many ways. This happens to be her favorite quote and suits her so well. I am so lucky to have Hauser in my life, she will forever be one of my biggest role models.
