Kristen's Story

Kristen Kay, or Sissy as known to loved ones, was a little girl who dreamed of becoming a teacher. Kristen had a passion for reading books. She loved her Taylor Swift CDs, swimming, skating, the book Twilight, and riding her four-wheeler. Her family adored her including her father Scott, her mother Amanda, older sister Meagan, sisters Chyna and Sophie, her Ma and Pa Pa Barbara and Jack, her Aunt Julie, and two cousins Austin and Mason. Kristen was a daddy's girl as well as the baby girl. Words simply can not express how much she is missed.

She was always a healthy child who suddenly became very ill with a common and sometimes fatal bacteria known as MRSA. By the time Kristen started to exhibit symptoms, the damage had been done. She fought hard while at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. During her entire stay, sissy was never alone nor even in pain. Early on Sunday morning March 22, 2009, Kristen Kay Hunter succumbed to a complication of MRSA.

She is forever eleven and forever innocent. Looking back it can be said that Kristen accomplished her goal of being a teacher and then some. In fact, she taught the most important lessons... Lessons about life, love, happiness and sacrifice. She continues to teach to this day.

After a recent segment aired on the Oprah Winfrey show about Kristen's wonderful life and tragic encounter with MRSA, Barbara Hunter, whom Kristen lovingly referred to as Ma, received a life altering postcard from one of the show producers. The producer wrote that a viewer of the show had written in and thanked them for airing Kristen Kay's story. She then went on to credit the story for helping to save her young daughter's life. Let this be Kristen Kay's greatest legacy... This postcard gave Kristen's Family a new found sense of direction and the motivation they needed to continue to help and save others in Kristen's name.

Our plan is to keep Kristen's memory alive and to be her voice by raising awareness through her sister Meagan's public speaking engagements, Annual Kristen Kay Hunter Scholarship Fundraisers, this website, and various other future endeavors. Never forget our brown eyed baby girl, Kristen Kay Hunter... Student, Friend, Loving Daughter, and Aspiring Teacher.