Some stories are etched in your heart long after you hear them. Stories of courage, love, and a kind of hope that refuses to fade, even in the face of heartbreak. This is one of those stories where sorrow is transformed into something extraordinary.
It’s the story of a little girl named Tara “Boom” Houston. A bright, vibrant seven-year-old who adored her family, friends, and horses more than anything else in the world. It’s a story that begins with laughter and ends with lasting light and though we wish we could rewrite the middle, what remains is a legacy that continues to bring hope to countless others.
Everyone called Tara “Boom” thanks to a song that Tara’s Mom & Dad would sing to her when she was little… ‘Ta-ra-ra-Boom-de-ay’. “She was convinced that her real name was Tara Elizabeth Boomdeh Houston, Boom for short.”
It was at the London Balloon Festival in August 2002 where Tara was enjoying the rides and candy floss, where her mom noticed Tara was walking funny. Mom wondered if it was the rides, heat stroke, or possibly just another ear infection from swimming in the lake, but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about. A few days later, as Dad was leaving to go to work, Tara wanted to say goodbye and stumbled out the door like she was drunk. Motherly instincts kicked in, and, as a family they headed straight to the Emergency Room.
“I noticed more and more white coats were surrounding us doing dexterity testing on Tara. Eventually, I asked what they were thinking. I was floored when I heard the words, ‘brain tumour’.”
Tara was admitted to the hospital for five days, then sent home, and not with good news.
The tumour was in Tara’s brain stem. The doctors said there was nothing they could do. Tara’s family was told they had 3-6 months. Time to go to live their best life and make more memories.
Arriving at home the family found a voice message waiting for them from Make-A-Wish. They were ready to make Tara’s wish, whatever it may be, come true. Soon after arriving home friends & neighbours started to build a horse corral for the horse that would come.
Determined to follow the doctor’s instructions to live their best life, despite the medication making Tara gain weight and feel self-conscious, they opted to go on a Disney Cruise, where Tara and her big brother Josh were spoilt rotten.
It was a terribly difficult Christmas for the Houston family due to the impending news of Tara not surviving her diagnosis. Nonetheless, love and support were all around them from their friends and neighbours, who had secretly decorated Buddy Boom’s corral with Christmas lights. Santa even made a special appearance in the corral with carrots and bells.
Christmas came and went, and in early January the family was told of a clinical trial in Houston, Texas. The odds were not good, but the hope that the trial represented was so great, they opted to go. The press heard that the Houston’s were going to Houston and helped amplify the message to fundraise for the family, bringing multiple communities together. Kids emptied their piggybanks, Krispy Kreme donuts were bought for hundreds of dollars each, and $70,000 was raised in just one day to enable the family to go.
The biggest surprise came on the day that the family were due to leave. A representative from Childcan came to their door, offering to pay the bills while they were gone. “We thought we were going to lose our farm. We thought we’d lose everything. When Childcan arrived, we gained peace of mind. We left with a clear mind, knowing we were in good hands.”
The goodwill didn’t stop there. Flights were donated, and arriving in Houston the family discovered they’d been ‘adopted’ by the local Optimists who were covering their accommodations, and a suite across the hallway for Grandmas, transportation, and more.
Sadly, after just one month, it was clear that the treatment wasn’t working. Tara passed away while in Houston, Texas.
“It was the worst outcome, of course, but priceless to feel hope again for that quick short month. Until you’re placed in a similar situation, you have no idea of the power of hope. It was something else.”
The day before Tara passed, the family had received a difficult call from Make-A-Wish. Tara’s horse, that they had gifted to her, had become sick at the time that the family was leaving for Houston. The horse passed the day before Tara. The Houston’s were able to take great comfort knowing that Buddy would be there to greet her.
With funds left over from the community fundraising efforts, Sheri & Scott were determined to give back and make a difference for other families, to feel the hope they felt. They, along with close friends, came together to launch the Tara “Boom” Houston Children’s Foundation, which became a registered charity in March 2003. Hundreds of other families have been helped by their Foundation.
It takes a lot of work, and a lot of fundraising, to keep a Foundation like this going, and, after 22 years, the family started to think about retirement, grandkids, travel, and more. They recently opted to transition from a registered charity to a Community Foundation Fund, ensuring that Tara’s name would live on. Childcan is deeply honoured to be one of the beneficiaries of this incredible legacy, alongside our friends at Make-A-Wish. Because of Tara, and because of her family’s enduring love, hope continues to bloom, quietly and powerfully in the lives of others.
“Tara will live in our hearts forever. Creating this fund will let our daughter’s name live on for others. To be able to do this is another gift for Scott and me. People need to know you can do this. We would love others to follow suit.”
Thank you to Sheri and Scott Houston, the Board of the Tara “Boom” Houston Children’s Foundation, and everyone who helped make this incredible gift possible. You have transformed unimaginable loss into love in action, ensuring that families walking a similar path will feel the warmth of Tara’s spirit holding them up.
Because of you, the world has been given a story that doesn’t end in loss, but in lasting hope.