After Losing Her Husband, She Changed Hundreds of Moms’ Lives

Katie Bunnell stood in her new Lehi, Utah, home cradling her baby girl, Kali. Everything’s going so well, she thought. But that night, her husband Byron had a stroke and tragically passed in his sleep.

For months, Katie lived in a fog of grief. With no life insurance and a baby to care for, she had to sell her house and move. To keep the lights on, Katie turned her living room into a beauty salon, and with the money she earned and help from her family, she managed to barely stay afloat.

Then one day, her mother-in-law, DeeAnn, offered an idea. “Have you thought about going to college?”

Katie laughed. “College is for smart people,” she scoffed.

“You are smart,” DeeAnn insisted. “I’ll enroll with you!”

As Katie tucked Kali in bed that night, she realized, I have to try—for her.

Katie and DeeAnn enrolled in the same general education classes and studied together. “Maybe Mommy is smart,” she cooed to her little girl.

DeeAnn went into nursing, while Katie studied business. After two and a half years, she graduated with a 3.8 GPA.

Along the way, Katie met many other single moms striving for better futures. Once she found her footing, she decided it was time to give back.

Remembering a grant she’d received from a widow’s scholarship, Katie created the Live Your Dream Foundation (LiveYourDreamFoundation.org), and held 5Ks, water rafting races and a golf tournament to raise money to help single moms with tuition.

One recipient was Erica Hammon, a single mom studying special education. “I’m not just helping you—I’m helping all the kids you will help in the future,” Katie told her.

Another young mom, Eva Calvillo, dreamed of becoming a social worker. With two Live Your Dream Foundation scholarships, she earned her degree and now works in hospitals and schools. Her salary has doubled, and she’s preparing to build a home.

“I owe Katie so much,” she says. “She helped show my kids dreams can come true.”

Over the past 16 years, Katie has helped hundreds of moms—from widows to women rebuilding after abuse.

“You got this,” reads the bracelet she gives each recipient. Many break down in tears, moved that someone finally believes in them.

Each Mother’s Day, Katie and scholarship recipients assemble over 400 gift baskets for moms in the program.

“They deserve it,” says Katie. “They are building better lives for themselves and their families!”