Highlighting a Super Dad this Father’s Day
With Father’s Day right around the corner, we acknowledge an exceptional dad.
SDCE member Kevin Justice loves being a father. He says he only gets one shot at fatherhood and loves every second of it. He and his wife, Laura, just celebrated their thirteenth wedding anniversary and have an 11-year-old son named Dempsey.
Dempsey had a rough start to life. He was born 100 days before his due date at 25 weeks and six days and weighed 1 pound 6 ounces. He was 12 inches long. He spent the first nine days in the neonatal intensive care unit, and his parents couldn’t touch or hold him. On the 10th day, Laura could finally hold him and have skin-to-skin contact.
Dempsey was in the hospital for four months, so the couple went through many emotions having their baby there all alone. All the doctors and nurses were incredible, and the nurses would tell them to go home and get rest, so they had the strength to be there for their son. They knew they needed to take care of themselves to be able to be there for their son, but it was still hard and emotionally wrenching. Kevin says this was the scariest time of their lives.
Kevin decided to start growing a mustache from Dempsey’s birth and keep it until he brought his son home. On Dempsey’s 100th day in the hospital, the nurses wore mustaches to celebrate his going home. Once they brought Dempsey home, they couldn’t have family or friends over because of germs, which is even more critical when dealing with a premature baby.
Dempsey is a miracle, and Kevin and Laura share their story to help others who may be going through something difficult. Now, Dempsey is a thriving 4th grader who is active in sports, primarily soccer. He is even a member of the school's running club and wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps by doing distance running one day.
Kevin feels fortunate that he can see life through his son’s eyes. He loves getting to experience Dempsey’s excitement. It makes everything richer and brighter and fills his cup. Kevin also enjoys seeing how Dempsey interacts with others and says he’s an old soul. “Dempsey gets people and is very in tune with what’s going on. It’s cool to see him get older.”
In addition to being an outstanding dad, Kevin is very active in the community. He is a realtor at RE/MAX Direct and is the President of the Ramona Real Estate Association. He has served on the Ramona Chamber Board of Directors for the last year and a half. He had the opportunity to chair the Tacos and Beer Fest event with Ramona Chamber Office Manager Laura Leeman. It was a great collaboration, and they had wonderful sponsors and volunteers.
In his free time, he is a soccer coach for the Ramona Soccer League and INTRA Futbol. He coaches the spring and fall seasons for the Ramona Soccer League and has been Dempsey’s coach every season for the last six years. Kevin likes to be involved with his son and make every moment count with him. “It feels good to be around kids and share their joy while playing soccer, and I get to see Dempsey interact with other kids.”
This Father’s Day, you might find the Justice family at the beach. It’s where Kevin likes to be, and it’s a perfect place for his family to celebrate the wonderful man Dempsey calls Dad, and Laura calls her husband.
Who is an amazing father in your life?
