Support Laurna's Journey to Recovery

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are reaching out to ask for your help in supporting our dear friend and colleague, Laurna Kaatz, as she continues her courageous recovery from a traumatic brain injury sustained while mountain biking in October 2021. Laurna has always been a beacon of joy, love, and community spirit. Her visionary leadership in climate change adaptation and water resource management has touched countless lives and directly impacted so many careers. When Laurna hired me at Denver Water five years ago, I never could have imagined how lucky I was to be gaining such an incredible mentor and friend.

Tragically, Laurna's life took a drastic turn following her brain injury. Since that day, she has shown remarkable resilience and dedication to her recovery, but she remains unable to return to work or to the many fun and adventurous activities that once anchored her in her community.

While Laurna remains steadfast in working towards re-engaging with the fields of water and climate adaptation, her timeline for returning to consistent work remains extremely uncertain. Any support you can provide will help Laurna cover the compounding expenses of recovering from a long-term brain injury while not being able to work (medical bills, rehabilitation programs, transportation, meals, life administration, etc.). Your generous donations will go directly to Laurna and will help provide her with the resources needed to heal and work towards regaining her independence, hopefully being able to return once again to meeting rooms, conference panels, hallway brainstorms, as a co-author on papers, facilitating groundbreaking workshops, playing ultimate frisbee, camping/backpacking, or sharing a laugh at happy hour.

Let’s come together to support Laurna, just as she has been there for so many of us. I remember a time prior to her injury when a colleague at Denver Water had a house fire—a colleague that Laurna had never even met—and Laurna initiated a fundraising effort to provide the colleague a gift card for food. Another time, after I experienced a home break in, Laurna sent me dinner that very night. That’s just who she is.

Any contribution you can provide, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference in Laurna’s journey. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Thank you,

Taylor Winchell

(colleague & friend of Laurna)