One Year After Baby Seven’s Heartbreaking Loss, Katie Van Slyke Reveals How His Short Life Is Still Helping Save Horses
Nearly one year has passed since Katie Van Slyke said goodbye to Baby Seven, the extremely premature foal whose fight for life touched the hearts of so many people.
Seven’s life may have been short, but his story didn’t end when he passed away.
Instead, Katie and the people who cared for him have helped transform his memory into something with the potential to make a difference for horses and future equine veterinarians for years to come.
A scholarship created in Seven’s honor is now supporting veterinary students — and Katie hopes the endowment behind it will eventually allow his legacy to continue long into the future.
Remembering Baby Seven
Seven was a foal bred by Katie who arrived extremely prematurely.
His condition meant he required extraordinary care from people willing to use their veterinary knowledge, experience and talents to give him the best life possible for however long he had.
Despite those efforts, Seven ultimately passed away.
Almost a year later, Katie continues to express gratitude toward everyone who cared for him.
But she also wanted Seven’s life to create something positive.
That desire became the inspiration for a scholarship bearing his name.
Seven’s Legacy Became a Veterinary Scholarship
The scholarship is connected to the veterinary program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Katie explained that it specifically supports third-year veterinary students focusing on equine medicine.
According to Katie, the third year is a point in veterinary education when students don’t have as many scholarship opportunities available to them.
The numbers behind Seven’s scholarship also carry special meaning.
Each year, seven students receive $7,000 each.
That’s a total of $49,000 in scholarship support every year.
It’s an appropriate tribute to a little horse whose name became so meaningful to Katie’s community.
Katie Has Committed to Funding the Scholarship Every Year
Katie explained that she has personally committed to paying for the scholarship annually.
But she has also been thinking much further into the future.
What happens if there eventually comes a time when she can no longer personally fund it?
To help protect Seven’s legacy, an endowment fund was also established.
The goal is to grow that fund until it reaches a point where the investment earnings can cover the scholarship.
If that goal is achieved, Seven’s scholarship could have a financial foundation capable of continuing independently into the future.
Seven’s Supporters Raised More Than $130,000
The response from Katie’s community has already been substantial.
Katie revealed that last year’s Seven merchandise helped raise well over $130,000.
Now, with the anniversary of Seven’s passing approaching and followers continuing to ask about him, Katie faced another decision.
People wanted Seven merchandise to return.
But Katie didn’t want to bring it back simply for the sake of selling merchandise.
She wanted its return to mean something.
That’s why Seven merchandise has now returned for a limited time, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the endowment fund created in his name.
A Special Image of Seven Inspired the New Design
Some familiar items have returned, including the 7 Strong keychain from last year.
Katie explained that the keychain required a special order, meaning there is a limited quantity available.
But there is also something completely new.
A new Seven design is being offered across clothing including T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and tank tops.
And the artwork has an especially meaningful story behind it.
Katie explained that photographer, videographer and producer Nathan Perry captured a beautiful photograph of Seven just a few days before the foal passed away.
That photograph was then provided to an artist as inspiration.
The artist transformed the image into a painted interpretation
