The
wonderful human spirit is alive, well and running amok in Winnipeg, Canada!
I
swear my journal has turned into a testament to the kindness of others. Every
day, there is something new to be grateful for and someone new to be grateful
to. As I said way
back in my February 24, 2004 journal entry, my cup isn’t just half full,
my cup runneth over! And it runs
over because of you. And you, and
you and especially YOU!
This
page is a forever-growing thank you card, acknowledging some of the wonderful
people who have made what should be a nightmare feel more like a dream.
I may never be able to repay for your compassion and your thoughtfulness,
but please accept my gratitude and my love. Oh,
and for those of you who don’t have a clue what I’m talking about when I say
*Snaps*, it is a term coined by my life mentor Elle Woods in Legally
Blonde 2. It’s a sincere
compliment, like an endearing pat on the back.
What Are My Pink Wish Bracelets and How Do I Get Them?
Go to The Wish Bracelet Pink Wall of Fame
February 10, 2005 - *SNAPS* to Emily, Auntie Lou and Hilary Duff!
Now
THAT was a concert!!! Much more fun than the only other concerts that I’ve
been to before, namely my stinky brother’s Christmas concerts. I swear I had
better seats for this one too.
So where does a girl even begin to start talking about such a perfect
night? The day was January 10, and the fun began with a phone call from
Global TV, asking if they could come over to my house and interview dad. If
there’s one thing I know, it’s “cute”…and that isn’t my dad! He has
a great face for radio, so I don’t think that move will be ratings gold,
especially coming on right after The Batchelorette. Anyways, they interviewed
him and took some footage of Nonna bundling me up in my pink parka for the big
concert. Then they filmed me getting picked up my new friend Emily’s mom
Pat…twice! Cameras weren’t ready in time, so Pat actually had to leave the
house and ring the doorbell again.
After picking up the girls and having a bite to eat, it was off to the concert!
It was so much fun going to the brand new MTS Centre for the first time,
especially getting to check the place out with my new friends and big sisters
for the night, Emily and Brooke. Almost as soon as we got up to our suite (yes,
SUITE! Practically overhanging the stage, too), the Duff-Fone rang…it was time
to go meet Lizzie!! Hilary, too.
This is me with my new friend Hilary!!! Wow, was she ever nice. When I walked
into the room, she said “Hi Julianna!”…she even knew my name! I commented
on that a few times to people the next day, LIZZIE knew ME…wow!
And this is a picture of the cutest foursome in all of Winnipeg on Monday night,
Emily, Brooke, Hilary and me. You would NOT BEELIEEEEVE the coordination,
synchronization, conversation and coercion that went into those pictures and the
time I got to share with my new close, personal friend Lilary…or is it Hizzy…ok,
this is getting too confusing! I don’t completely know how it happened, so all
I’m going to say on the matter is thank you so very much Auntie Lou :-)
Then there was the concert, and it absolutely ROCKED!! I didn’t get to have my
nappy nap before I left for the concert, but the concert was so exciting that I
didn’t stop bopping the whole time! Emily and Brooke took such great care of
me, too. Heck, I barely left Emily’s lap the whole night! (I am sooooo so
grateful to Emily, Brooke and their mom Pat for taking me to the concert and
making me an honorary sister for the day! Ultimately, it was the kind act of 15
year old Emily that made this whole evening happen for me.). I lasted right up
until the car ride home, where I finally crashed. When dad came to carry me from
the car into the house, I was still clutching my new Hilary Duff t-shirt with
both hands.
That night when I got home, the lead story on Global TV News was about Emily and
me at the concert! I heard that the story aired in Saskatoon, too. The story was
nicely done, and Travis the reporter was very nice and respectful during the
concert. Here’s the transcript of my portion of the interview, word for word:
[Travis the reporter] - Why do you like Lizzie McGuire so much?
[The Stunned Banana] - Cause...uh she…cause she…uh she…cause she always
plays different songs.
When I was backstage meeting Hilary, I had four pink wish bracelets that I
wanted to give her. She took the time to let me put each one on her wrist one at
a time (which drove her handlers nuts!). The next morning, I had to go to
CancerCare for bloodwork and a doctor’s appointment. I was about to walk in
the front door when I froze in my tracks. There were two newspaper machines, one
for the Winnipeg Free Press and one for the Winnipeg Sun, and on the front cover
of both papers were pictures of Hilary…still wearing all four bracelets that I
put on her! Hilary never took them off from the moment I put them on her, she
wore them the whole concert :-)
Hilary showing off her pink wish bracelets on the front cover of the Winnipeg
Free press.
Hilary in the Winnipeg Sun. There was a pull-out poster of her in the paper the
next day, and you can actually make out the letters on the bracelets.
My only regret from concert night was that I never did get to give Hilary my
other special present that I made her. I have this prized piece of styrafoam
(seriously, I LUV this styrafoam!), and knowing that I might just get to meet
Hilary, I decided that I would decorate it up all special and give it to her.
Unfortunately, with all the excitement I left the styrafoam up in the suite. So
I think I’ll just hang on to it to remember how special that night was.
December 8, 2004 - *SNAPS* to Paula Asham and the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry and School of Dental Hygiene!
Need some dental work done? I can give you about 30 GREAT recommendations!
Let me introduce you all to a wonderful lady named Paula. Paula and my mommy went to Dental Assisting school together about (hmm, let's see...carry the one...oh my!), let's just say many, many moons ago. Paula has been giving out my Magic Pink Wish Bracelets around campus in exchange for donations, raising over $700 towards the purchase of even more of all those special necessities for the for the children and families staying up in the CK5 Spa (the supafly ward of the Children’s Hospital that I slum around whenever I’m inpatient) and being treated at the CancerCare Manitoba Pediatric Clinic! Paula has been so visible around campus that she was featured recently the University of Manitoba newspaper "The Bulletin".
And that's not all. Look what the Clinical Support Services Staff and Graduating Dentistry Class of 2004 donated to the CK5 Spa in honor of me!
Pictured above left is Child Life Specialist Caring Cary (if you haven’t heard me say it lately, Manitoba is blessed with THE BEST Child Life Team anywhere!), and on the right is the Princess Paula, who I might add is sporting a very pretty Pink Wish Bracelet. You can’t see it in this picture, but the staff and students also donated a new DVD player, too. And as you are reading this, a child in an isolation room on the 5th floor of the Children’s Hospital here in Winnipeg is escaping from the realities of a life-threatening illness with a movie, thanks to the thoughtfulness of these wonderful people.
To the U of M Faculty of Dentistry, School of Dental Hygiene, Clinical Support Services Staff, the Class of 2004, and to all of you out there who contributed to this wonderful effort (and there is A LOT of you!), thank you so very much for standing behind me and my mommy like you have! We are truly grateful for your generosity and your support. Mommy sure goes to a great school!
November
23, 2004 - *SNAPS*
to Debbie & Christy Aitkenhead, and the Wonderful People at the Manitoba Public Insurance
Corperation!
Please
let me share this letter that we recently received from the Child Life
Department at my clinic and my hospital.
Debbie
and her co-workers raised money by giving away pink wish bracelets
made by her daughter and mom's school buddy Christy, in exchange for donations and raised some big bucks! To
everyone at MPIC involved in the big bracelet exchange, please know that your
money went towards the prizes that kids like me get to pick from when we brave
out those nasty, uber-owie back pokes, as well as the craft supplies that help
make going to clinic bearable…and let me tell you, that’s a whole lotta
glitter!! You may never get to see them, but you put smiles on the
faces of countless children who really need to smile.
Just look how happy Hubert, the bestest, bluest clown around was when I
presented him a cheque on behalf of MPIC!
What Are My Pink Wish Bracelets and How Do I Get Them?