What would you do?….you make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line, there isn’t one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?’ The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. ‘I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’ I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first! Run to first!’ Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’ Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’. Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third! Shay, run to third!’

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’ Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’.

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the ‘natural order of things.’ So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it’s least fortunate amongst them.

May your day be a Shay Day.

(from an email sent by Hal Jeffrey, American Family LLC)

But what began as a simple message about dogs soon became embroiled in a larger issue of U.S.-Pakistan relations.

The seven dogs were the only ones believed to be left from a group of more than two dozen specially trained canines provided to Pakistan under a counternarcotics program funded by the Pentagon. Unused and abused, the dogs were going to be euthanized within a month.

The wife of the Marine contacted the Defense Department, hoping to save the dogs. U.S. officials were sympathetic but not in a position to help. So she turned to Gabriel, who runs a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization called K9 Soldiers.

K9 Soldiers, which Gabriel founded to support military dogs, wasn’t meant to be a dog-rescue organization. But then she saw pictures of surviving dogs living in horrific conditions in Karachi, Pakistan, where they were supposed to be used by customs officials looking for narcotics.

“Of course, when I looked into the e-mail and opened the picture of the abuse these dogs had suffered, it was impossible to say no,” Gabriel said.

Three dogs were taken in by U.S. Embassy personnel in Pakistan. The only option for the other four was to bring them back to the United States because Pakistan doesn’t have a culture of dog adoption, Gabriel said.

A private individual agreed to take possession of the dogs, but K9 Soldiers still needed several thousand dollars per dog to cover the shipping costs to the United States. Gabriel was concerned about raising those funds in time. But the money started pouring in when she posted pictures of the dogs on the Web.

“We were able to raise $20,000 in two weeks,” she said, “which just floored me.”

Still, Gabriel encountered bureaucratic problems getting the dogs out of Pakistan, she said. She asked a congressman and the State Department for an inquiry into the issue, hoping to draw attention to the story of abuse.

Then she got word from someone she describes as “high up in counternarcotics in Pakistan” who asked that she take down the pictures of the abused dogs she had posted on her Web site. Apparently, the photos were embarrassing the Pakistani government.

“I was spitting bullets,” she recalled. “If they don’t want to be embarrassed, don’t treat a living thing like that.”

But she agreed to take down the pictures to move the process forward. The dogs were soon handed over and ready to be sent back to the United States. The last one, a black Labrador named “Sammy,” arrived last month.

This is not just a shaggy dog tale. The canines are part of a larger problem that has characterized U.S. security and military aid for Pakistan, which has reached more than $10 billion since 9/11. The assistance has been aimed at helping Pakistan combat militants and police its border with Afghanistan, but it has long been fraught with allegations of misuse.

One problem is that Pakistan will often accept equipment, such as helicopters, but not the training that goes with it, according to Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. “In terms of the broader security assistance, what the U.S. has tried to do is ensure that appropriate training is provided,” Curtis said. “I think in the past that has not always been the case.”

Richard Douglas, who served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics under George W. Bush, said he couldn’t comment on the specific case of the Pakistan canines. However, he recalled declining to fund a similar drug dog program for a foreign country because of concerns that the animals would not be properly cared for.

But Douglas also said it is important to understand the unique difficulties that Pakistan faces.

“I know from personal experience that Pakistani public security forces carry a counterterror and counterdrug burden whose magnitude is not fully perceived in the West,” he said. “They do so without adequate resources and in harsh and unforgiving terrain, both topographically and politically.”

The Defense Department was not able to provide comment about the drug dogs by publication time. A spokesman for the Pakistani Embassy did not respond to a request for comment. Pakistan’s army chief is in Washington this week to meet with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other senior military officials as part of a week long strategic dialogue meant to strengthen bilateral relations.

For Gabriel, the issue is not relations with Pakistan, but making sure there is proper training in those countries that receive canines and proper oversight of the private contractors that supply them. “We don’t want to unnecessarily embarrass the Pakistanis,” Gabriel insisted.

Nor is providing trained dogs to allied countries always a bad thing, she noted. “I know that our military had an international canine force in Iraq, and I have heard and received pictures of Iraqis training with our American military,” she said. “They come to love the dogs and understand they aren’t wild dogs; these are dogs that have a unique talent to save citizens and military personnel from explosives and narcotics.”

In the case of the surviving Pakistan dogs, the story at least has a happy ending. The four dogs are recovering. Gabriel has found permanent homes for all of them, including one that was placed with a U.S. Navy canine handler.

“They are the happiest dogs I’ve ever seen,” she said. “Somehow they know they’re back in America.”

Author:  Sharon Weinberger – AOL News.com

Operation Medicine Cabinet

packing & signing boxes - Treats For Troops

TREATS FOR TROOPS/OPERATION POCKET CHANGE
WINTER 2009/2010 NEWSLETTER

COOKIES:
After several appearances in various newspapers, the community really stepped up to the plate and helped out with baking.

For the 2009 holidays, we shipped out 1500 dozen home baked cookies (18,000 cookies) and for Valentine’s Day almost 1750 dozen (21,000 cookies). A HUGE thanks to all the bakers, packers and those supporters who gave us supplies and monetary donations to keep the baking going.

LEFT OVER HALLOWEEN CANDY:
Between October 31, 2009 and January 2010, we collected about 9,000 pounds of ‘left over’ Halloween candy from caring people all over the US.

OPERATION POCKET CHANGE:
In November 2009, our postage bill was $35,000. In December 2009 just over $50,000 and with 30,000 more deployed, it is at an all time high of $60,000 monthly.

On January 1, 2010, Treats For Troops launched “Operation Pocket Change” which speaks for itself. We are asking the general public to spare us their pocket or loose change to help offset some of the costs of postage and baking supplies. If you would like to put a donation jar in your office or business, please contact us at: Karin_King@yahoo.com

Your checks and money orders are highly appreciated. Please make your check out to:
Karin_King-Treats For Troops
Mailing address:
Treats For Troops
4923 Patagonia Place
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638
Ph: 813-746-1517

and please let us know if you would like a tax receipt.

The Tampa Bay Lightning National Hockey League paid a visit to the warehouse in Wesley Chapel on December 27, 2009 and were so impressed with the whole operation that they decided to partner with Treats For Troops in Operation Pocket Change. We collected pocket change from their fans after 5 of the home games in January 2010, and were able to ship out 13,016 pounds of much needed supplies to the remote war zones, camps, hospitals and Chaplains with little to no access to a PX (store on base) and if they do it can be a 5 hour helicopter ride away, accompanied by gun ships.

Donations and funds are always low immediately after the holidays, so we decided to do 2 drives:

FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS FOR THE FEMALE SOLDIERS:
Need we say more? Please pick up an extra box the next time you go to the store or order online and send to the address above. Amazon.com might offer free shipping on some products.

ZIPLOC BAGS FILLED WITH GOODIES FOR THE TROOPS : simply fill a gallon size Ziploc bag with either toiletries OR snacks and ask everyone you know to do the same thing. If you are local to the Tampa bay area, we will meet you halfway to collect the bags from you. The sky is the limit, as we have over 300 remote addresses in the war zones on file.

Some suggestions to put in the Ziploc bags:
Body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, thick full size ‘baby wipes’ (some soldiers have no access to running water for days), toothbrushes, floss, body lotion, small hotel size soaps and lotions are welcome, shaving cream, razors, eye drops, if you can cramp it into the Ziploc bag, we’ll take it.

Food items: instant soups, instant beverages (drink mixes), coffee, hot chocolate,  cookies, crackers, lunch box packets of crackers with tuna or chicken), cereal bars, instant b-fast, microwave popcorn, beef jerky etc.

CARDS AND LETTERS:
For the 2009 Holidays, we collected about 2500 cards and letters. For Valentine’s Day the number was just over 8,600.We highly encourage you to write a few cards and/or letters and place them in the Ziploc bags. They do wonders for the morale of our Troops.

THANK YOU LETTERS FROM THE TROOPS, VALENTINE’S DAY

Dear Mrs. King,

Thank you very much for sending the wonderful care packages with feminine items for Valentine’s Day. These items are very scarce here and very much appreciated. It is so nice knowing that we have Americans back home who are thinking of us. Your delicious treats and kind words are truly treasured. God Bless.

1LT Karly Mangen
MN Army National Guard

**********************

Dear Mrs. King,

Just a short note to thank you for the box with feminine hygiene products, cookies and other treats we received for Valentine’s Day. Many of your treats and items went to soldiers beginning a 3 day journey across Iraq, delivering equipment to soldiers in Mosul that will keep us safer. Your treats were a welcome blessing on the long journey north. The feminine items were shared with all the female soldiers here who are so grateful with a little comfort from home.

Many thanks,
Imogene Brasic,
401^st AFSB, SWA, Box 152

************************

SPECIAL THANK YOU NOTES:

Not to leave anyone out, but a few special thank you notes are in order:

Kelvin Woodson from The Tampa Bay Lightning for making it possible for Treats For Troops/Operation Pocket Change to collect pocket change from the TBL fans in January 2010, which enabled us to ship out 13,016 pounds of much needed supplies to the remote war zones, camps, hospitals and Chaplains.

Jim Deitch, CEO of Southern Crafted Homes for getting so many caring, sincere Realtors involved in Treats For Troops/Operation Pocket Change and for being there with us every step of the way.

MEDLINE: for donating 50 cases with 50 packets of FULL SIZE wash cloths (big baby wipes). The impact these wipes have is beyond words as sometimes our soldiers do not have access to running water.

Kyle Lojacono from THE LAKER: who wrote a couple of fantastic articles about Treats For Troops and who really got the ball rolling for us.

Pam Tucker Tanner, owner of  THE PASCO NATURALLY: for being with us every step of the way and to get the nudist community in Pasco County involved

Pam Hayes: for orchestrating all the donations (home baked cookies, Ziploc bags, checks, ca$h, cards and letters) from Lake Como

Hearts For Cures Inc.

HEARTS FOR CURES Inc.  Seeking Fundraiser Hosts

Hearts for Cures, Inc. a 501c3 non-profit organization is pleased to announce their support of a cancer research program – STOP PANCREATIC CANCER 2010. The mission of Hearts for Cures is to support medical research, treatment development, FDA approval and clinical trials. The organization also supports children, elderly and environmental programs and plans to partner with other support groups to enable success of events.

Hearts for Cures’ 2010 goal is to raise $8 million to make a difference in pancreatic cancer. Five forms of cancer – lung, ovarian, breast, prostate and pancreatic – are being researched with positive results, pancreatic cancer being the deadliest. Death occurs within two weeks to four months. Cancer now affects one family out of two. Genetics, environment and tobacco are prime factors in the cause, tobacco having 90% antigens.

Hearts for Cures Inc.  is asking the community to approach their own schools, churches and businesses
about hosting fundraisers to assist Hearts for Cures’ efforts. All funds collected will be contributed as there is no overhead costs associated with  rent or utilities.

For more information about Hearts for Cures Inc., please contact Edie Rase at 813-719-8616.
P.O. Box 10335 Tampa, FL 33679-0335

Treats For Troops  & Operation Pocket Change
Until they ALL come home!

On Saturday morning, Jan 30^th, after an invitation from Karin King, I joined a group of volunteers at a warehouse in Wesley Chapel owned by Bob Williams www.ourtroupsonline.com . We went on a tour inside the 35,000 square ft warehouse where we were struck with awe to see the sheer volume of donations and generosity of businesses like Starbucks, Lance’s and Dunkin Donuts and the general public. After the tour, we packed 69 pound boxes full of home baked cookies, other food items, cigars, toiletries, candy, handmade cards from school children, you name it, we tried to fit it in these boxes.

Many of our Troops  and Chaplains in the remote war zones and military hospitals do not have access to a PX (store on base) and if they do, the PX is scarcely stocked, if at all, or can be a 5 hour helicopter ride away, escorted by gun ships. Their families simply do not have the means to purchase items that their family member on the front line needs and pay the expensive postage to get the care package where it needs to go.

Treats For Troops www.TreatsForTroops.info stepped up the plate a couple of years ago and in conjunction with Support The Troops www.ourtroopsonline.com is sending 69 pound care packages to the troops at these locations 365 days of the year. They have 250 addresses on file and some receive more than 1 box a day, depending on their needs.

‘Operation Pocket Change’

In November ’09, the postage for shipping was about $35,000, in December it was well over $50,000 and with 30,000 more troops deploying, we can only imagine what the costs will be. So many that we know, have deployed already and many have been shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan the past week without notice, and with only the belongings they had with them that day.

On January 1, 2010, we launched “Operation Pocket Change” where we are asking the general public to help us offset the costs for shipping by donating their “pocket” or “spare” change. Every little bit helps and it makes a significant difference in the lives of so many. Everyone can participate as it is a very simple concept. Everyone has loose change.

Another way to help with postage, is to go to this Post Office, pick up a 20-45 lbs box that is ready for shipment and pay the postage. The boxes are inside the post office, on display against the wall on the right where you are standing in line, you cannot miss them. Postage for the smaller boxes is between $20.00 and $45.00. Postage is approximately 1.00 per lb.

US Post Office
5804 Boyette Rd
Wesley Chapel, FL 33545
ph: 813-991-7846

If people would like to volunteer at the warehouse, they can send an e-mail to Bob Williams at SIFT@aol.com or call him at: 813-991-9400. It’s better to coordinate with him in advance, especially if groups want to volunteer.

If anyone would like to help bake cookies or have their church, school, social organization, girls/boys scouts troops involved in baking cookies or making cards, they can get in touch with Karin King: Karin_King@yahoo.com or call her: 813-746-1517 or on Facebook Website: TreatsForTroops.Info

If anyone wants to start collecting ‘Pocket Change’ (maybe at their office, social group, etc.), they can get in touch with Jim King: privateislands@yahoo.com or call him: 813-746-1517

The public can donate postage dollars by sending a check to:
Karin King-Treats For Troops
4923 Patagonia Place
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638
ph: 813-746-1517
www.TreatsForTroops.INFO

Treats For Troops is currently doing a  “gallon size Ziploc bags full of goodies” drive where we are asking the community to buy supplies and fill gallon size Ziploc bags. This is a fun project that can be done with co-workers, at your kid’s school, church, social club, etc.

All bags are needed by March 15^th so Treats for Troops can ship them out for Passover and Easter:

Just two rules: do NOT mix food with soap items. The food will taste like soap. Please NO chocolate. By the time we collect all the baggies, it will be warmer here and in the Middle East. The chocolate will melt.

NON-FOOD  ITEMS:

*Feminine Hygiene Products   *Shampoo  *Body Wash   *Body Lotion   *Deodorant    *Toothpaste *Toothbrushes  *Floss  *Mouthwash  *Baby Wipes  *Soap * Disposable Cameras, *Batteries (AA and C)  *Visine or other Eye Drops  *Phone cards (by unit is best)   *Envelopes   *Stationary   *Pens * Hand Sanitizer   *Travel Games  *Playing Cards  *Lip Balm  *Sun Screen   *Q-Tips   *Shaving Cream  * Razors, *Small Hotel Soaps & Shampoos are very popular.

FOOD  ITEMS:

*Instant Soups  *Instant Beverages (drink mixes)  *Ice Teas  *Lemonade  *Kool-Aid (with sugar already mixed)  *Coffee  *Tea  *Hot Chocolate  *small packets ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise   *Tabasco Sauce *Cookies  *Crackers (plain & cheese) especially lunch box packs w/ individual servings   * Cereal Bars *Granola Bars  *Microwave Popcorn   *Power Bars  *Single Serve Fruit Cups   *Beef Jerky   *Slim Jims *Foil Bag Tuna or Tuna Snack “Kits”

And as always: cards and letters!  They do wonders for the morale of our Troops.

Karin King & Lynda Damiata

Saturday, February 6th, 2010
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
6026 Churchside Drive at Sunset Bay Chapel
Fishhawk Ranch in Lithia

Fundraiser Activities Include: Food, music, raffles, silent auction, super slide, moon bounce, pony rides, photobooth, arts & crafts, facepainting & more.

Please take a moment to view images of Jessica Rose’s journey. There are more families with a child in active cancer treatment in the surrounding communities than most people realize. YOU can help make a difference!

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Jessica Rose

On December 16, 2006, two weeks before her fourth birthday, my daughter, Jessica Rose, was diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer called neuroblastoma stage IV – a cancer of the nerve cells and most often not diagnosed until stage IV .  There are about 650 new cases a year.  To learn more about neuroblastoma, please visit www.nbhope.org.  To learn more about how you can help children improve their chances of survival against neuroblastoma, please visit www.bandofparents.org.

Jessica’s first round of chemotherapy started the day after Christmas, 2006.  She underwent three cycles of high-dose chemo (one cycle per month) to shrink the mass in her abdomen.  Our community in the Tampa Bay area was extremely supportive, emotionally and financially.   I couldn’t have asked for better friends to stand by us or better “strangers” who came into our lives and became new friends!  In addition, our friends and family on Long Island, where we are originally from, are a huge part of our lives – sharing Jessica’s story and creating more awareness for neuroblastoma and holding fundraisers to help with medical and care expenses.  We have met some incredibly caring people throughout our two year journey.

In February, 2007,  Jessica and I flew to NYC for a 12-hour surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to remove the cancer in her abdomen.  It was wrapped around both adrenal glands and her aorta.  It was a very successful surgery resulting in a complete resection of the mass!  MSKCC has a world-renowned team of clinical doctors and surgeons dedicated to treating children with neuroblastoma.

On January 27, 2009, Jessica went for a routine maintenance treatment at the outpatient facility.  She was in a very good mood that morning.  The night before we celebrated my birthday and Jessica blew out the candles on my cake as she did on everyone’s birthday cake!  While I was getting ready for work that morning, she was chatting up a storm with me and being all silly and giggling.  She showed me which baby doll she decided to bring with her for a checkup that day.  It was “Jamie” – her favorite doll!  I don’t know where she came up with the name.  I asked her several times but she never really explained.  Jessica kissed me “goodbye” and off she went with Grandma and Pop-pop for her appointment with “Jamie” and her baby doll stroller.  They arrived at the clinic around 9am.  Around 11 o’clock that morning, a sequence of events began due to a transfusion complication and by the afternoon, she was on life support at a local hospital, then flown to another hospital that evening.

Twenty-four hours later, I was told her heart was giving out and she needed additional life support – a heart and lung bypass machine.  It was too weak to pump the blood through her body and she was unable to maintain a detectable pulse.  Bypass gave her heart the rest it needed and forty-eight hours later, her heart improved significantly.  She was getting stronger again, as I knew she would!    Her pulse was strong and steady!  I played music for her with her Barbie CD player and I hung lots of pictures of her in the cardiac ICU so the doctors and nurses would know the little girl underneath all the wires and tubes.  She was so swollen that she was unrecognizable.  I didn’t let her brothers or my parents see her like this.  I brought “Jamie” to the hospital and tucked her under Jessie’s left arm because the bypass lines were in the right side of her neck, an area we needed to stay away from.

On the morning of February 5^th Jessica had a stroke.  I was told the internal bleeding to her brain caused so much damage that it was irreversible – that everything above the brain stem had been affected.  I don’t think a parent can ever be prepared to let their child go.  After everything Jessica had been through, it surely felt as though life was playing a very cruel  joke on us.  I thought to myself – “Being well on her way to a complete recovery after battling cancer for two years and now this!  She touched way too many lives not to continue with hers! She gave so much to others and now to be taken away so suddenly, unexpectedly and tragically was too much to bear!”

That night, we had a choice to make and we took her off the heart bypass machine but kept her on the respirator.  I was not ready to say “good-bye”.  The doctor told me that there was a chance her heart would give out during the night without the support of the bypass machine.  Everything over the past six years that made Jessie’s spirit Jessie was gone from the little body I was holding.  I spent the night lying in her bed snuggled up close on the right side of her-the same way we slept every night at home ever since she was diagnosed.  I held her right hand and “Jamie” was lying on the other side of her.  I kept my right hand on her heart all night in case it stopped.  I watched her face hoping for some miracle.   The night was too quiet and uneventful other than the deep pain and sadness we all felt.

On the morning of February 6^th, Jessica was removed from the respirator and placed in my arms as I sat on a couch near her bed.  I held her for the last time and said “goodbye” to the dream I held in my heart even before she was placed in my arms for the first time on December 31^st, 2002.    Jessica Rose is “forever” six years old.

At the closing of her celebration of life ceremony on February 12th, 2009, my three teenage sons, Robert, Michael and Nicholas, released live butterflies.  Jessica and butterflies – beautiful, gentle, yet strong and free to soar where there are no limits.   For weeks after her services, I spent many hours every day in the garden planting new flowers because everything died from the unusually cold weather we had in January.  The frost killed everything colorful and most everything else looked dismal too.   Jessica loved helping me plant flowers and when I wasn’t looking, she would sometimes pick a flower. Of course, it was always the prettiest one including a rose now and then.  She would bring the flower to me saying “Hurry, Mommy, we need to put it in water before it dies”.   On the day Jessica passed, when I left the hospital for the last time, I remember noticing the sun’s warmth for the first time in weeks.  When I arrived home early afternoon, my son, Robert, was planting lots of flowers.  He planted until the sun went down.  I think it was his way of dealing with his sorrow.  The new flowers brought color and life back to the garden that day but it took months for the rose bushes to recover.  Finally, a new rose began to bloom.  I noticed it one Sunday morning through a window in the kitchen.  I grabbed my camera and took pictures of it.  It was perfect and it was Mother’s Day.   Jessica gave me yet another gift and she purposely waited for Mother’s Day to give it to me so there would be no doubt in my mind and in my heart that the rose was from her.

Jessica was one of the strongest people I ever met.  She faced every day with the courage that most people wished they had.  She taught me patience.  She gave me wisdom to share and strength to go on, especially when I thought I had none left.  She inspired me to be a better person.  She taught me what it means to have hope.  I didn’t know what hope was before our journey began.   ”Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest” – (J. Maxwell). No one should ever have to travel this dark journey but life as we know it isn’t fair.  Jessica is a perfect soul and is now a beacon to help light the way of others.  She lives on in the hearts of all who knew her and her legacy lives on.  She will continue to touch many lives through the work of the foundation.  I believe from one person’s determination and perseverance, a difference can be made and, therefore, many dreams are possible.

Jessica is still very much a part of my life and my dream.  The Jessica Rose Foundation, Inc. was established in September, 2009.   We are headquartered in the Tampa Bay, FL, area.   Our board and committee members are committed to its success.  We will assist families in the Greater Tampa Bay area and in the states of NY and CO once fundraising activities within those states are underway.  If anyone is interested in helping with the foundation’s program, feel free to contact me at maureen.massari@yahoo.com.

I honor Jessica’s life in many ways.  I cherish all the memories she gave me, especially the gift of unconditional love.  I treasure the friendships that get me through the darkest moments.  I’m committed to sharing Jessica’s legacy of hope and inspiration and I found a way I can make a difference in my daughter’s name.

Maureen Massari

The Jessica Rose Foundation, Inc. was established in September, 2009, by her mother, Maureen Massari.  Please visit the link for information regarding a  fundraising event February 6, 2010. Jessica is the youngest of Maureen’s four children. Jessica’s teenage brothers are Robert, Michael and Nicholas Gallo. Jessica’s strength, determination, courage, wisdom, compassion and zest for life inspired many for over two years. Maureen believed that engaging others and keeping them engaged was critical to making a difference.  She thought Jessica could easily have been someone else’s child and until there is a cure, the next child diagnosed could very well be that of someone who was following their journey.  Maureen spent a lot of time promoting other children’s charities in hopes of creating awareness for them and compelling others to donate to their cause.  The foundation has five Board members who are very committed to its success because of their love for Jessica, their desire to help other children and families…but most importantly, their determination to make a difference. Maureen shared Jessica’s story with the world in hopes of making a difference in others’ lives.  It very much made a difference in theirs!  She is determined to continue sharing Jessica’s “life” and her legacy.  We are ALL committed to making a difference no matter how small when it’s needed most!

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is diagnosed!