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January 27th, 2010

Hi Gang

Have a bunch of pre-teen girls kicking around this house and through happy and horrible hormones, there are days we can barely hang on, until out of the blue, one of these Jeckel/Hyde girls will ask, "How's Tucker Doing?" What one family can teach another, is amazing! May you all stay close in each other heart and know many folks are holding you all, close in their hearts from a distance.

 From The Trudell Turf: Jay, Laura, Carol-Jean, Cassi, Dawna, Tanya, Sommer, Carol

January 26th, 2010

Hey Kari.. DDE Geoff here.

I heard you on 640 and 1010 this morning/afternoon and caught the Star and wanted to say you did a great job   I've looked at your web page a few times now since your 'story' got out there.  You're a whole lot stronger than I am. 

 Tucker is a very lucky little boy to have you and such great supporters in his life.

Take care, Geoff

Hi Kari,

 I have been so touched to read the stories in the Star about your lovely son Tucker - I always liked Darcy Tucker too, and if I'd had a son, I might have named him Tucker as well. I was very happy to read that Tucker got to meet the Leafs at the ACC today.  I thought Don Cherry might appreciate your story, since he strikes me as a down to earth man with a good heart. So, I sent an email to CBC and a message to him on Facebook with links to the Star article and your blog on your web page. I hope you don't mind... anyway, I thought I should let you know. I asked Don to mention Tucker on Coach's Corner this Saturday. I hope you and your family will be able to watch. I will keep you posted if I receive any replies from Don or CBC.

 All the best, Patti Gardner

Hi

I have never written to someone this way, but I had to tell you that your little boy touched my heart tonight when I seen him on the news. He has the greatest smile and we could all learn from him.  I don’t know your pain, and really don’t know any words to say other than I am sorry.   Please tell Tucker thanks for the smile from a lady in Red Deer, Alberta. 

 Take care and God bless, Laurie 

Hey,
 
I was moved after reading the blogs on your website. I think what your family is doing is truly amazing. I saw your family on TV this afternoon. I felt really happy to see the smile on Tucker's face. Everyone seemed like they were having a wonderful time:). I can feel your pain as a mother seeing your son suffering everyday. It is hard to see him endure the pain at such a young age; nevertheless, I think Tucker has an awesome family. You are bringing out the best of him.
 
Take Care,
 
Kesa

Hi
 
So I've taken the time to write this email, and from seeing your story on the television tonight, I fell in love with your son, Tucker. He is a true gift and a adoring leafs fan like myself, that just became very close to my heart. I'm currently studying Early Childhood Education at Humber College in Orangeville and today I shared your story with my class. I explained the best I could and then showed the the segment that aired tonight on City News. Looking around the class with not a dry eye in the place, your son is very close to alot of hearts, especially the ECE students of Humber Orangevile. After working at an arena during public skating, I cannot believe someone would turn away such a wonderful little boy, to enjoy skating. It truly is a degrace. Having a love for children, I have an outpouring of love for your son, and what ever a total stranger can do, I'm willing to do that.
 
Tucker is an amazing gift and I now have his website saved and will be checking it daily. Tucker and your family is a true blessing.

Amanda Heydon
 

November 24, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

NEED WASHING??      From:  Loy Collinson

     A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target.. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target. 

     We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall.. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

     The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, 'Mom let's run through the rain,' she said.

     'What?' Mom asked.

     'Let's run through the rain!' She repeated

     'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit,' Mom replied.    

     This young child waited about another minute and repeated: 'Mom, let's run through the rain,'

     'We'll get soaked if we do,' Mom said.   

     'No, we won't, Mom.. That's not what you said this morning,' the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.   

     This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?

     'Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'    

     The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes..

     Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.   

     'Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD lets us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing,' Mom said.

     Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. 

     And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

     I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

  "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass....Its about learning how to dance in the rain....." 

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November 19, 2009

Kari,

I came across your website today. My niece Blaine, Cypress, TX passed away just shy of her 2 yr B-Day with Leigh Disease. She has been gone for over 2yrs.  After seeing your site I wanted to let you know you and your family are in my prayers. One thing that amazes me is that Tucker can smile. My niece smiled one time and thank God we captured it on camera. This was the second child my sister lost. She has a total of 4 girls. Her oldest is now 14, Baile then she had Breanna that passed away at 2 days old with never knowing why. She then had Brooke now 6, then Blaine which has Leigh Disease.  Leigh Disease is horrible and I hope your efforts for awareness pay off one day for future generations.  I myself am 38 yrs old and have never had children based on my experiences that I have seen my sister endure. Not to mention we were tested and since little is know about this disease - we were told we are carries of this horrific disease. I hope and pray that my other nieces can go on to become mothers with healthily children. I am a firm believer in that God only hands out what we can endure. You will always find your strengths when needed. Be kind to your self and your husband as you will both need each other in the future.

Again my thoughts, prayers, hopes and dreams to you and your family.

Love,

Michelle Robinson, Hempstead, TX

 July 12, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                To My Daughter - by an OK. Police Officer   (From:  Alisa Dykstra)
 

*Just for this morning, I am going to step over the 
laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. 

*Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the
sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.. 

*Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep 
the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. 

  *Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when
you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by. 

*Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be
when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. 

*Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake 
cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them. 

 *Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy 
us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys. 

*Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell 
you a story about how you were born and how much I love you. 

*Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. 

*Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. 

*Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favourite TV shows. 

*Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray,
I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

*I will think about the mothers And fathers who are  the mothers and fathers who are visiting
their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching
their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore. 
 
*And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.  
It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day............. 

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

April 10, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    From:  Mary McIntyre

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunization.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her/him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy,
the love, the heartache, the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

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

December 24, 2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             From: Tammy Miller

Submission: You continue to amaze me with your strength! What wonderful hands Tucker, Tori and Avery are in. I wish we could maintain this "holiday happiness" every day of the year. Bless you all.

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

WELCOME TO HOLLAND by Emily Perl Kingsley (email sent by Corinna Purdy)

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

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

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE ~ email sent by co-worker, Anthony Giannini

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way , she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.  They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy.  He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown , Tennessee

In time, the labour pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labour.  Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition.

With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville , Tennessee The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.  Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying.

Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over.  Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not.

If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. I looked like a walking laundry basket.. The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed.' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.

He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.  After a moment, he began to sing.  In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.' Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. 'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.  'You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away.'

As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr 'Keep on singing sweetheart.'

'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms'. Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.  'Keep on singing, Michael.' Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. 'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away.'

The next day, the very next day, the little girl was well enough to go home.

Woman's Day Magazine called it 'The Miracle of a Brother's Song'.  The medical staff just called it a miracle.  Karen called it a miracle of God's love.

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.  LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

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

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