“The more you read the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
-Dr. Suess, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!”
It’s been awhile since I have written. Our family has just passed what most would consider the worst part of the year. This is the fifth year since we lost Gabby, We just got through the fifth anniversary of her death, the fifth missed birthday (she’d be 11). The fifth Thanksgiving and the fifth Christmas. I’m not a big believer in the whole “Angelversary” thing. The day Gabby died was September 11th. Most people who have lost a child tend to see that as one of the worst days. To me it’s no different than any other. She is no longer with us, every day is hard.
When you lose a child other people who haven’t tell you: It will get better, it’s raw right now, and you’ll find a way to get through the day. But it doesn’t get better; each day is another day without a piece of us. We could just lie down, quit and hide, or we can do something. We did that by forming this foundation, by helping numerous children’s hospitals and families over the last five years with all of your help and your support.
One of the events I take full responsibility for is the book drive. Over the last four years we have provided over 7 different children’s hospitals tens of thousands of dollars of new books. On the oncology floor when new books are donated to the children, it becomes theirs to keep because of the potential spread of germs, hence the need to keep the books coming. We collect books year round but really focus on it now. I would love to collect about 10,000 new books between now on March. I want to grow that 7 children’s hospital to one in every state in the next ten years.
We have always read to our children, even today with a 14, 13 and 3 year old, at the end of the night we all sit and read. When Gabby was in the hospital we read daily. The books gave her an escape. It gave her a few minutes to forget her hair had fallen out; it helped her forget about the shunt that had been placed in her brain, the port on her chest, the biopsy scar on the back of her head. It let her be the princess; it let her be the cowboy, the knight, the bear and the mouse. She was able to escape to a world where children didn’t die, where pain didn’t exist. A happy place where she would live forever.
As I sit here writing this, I read that paragraph again. I have tears in my eyes. The pain she must have felt, the sorrow, the confusion, I couldn’t fix it, daddy wasn’t her super hero. In those times the books were. They helped where I couldn’t. Right now I’m asking you for help. I appreciate likes, but that isn’t helping a child escape the pain, that isn’t helping them get away for a few minutes. What I need you to do is share this post immediately, ask your friends to share, comment on it so more people can send us books now.
Don’t wait, do it now. Because we all know how life is. We will say we will do it later and something will come up. GO to amazon and order a few books since it’s the fifth year since Gabby has been gone please consider donating 5 books. One for each year. We can only accept new books ages newborn-18years old. Look for Get Well Gabby on Amazon Smile so a % of the sales go to us and have the books sent directly to us. Send the books to PO Box 555 Ocean View, DE 19970. In the ten minutes it takes you to do all that you will have helped five children escape the pain and sorrow even if it’s only for ten minutes.
Close your eyes, imagine being 5, imagine crying without knowing why your crying, imagine throwing up without knowing why, imagine being placed on a huge table an given medicine to fall asleep, imagine waking up and being terrified, freezing, and having no control over it. Imagine waking up and not being able to use your left arm all of a sudden without warning, the next day you lose control over your right arm, you shake, you hurt, and your frustrated because no one can understand the words you speak. You are alone in a world that is full. Nothing has stopped, only your body.
..Wouldn’t an escape be heaven, wouldn’t a book help if even for a minute. Help us make that possible. What you just imagined is what Gabby went through every day for 3 months and 12 days. We want to escape everyday life after a hard day of work, imagine what these children are going through every day while they are fighting for their life. Help us make a difference. Share this post, go to amazon and order books. Have them sent directly to the foundation at PO Box 555 Ocean View, DE 19970. We will get them to the hospitals. Help us create an escape for as many children as we can.
“All the best stories in the world are but one story in reality—the story of escape. It is the only thing which interests us all and at all times, how to escape.”
-Arthur Christopher Benson-
Believe you can make a difference
Believe you can help a child escape
Believe
John (Gabby’s Daddy)