The beginnings...

PART 1



Mary Ann is one of my very oldest and dearest friends, a true BFF. She and her husband Dan have had more than their share of troubles these last few years and life has thrown them a real cannonball with the latest - their son Nathan has to have eighteen months of chemotherapy for a brain tumor. As a parent I do not want to imagine how painful this would be for me. Perhaps it is living in the south that has done this to me but when the chips are down for someone here we cook. Casseroles and hams, brownies, and soup, I have made it all and delivered them for births, deaths, kids in the hospital; I guess it makes me feel less helpless and more useful. Which is kind of ironic because I don't love to cook or anything but I know that I LOVED having a freezer full of food when I had my daughter Lexie. SO, as I am now in GA and she is in FL I have had this overwhelming feeling of helplessness...how do I support my friend during this incredibly difficult time? How do I show her how much I care and wish I could fix this?

Then it dawned on me that I could still send a meal via a restaurant gift card. And I wondered... would other people want to do this too? And then I thought about our friends who are still in Sarasota - they might be willing to bring a casserole, or ham, or pan of lasagna to Mary Ann, Dan and their family. So I went through our Facebook contacts and sent an email to twenty-odd people and said, "If you wanted to do this I'd like to try and organize it." And WOW.

First Tara Bates Ross and Jennifer Jannopoulo Halloran said, "Of course we'll help." Tara found this website all set up just to organize efforts like this. Taggert set up this blog for her and basically has said he will do as much as he can do for as long as it takes. Philip Reed and Sean McCue said, "We are local and will help in any way you want us to." The responses have brought tears to my eyes so many times, like when Mike said, "The Bucellettes will make Get Better cards for Nathan too." And then there was Kara, "I have already sent chocolate rats but you know I will send more as needed." Alyson, who realized some of this was tricky for me with a toddler and a six year old and offered to help coordinate from afar, and has been in contact with Mary Ann's church and is arranging for them to be included in this effort as well. So many more friends have agreed to participate, Katie and Hope, Cathy and Barb, and our ever amusing and always inappropriate college friend Mark Polner. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone but please know it is just because the response has been so overwhelming and not because you are any less important or wonderful.

At some point my classmates grew up into an AMAZING bunch of kind and caring people. So many of you thanked me for trying to organize this - it is I who thank YOU for making this a reality. And I know this is a LONG story but I have to include in its entirety, the response I got from Jack Byers, because it FLOORED me with his generosity. Then I remembered that in fifth grade Jon Jetton (who died from leukemia) was his best friend and realized that helping kids like Jon is now just part of who he is. I am so incredibly proud that this is how he has channeled that experience and I know Jon is too. The only terrible thing is that I didn't manage to arrange the singing telegram while he was in town because I know it would have been Mary Ann's very favorite Christmas gift. Jack - perhaps a video when you send your contribution...

Chickenshack Jack December 21, 2010 at 12:18pm Reply• Report

I’m a takeout pro, and would like to contribute where/ whenever the need is there.

I don’t know what kind of treatment options are available in SRQ (probably lots), but I’m just a few miles away from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

I volunteer there with an outfit called Musicians On Call, and have pretty extensive experience with their oncology ward… which I find to be an incredible place. Between the environment, the technology and the amazing dedication and kindness of the staff I can recommend it highly. A far cry from what Jon had to endure back when we were little, it's an entire hospital built just for pediatrics.

I live alone (ok, I have two cats and some fish) in a house with two guest rooms, and would be happy to open them up to MA, her stepson and her family if they have any interest in considering CHOP as a treatment option.

I'll be in SRQ later this week too, if there's anything I can do in person (ie-casserole delivery, singing telegram, etc) just let me know.


God bless you Jack Byers and promise me we'll make that singing telegram happen at some point. I think you'd approve of Nathan's musical tastes actually...



Part II

So I started thinking... Mary Ann is an elementary school teacher - probably some of her school friends would want to help... and I remembered the name Billie Jo as a teacher pal (and here I confess that I have since wanted to write an Ode to her... even though I am sure she has heard that twenty-two thousand times) from our conversations and from Facebook posts. So I emailed this perfect stranger who turned out to be this lovely, kind, friendly, efficient person who said, "Yes, absolutely we will help." And she wrote the most amazing email to their staff at Palma Sola and had the same incredible response that I had. And she offered to pick up gift cards, deliver meals, set up the website, she basically said she would do whatever needs to be done to make this work and get it started as soon as possible. How very lucky Mary Ann is to have a co-worker like Billie Jo. I will be emailing Billie Jo next to share her experience with this project because I know she has her own thoughts to share.


Mary Ann and Dan,
We cannot wave a magic wand and make Nathan's tumor come out his nose like my son wanted it to, but we are here for you, and we will feed you and your family on Nathan's treatment days for the next 18 months. As soon as you have his treatment schedule give Billie Jo the dates and she will set up the website. We have volunteered to sign up for a date to either bring you a meal or send a gift card for a nearby restaurant. We're fine tuning the project and I cannot promise there won't be glitches, but we are all committed to doing this for you and making it work. We love you, support you, and want you to have a physical reminder every week of how much people care about you, Nathan, Clare and Matthew.


Love and Pep,

Elizabeth