My mom knew Jacque both from Hope Afloat as well as her workplace, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll.  I didn’t know Jacque but can see that she made a very strong impact on many people.  I had hoped to meet Jacque, whom I had heard so much about, when I accompanied Hope Afloat on their trip to Australia in 2007.  Unfortunately, it turned out that Jacque was unable to make the trip due to her illness.  This must have been heartbreaking for her.  I know that those on the team that had made the trip felt her absence then as, surely, they do even more strongly now.

Since Jacque’s family lives in Ohio and many people were unable to attend the services held there, a Remembrance Ceremony was held at The Vesper Club on Boathouse Row.  Jacque’s friends, family, co-workers and teammates were in attendance.  I was asked to come and take some photographs. of the event and of course said yes.

There were kind words spoken by many, a poem, a slide show of photographs, remembrance pins that were designed in Jacque’s honor,  a flower ceremony on the river and a customized boa made of hand written sentiments on ribbons.  There was also an array of food and drinks including a favorite recipe of Jacque’s, Spiced Cake (so delicious!)

Though I didn’t know Jacque, I found the entire ceremony very touching and beautiful.  I learned a lot about her and the lives that she touched in her all too short time here.  She clearly will be missed by many.

Here are some photographs of the event:

It was a befittingly dreary and rainy day….

Some teammates write sentiments on the ribbons (to be made into a boa and worn on the boat).

The slide show ran the entire time and included various photographs of Jacque, family and friends.  It was really nice.

Jacque’s parents listen to the heartwarming words of friends…

My mom hugs her teammate and good friend, Dale.

After the speakers, everyone headed outside for the flower ceremony.  The rain was really coming down and even still a whole group of people paddled the boat all the way down the river from the dock for the ceremony.

The flowers were thrown into the river to commemorate Jacque’s life.  I’ve seen a few of these ceremonies and they are always very emotional.

]]> http://melissahassey.com/2010/05/remembrance-celebration-for-jacque-gray/feed/ 6 http://melissahassey.com/2010/04/will-work-for-beer/ http://melissahassey.com/2010/04/will-work-for-beer/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:31:05 +0000 melissa http://melissahassey.com/?p=2867 This past Saturday I finally was able to participate in the Philly Spring Cleanup.  For the past 2 of the 3 years both Carl & I have had other obligations.  This year, we planned ahead and made sure to have the morning off to help clean up our town.

Our location was Delaware Avenue & Berks Street.  As you can imagine, there was A LOT of trash ranging from bottles filled with urine,   plastic toys, pants, jackets and cigarette butts.

Overall, we had a good time with our friends and even got spotted by Action News.  Afterward there was free beer and food at PBC (Philadelphia Brewing Company) in Kensington.  Nice!!

So, yes, indeed, we worked for beer.  I do hope that the cleanup actually motivates people to minimize the litter and cleanup more often.  It is a tough and seemingly endless task around here…. but I think small actions do help.

Anyway, here is a link to Carl’s blog about this (it is better, it has photos and has the action news bit)…. I am in  the video but I have a hat on and my hair pulled up.  My own mom didn’t recognize me so you probably won’t either.  Carl is carrying a big sign and our friend Ryann got some voice time.  Here you go:

http://www.philadesigns.com/2010/04/11/philly-spring-cleanup/

]]> http://melissahassey.com/2010/04/will-work-for-beer/feed/ 0 http://melissahassey.com/2010/01/a-littlest-hero/ http://melissahassey.com/2010/01/a-littlest-hero/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:10:09 +0000 melissa http://melissahassey.com/?p=1790 I feel terrible and embarrassed that this has taken me so long to post….  this “little hero” and her family has inspired and touched me so very much.  I find that I sometimes put off writing/ posting things that mean so much to me.  Feelings can be so difficult sometimes to put into words…

As some of you may already know, I have been volunteering with the The Littlest Heroes Project, a charity organization whose mission is to help provide and capture memories for families who are dealing with hectic schedules due to having a child who is suffering from a serious illness or life altering disability.

Through The Littlest Heroes Project, I was introduced to Sammi and her family.  And, well…. WOW.  They are absolutely amazing people!!  Without going into too much detail, Sammi suffers from a severe autoimmune disease and has many complications and other very serious health concerns.   Sammi is the youngest of 4.  Each of her siblings, Lauren, Amanda and Matthew are, for lack of a better term, really awesome people. 

Very unfortunately, it is not only Sammi that deals with major health concerns and threats.  For their privacy, I won’t delve into details, but please know that this family has had to deal with more than one family should ever have to bear.  It really just makes you want to, at the very least, stomp your feet and scream that it is just not fair.

Truthfully, I only got to spend a few hours with this family, but I was touched beyond words at their patience, unity, compassion and strength.

The day that I met with Sammi and her family was just a week before she headed to CHOP to prepare for and receive a BMT (bone marrow transplant).  Her close family and friends pulled together a wonderful surprise party for her just before she left.  Since Sammi had mentioned that she had wanted to bring a small album of photographs with her for her extended hospital stay….. her Mom, LeeAnne, contacted me to attend the party and take some snapshots of the family.  We had tried a few times to set up a session on the beach over the summer but schedules and complications got in the way and prevented the session from happening.  When she told me of her idea, I knew I just had to attend.

Anyway, I arrived at their home and met Sammi, a gentle girl with a beautiful smile and an obvious affection towards animals.  In fact, that can be said for the entire family.  They have 2 cats, an amazing amount of birds (parrots, hens, finches, etc…),and at the time, an adorable hamster named Honey.  Sadly, Honey passed away soon after I visited.

Oh, I didn’t mention that when I met Sammi she had pink hair!  Knowing that she would be loosing her hair very soon, she asked to dye it pink.  I am told that Sammi is normally a brunette…. so this mix of blonde and pink was quite a change but so beautiful and funky!  I really loved it

Anyway, we got started and did a bunch of group photos with Sammi, then it was time for food, stories and laughs.  I stayed and did some candids as well.  Their home was so inviting and there was just an overwhelming feeling of warmth and love.  It was really amazing to be there as a witness to that.  I left there feeling really touched.

Since that time, I have followed them on their online Caring Bridge journal that has continued to document this long and painful journey.  Needless to say, I have learned quite a lot about BMT and other medical conditions that I was, truthfully, quite clueless about.  I have also been witness to the tremendous hardships that people in this world endure and how such a young girl and a family comes together to provide strength and reassurance for one another when the odds are so tremendously stacked against them.

Sammi, her Mom and Dad basically lived together at CHOP for a full 7 weeks and 3 days.  Sammi was unable to receive too many visits due to the hospital restrictions.  They try to keep the unit as clean and clear of bacteria as is possible.  I can’t imagine just how much this family must have missed each other.

I worked diligently to get the photographs and a small spiral album together to give to Sammi before she actually went in for the official BMT.  Knowing that shipping the album would take longer, I drove over to the hospital on the morning of the transplant.  I knew that the hospital was strict with visitations, etc… and not knowing the family very well I really didn’t want to invade them with my presence.  I figured that when I got to the hospital that I could hand the care package over to someone and that they would see that it arrived in Sammi’s room.  To my surprise, I ended up being sent directly to the BMT unit.  Just outside the unit is a set of doors and a receptionist.  I thought, “Great, I will just leave it with her”.  More surprisingly, when I told her about the package she immediately picked up the phone and paged LeeAnne (Sammi’s Mom) to the desk.  I was shocked and was telling the receptionist that please that was not necessary but she had already called.

LeeAnne, not expecting visitors and normally unable to leave the unit, walked through the doors looking worried and on edge from the page.  When she realized it was me delivering the photographs she immediately appeared overwhelmed and relieved.  She was so happy to get the portraits before Sammi headed in for the BMT and we hugged and cried for a bit.  It was very emotional and though I really wanted to remain as anonymous and out of the way as possible…. it was really wonderful.  I mean, we are basically strangers.  It felt so good to hug someone who clearly needed a big hug.  It was a moment that I will always remember.

So, Sammi has since received her new bone marrow from a wonderful and brave stranger/ donor.  She continues to fight her battle which is far from over.  However, she is finally home where she belongs with her family, friends, pets and loved ones.

Sammi, you are inspiration to so many people.  Keep fighting.  You are amazingly strong and an inspiration to so many!  A true hero indeed!!

Thank you to all of you for allowing me to share in your lives.  I am forever changed.  You are continuously in my thoughts.  May this year bring new, wonderful and well deserved moments and memories to you!

Sheeeewwwwww!  Now that I have written my novel, here are some photographs from the day that I got to spend with Sammi and her family…..

Follow THIS LINK to view the blog about this on their website.

Also, here are a few pics from the day:

the lovely ladies of hope afloat

warming up for a race…

the custom designed sleeve

the owners of LympheDIVAs, Dr. Howard Levin and Judy Levin, and the women of Hope Afloat wearing the new sleeves

the winning family was so much fun! i learned a lot about them in a short amount of time. here’s a few fun things i learned….
the oldest, Briya, plays the clarinet and likes to climb (one of my favorite things to do too!)
Adena, loves to do headstands and is really good at them! (also… one of my favorite yoga moves!)
Ben is a baseball fan, he recently met Brad Lidge and we will both be at the Phillies game this Wednesday…. woohoo!
Dad’s nickname is “Duck”….. we found that out after I mentioned that some friends call me “Chicken”
Mom is good at winning things! She’s got quite a list of recent winnings!

anyway, here are the pics….

mom & dad

and… the many sides of this fun family…

this one makes me think of “where’s waldo?”

after having the kids run for the above shot… they discovered a beehive that had fallen to the ground. the hive and honeycomb were scattered in pieces all over the ground along with the flustered and tired bees.

This year, the event was held at the Crystal Tea Room in Center City.  It was catered with delicious food, dancing, and entertainment.  Particularly, the music, casino table, silent auction, raffles and popular guests kept everyone entertained!

DJ Nevada (hip hop/ house/ dance) donated time to the event and truly kept everyone on their feet throughout the entire night.  When people weren’t dancing they were checking out the Casino table, run by Pass Line Casino Parties.  These guys were a lot of fun and always had a full table.

The silent auction and raffles had some amazing prizes including a signed Eric Clapton guitar, a Pearl Jam autographed record, some great Phillies paraphernalia, local restaurant and spa certificates, and….. well, the list goes on and on.  There really were just too many to name!

Lastly, if you attended the event, you would have seen both Miss Philadelphia and Miss Pennsylvania wandering around talking and taking photographs with everyone.  How exciting!

All in all, it was a wonderful event with an even more wonderful purpose.  If you are looking for a charity to donate to, this is a great one.  They are hoping to grow the event next year.  Again, for more information please check out their website.  Here are a few pictures from the event::

Helping Hearts Annual Gala