Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Segment 1,000 (meters) a special day - in memory of baby Paul

Our 1,000 meter segment cut for the banner - This day was in memory of baby brother Paul - Burn victim

Saturday February 23, 2013

I was getting ready to finally finish cutting the material that I ordered for the making of the banner. Today I was determined to finally get this job done.

I had just spent the night at moms. One of the reasons that I had stayed with mom was because she had been sick all day and I was concerned about her health and wellbeing. I also thought that, since my hubby Allen was working night shift and my work is set up downstairs in her sewing room, that it would help me to get an early start, so I could complete this part of the project.

In the morning while we were sitting down in the kitchen, having a cup of coffee, mom suddenly started to talk about baby brother Paul.

She said…” 53 years ago Paul was born today he was black and blue and, it had been a difficult delivery and the doctors struggled to find out what was wrong and struggled to save his life. They found out that the cord was wrapped around his neck, but managed to save his life!”

Talking about baby Paul.
Lately Mom has been speaking a lot about Paul’s death and today we discussed this tragic event one more time.

Paul’s last day on earth -

On December 28th in 1962 baby Paul died from burns that he had sustained after falling in a tub of boiling water.

Circumstances leading to Paul’s death

Farm life…in 1962 with 10 children

To help support our family, we worked the farm and much of our product was sent to market. Towards this goal, during the past year turkeys had been purchased and raised. Christmas season would soon be over so dad informed us that it was time to get these turkeys ready so that they could be sold.

Time to do the turkeys-
It was an extremely cold day…I remember being told that the temperature was around minus 40, but despite the weather conditions the work had to be done.
For the task of killing the turkeys, there was our dad, 12 year old Ronald and 8 year old Arthur, (and visiting with us at this time was) 14 year old cousin Gilbert.
After they had just completed the task of butchering some of the turkeys for that day, they came into the house so that we could continue the process.
Once everyone was in the house, dad delegated, Ron and Arthur to watch the littlest ones in the living room. In their care were, baby Gillies, 1 year old Eddie, 2 year old Paul, 4 year old Bernice, 5 year old Rene and 7 year old Cecile. This was a change of events, due to the next phase (scalding, plucking and gutting) being considered “”Women’s Work””

Mom was set up at the stove to do the scalding of the turkeys and my sister, 11 year old Jeannette and Maria, (I was 9 years old), where set up at the table to do the plucking and gutting.

The water had just come to a full boil for the scalding of the turkeys, dad had now informed Mom that, she had to dunk the turkeys in the water so we could begin the process of plucking.

Since mom was only 5 feet tall, the only way she could accomplish this task would be if she stood on a chair in front of the stove and the tub of boiling water. Because mom was fearful that an accident might happen, she asked dad to place the tub of water on the floor so that she could have easier access of the water.

Just as this process had been completed, there was a commotion in the living room and 2 year old Paul came running into the kitchen and ended up falling into the tub of water. (To date there is debate as to what all really transpired at this time but) The end result is that, it devastated our family and the guilt, blame and sorrow surrounding this tragedy lasts to this day.)

As for me - the result of this childhood trauma came to mind after Tasha had died and we started the donation process. When I was asked if we would consider donating skin for burn victims and I said yes. I replied yes to this question, even though I was horrified at the thought of what this process  might entail  After I had given them my reply I asked them to please explain to me how we could make this possible and still be able to go forward with normal funeral arrangements.

The doctors explained the process and let me know that they could fulfill Tasha’s entire donor wish and that she would be treated with the utmost respect and we would still be able to follow her final day wish.
I am thankful to this day to say that to the end, we were able to fulfill all of Tasha’s wishes.
Because, we were able to donate everything like Tasha had requested, I always let people know that ...When we donated Tasha's organs & tissues, we also donated skin and bone, despite all of this, we were still able to follow our French family tradition of having an open casket and viewing on the day of her funeral!

I would like to finish by saying that, having been given the opportunity of being able to donate skin for burn victims, helped to heal the child within me ....that 9 year old child that could still see all that had transpired on the day when her baby brother fell into a tub of boiling water.

Paul was born on February 23 in 1960 and he died on December 28th.

Mom gets comfort in knowing that Paul is with Jesus. Mom always says Paul was an innocent and Paul died on December 28th, this is the day of Holy Innocence (the day that King Herod wanted Jesus Killed so he ordered that all little boys under the age of 2 be massacred)

Today was a special day for me .... and it was made more special because after mom and I were done talking I told her that today I would work in memory of Paul.

Today, I did finally cross the finish line for the 1 kilometer mark of the banner ...today I finally did segment 1,000 for the banner and today my work was done for my mom and in memory of my baby brother Paul.

Take care my friends ...God bless and have a great day

Friday, February 22, 2013

Thumbs Up for the Cause --- update April 22

Hi again my friends,
 
I may have slowed down...but as they say.....no rest for the wicked and no time to feel sorry for ones self...because we are way too close to the finish line now!
 
My thumb will recover but I'm not sure what will happen with my eyesight...as far as that goes ....it's up to God.
 
When it comes to people they can be funny sometimes 
 
My hubby (Allen) he says that it's the green hair dye that is affecting my eyesight...lol...funny man.
 
One of my elderly aunts told me that she thought God wanted me to stop doing this banner thing...that He was the one that was causing my injuries --- crazy old hen that she is ! ....but got to love her for being concerned. But then she isn't the first person to try and convince me that God is against this project - go figure!
 
As for getting the word out ...
 
I did a presentation for some Glenmary students yesterday ( it was for a student leader and volunteerism class) Things went really well and they informed that they are on board for this project and they have asked me to come back next week (so I meet with them again next Thursday).
 
This presentation was special to me for a couple of reasons..

1st becaues this is the school that used to attend and 2nd because this is the school that first asked me to come and do a presentation after Tasha passed away and became a donor.
 
Now I'm getting ready for Monday the 25th, at that time I meet with our town council to issue the challenge with a 10 meter segment of banner..( I will be posting pictures)
 
Then on Tuesday the 26th, we head to the city to see the eye specialist for the 4th time to see how things are progressing with my eyesight.
 
So like I said ...no rest for the wicked...lol
 
Ta for now..God bless and.take care  
 
Thumbs Up for the cause of Organ & Tissue Donation.
Take care ...God Bless ...and have a great day.
 
Maria

Monday, February 18, 2013

Good news - & bad news - pictures of flyers - Stand up and be counted etc.

Hello once again,


Well my friends ---- As some of you may know by now I do have some good news and bad news.

 
First thing is that my eye doctor informed me that my eye has been infected with a virus....nothing they can do about it and I now have 4 scars on my left eye.....(the good thing so far is that I still have my vision)


More Good news -- my blog is letting me post pictures again...


Good News -- I have 95 more meters to go and I will have cut 1,000 meters/1 kilometer of segments for our Canadian Record for the World's Longest Banner.


Ummm a bit more bad news....While I was cutting material, the rotary blade that I was using got caught on the temp plate and the blade sliced through my thumb and cut my tendon in half.

More Good news the doctor was abler to reattach the tendon... it took 3/4 of an hour to reattach but he says that it looks like I'll be fine.
 

Good news....hey I only have 95 more meters to go and we'll have 1 kilometer of banner.....now we just have to wait for the banners to come in so that we can sew them together.

I still have one good hand :-)

Picture of invitation


This is where will will hold the parade of banners -
just a 2.5 kilometer walk and then we stack and count the banners -
after that we can have a banner trade off....
then we can recycle our banners by framing them as pictures...
or by making green bags or quilts etc.



Canadian Challenge -
I'm hoping that at least one Canadian from each province will take up this challenge,
for me this would make it such a great success.



simple instructions for making a banner..
don't feel intimidated ....
if all you can do is sign your name then that is all that is needed.
After all -
what we are trying to do is create some awareness


Well my freinds -- this is it for now...take care -- God bless and have a great day.
Maria

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Canadian Challenge ****Stand up and Be Counted

Hi everyone....
I know it's been a while but things got a little crazy for me again ...with family and life in general. And health wise....well I had another eye infection and this one left a scar on my eye ...and thank God for prayerful people because the scar isn't over my cornea so my vision is still O.K.
 So now I'm back again and I have a new and very easy Challenge for my fellow Canadians.

Canadian Challenge ****

Stand up and Be Counted

For the cause of
Organ & Tissue Donation
- the World’s Longest Banner
Ø Can you do this challenge? 

 You will be able to do this challenge………..

If you can answer yes to these four questions.
  1. To help set a Guinness World Record for Canada- Can I with the help of others in my community, (family, friends, school, faith community etc.), make a 10 equal segment banner to add 10 more meters to the World’s Longest Banner?

  1. Once our segments are done and sewn together, can I/we take it to a meeting with our elected community council?

  1. Can I/we ask them if they could stand up and be counted to show support for the cause of organ & tissue donation?

v  If you can answer yes to these questions please take a picture, for prosperity, of them holding your segment of the banner in support of the cause.
v  If you can accomplish this task - please email the pictures to me or post the pictures on our World’s Longest Banner for organ & tissue donation face book page.
This is the message on the banner for our town council – this statement is written across 10 segments equaling 10 meters of banner.

.
May 5th 2013

Peace River

Alberta Canada

Participant

Worlds

Longest

Banner

For Organ - & Tissue

Donation

A gift of life


Take care - God bless and have a great day.
Maria