She is in Washington. Yesterday we arrived in Halifax in the early afternoon and went to the Hilton at the Airport to check in. From there we took Michellie to Pete's Fruitique for a little shopping. We also toured the mall and had some fun checking out the different shops. We did do the incredible candy store in Bedford, and miraculously Michellie made it out with no purchases. It was really torture to do that, but the store is so incredible, you just have to have a look.
We had a quick stop at the Krochko's to see their kitchen renovation. Everything is ripped apart and they are anxiously waiting for it all to get back together. It will be a wonderful new kitchen for some great entertaining opportunities.
From there we went to dinner and met with Emily Long and her family. They are from Sydney way, and Emily will be Michellie's roommate for the week. Emily is in Grade 9 and is 14 years old, and her birthday is the day after Michellie's. Emily had leukemia when she was in Grade 5 and had 2 years of treatment. It was great to get to know them, and to share our stories together.
We were up at 5:50 this morning to head to the airport. Michellie started with a stomach ache and tears. She was very nervous to go. We got her to the airport, and she skipped out on breakfast while we waited for everyone else to arrive. Esther was first to arrive. Esther was Michellie's nurse during her first stay at the hospital and on her third stay. Esther has the fun job of keeping them all in line for the week. Zack and Brennan also arrived at 7 am and we were busy getting to know each other. Zack is 13 years old and had the same form of lymphoma as Michellie, although it took over a year for them to diagnose him. He had no reaction to the chemo, other than losing his hair, but he retained excessive amounts of fluid from the prednisone. He just finished his treatments in January. Brennan had Non-Hodgkins lymphoma in his digestive tract. He was treated for Crohn's disease for a year before they determine he had cancer. He lost a lot of weight and was hospitalized for 8 months with a feeding tube as he could not eat. He finished his treatment in December and has a curly head of hair and is back to his normal weight now. He is 16 and in grade 11. Each story is so different, and thank goodness each outcome is shining in success.
The owner of Prudential Real Estate, Paul Doucet, and his co-worker, Marilyn Purdy, arrived just after 7. The had a gift bag for each traveller, with a water bottle, t-shirt, gum and a card with spending money. The kids were so surprised. Michellie doesn't know what she will spend her money on - as we told her she could not come back with any money in her pocket and she needed to spend on herself for a change. Esther assured us that shopping with her would be no problem! (Having shopped with Michellie, Esther has a big challenge ahead of her). The Real Estate group sponsors a fundraising Golf Tournament each fall to raise money for the Sunshine Kids. They raise over $25,000 each year to help towards sending the kids on special excursions. We are so grateful to all those who participate in such ventures. This will be an incredible opportunity for these kids. They are so deserving, and their ability to share experiences with others who have had similar challenges will be life changing.
The kids prepared to go through security at 8 am. There were some tears, but quickly they forgot about us as they went through screening. Michellie's apprehension turned to smiles and we were happy to see her disappear around the corner without a look back.
Michellie called us this afternoon after they arrived at the hotel. They had a bus to take them across the tarmack to the luggage sight. They had a bit of a wait for their luggage, and then they were whisked away to their five star hotel. The afternoon was open for relaxation and such, and Michellie and Emily were deciding on a movie, or a trip to the swimming pool. Michellie was giggling, because she had the least amount of hair, so she would be quick to get ready afterwards. There was a dinner planned for the evening, and they were anticipating meeting all the other kids arriving today. Michellie's voice was very up, light and giggly. She was happy to be there and she hadn't had any stomach issues since she left! We are very excited to hear all this, but most importantly, the happiness in her voice.
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