Some Gifts Just Rock!

Erin's favorite subject her senior year at LT was Anatomy & Physiology. She adored this class. Bones, muscles, blood, organ systems; they all fascinated her, AND she got to dissect things! It just didn't get much better than that! Erin aspired to be a nurse someday, and this class was a step in that direction, as she hoped to use her personal experience in the cancer world to help others in the same situation. No one knows it better than one who has spent time in a hospital bed.

A few instructors simply stand in front of a class and earn a paycheck. Then there are TEACHERS! These individuals engage their students, instill a love of learning and inspire young, impressionable minds to follow their dreams. That would accurately describe LT's Anatomy & Physiology teacher. He hooked Erin and, I'm sure, many others. Class was interesting, informative and exciting. He developed a rapport with his students, teaching them not only the cold hard facts of the subject matter, but integrated life experience and relevant issues into his daily lessons, making his students eager to learn. During her senior year, Erin was often going to chemo directly after his class, and he was always understanding of her circumstances. Depending upon where she was in her cycle, she'd sometimes drag herself to that class at the end of the school day, rather winded and pale. He would ask, in concern, if she was all right. She'd tell him she was a bit pale because her hemoglobin was just 6 or 7, and assure him not to worry because she was getting a transfusion directly after school and would look ever-so-much better the next afternoon. And she did.

After graduation, he and Erin stayed in touch via email, and they also had a very special visit here in our home last fall after her brain tumor surgery.

Throughout the latter part of Erin's illness, and also since she died, this fine man has stayed in contact with me through thoughtful emails, and he recently came for a visit. We spoke openly about Erin and he described how she was in class, giving me a perspective from an area of her life I didn't see. Kids are different when they're away from home, in classrooms and in social situations. He was not afraid to talk about her, as some people hesitate to do, and I was grateful for his kind, insightful words.

He also gave me one of the most carefully chosen, thoughtful gifts I've ever received. Even the presentation was perfect, down to the lime green bow that was carefully tied around it. Thank goodness for wives who can carry out those special details :)
But first, a little background info:

Cancer is awful. The effects of cancer on the body, and the impact it has on the lives of its victims and their family members is often atrocious. The disease is difficult to deal with at any age, and when it affects a teen-ager, it does so in a way unique to that age group. Teens are at a stage of uncertainty and indecision. They often feel insecure as they struggle to figure out who they are and where they fit into the social scene and into life in general at this very critical and often tumultuous time of change - as they move away from dependence upon parents, to independence in preparation for college and living on their own. Normal teen behavior can often be that of self-consciousness and self-absorption in an attempt to figure out all of the above issues. When cancer is added to the mix - with all the fringe benefits of hair-loss from chemotherapy, burns from radiation and disfigurement and change of life-path from surgery - the challenge to be "normal" often feels insurmountable!

This is Killian Mansfield. I did a little research. Killian was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma (like Ewing's, as Erin had, another variety of the nasty bone/tissue cancers) at the age of 11. He endured a brutal year of chemo & radiation and also two major surgeries during which a piece of his affected jaw was removed. For a time, he was in remission, but in 2007 the cancer returned with tumors in his mouth and throat. He forged on through more treatment, until finally last August 2009, at the age of 16, he passed away.

That is the loathsome, medical/cancer journey of this teen. And then you have the other side of Killian - the side with the attitude and drive that wouldn't allow the cancer to define who he was.

It's that CORE that teens/people with cancer FIGHT to protect.

Killian was an accomplished musician. He began playing the violin at the age of 3, and through the years became interested in the ukulele. Through his young teen years, he traveled about the area around his home, jamming with local musicians and perfecting his skills. After spending time in the hospital during one of his more-difficult periods and knowing he was dying, a dream evolved - make a recording of songs, while playing with famous musicians, and have it benefit others with cancer. Through self-drive & determination, and with the help of family & friends, that dream became a reality.

And THIS is my fabulous gift! A copy of this awesome CD!
I had never heard of this young man prior to receiving this present. Erin's teacher was touched by Killian's story, as his drive to overcome the adversities of cancer paralleled Erin's.

Somewhere Else is the dream project of Killian Mansfield, a 15-year-old ukulele wizard from Woodstock, NY who is battling a rare form of cancer. Eclectic, uplifting, fun and funky, SOMEWHERE ELSE is a mix of songs performed by Killian with critically acclaimed singers and musicians including Dr. John, Kate Pierson, John Sebastian, Todd Rundgren and Levon and Amy Helm. Proceeds benefit the Killian Mansfield Foundation, which supports and promotes Integrative Therapies for children with cancer. Produced and engineered by Ralph Legnini (former studio sidekick for Todd Rundgren and Nile Rodgers), SOMEWHERE ELSE includes world class rock, jazz, blues, country and folk musicians doing a lot of genre hopping, (picture B-52's Kate Pierson with renowned country fiddler Jay Ungar!) There is truly something for everyone on this remarkable CD.
--Amazon Editorial Review

Please take a moment and CLICK HERE to go to the Amazon site, scroll down to read some of the reviews, and listen to the samples from the playlist. I just love his rendition of Prince's "Kiss"! The review above gives the names of the artists that leant their time and talent to make this spectacular CD. You will also see that the proceeds from the album go to an organization called HOPE & HEROES, an integrative-therapy program and a relatively new field in cancer treatment that aids the patient's ability to stay comfortable and in control while struggling with all the side-effects of cancer and conventional treatments.

To Erin's spectacular teacher - THANK YOU FOR THIS PERFECT GIFT!
I blast it in the house and dance away, as I marvel at the courage of yet another teen who has risen above the limits cancer attempts to enforce.
Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Please click on "comments" below to see how things happen VERY unexpectedly when one reaches out. Some things are just meant to be...
LIFE IS GOOD!