Our Yearbook: March 2009

This week is about "hearts" for me. Today Tuesday 3/24/09 I had my biannual cardiology appointment up at UCLA. It went great! I also gave mom a tour of the new Ronald Reagan Medical Center (hospital) which she was amazed by. Not only that, but I ran into Lisa Knight, R.N. (see below) and was able to catch up with her and all the media attention the camp is getting (see below). All the staff today were stoked about camp (see below).

Some of you also were notified via email of an upcoming debut of kids from Camp del Corazon (Camp of the Heart) and camp spokesman Tom Arnold on the final season of the tv show ER. They will appear on air of this weeks episode scheduled Thursday 3/26/09 at 10pm PST. Don't forget to set your DVR. If you miss the show you can watch the full episode at http://www.nbc.com/ER/. This episode will portray the unique relationships and heartfelt stories of the courageous children who live and battle with the number one birth defect-heart disease. Camp del Corazon has been receiving much attention from the media about this episode and it's storyline. Tom Aronld will be doing a media blitz on many radio shows and segments will air on Extra. Camp del Corazon has also been covered on the TV Guide Channel's "Hollywood 411" and in the articles below.

http://townhall.mednet.ucla.edu/hs_news/mar2009/0903p5.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29592575/from/ET/

Camp del Corazon is a non profit organization that provides free of charge medically-supervised summer camps for children 7-17 years of age with heart disease. The camp was inspired by a patient of Dr. Kevin Shannon (one of my doctors) who was very embarrassed by his scars. Dr. Kevin Shannon felt that if this patient spent time around other children with heart disease, that he would soon become less self conscious. Dr. Shannon found a camp in Louisiana, but the patients mother didn't feel comfortable with sending him so far away. Dr. Shannon discussed the situation with Lisa Knight, R.N. (a nurse of mine) and a solution was decided, start our own! Camp del Corazon began hosting campers on beautiful Catalina Island in 1995. Camp is staffed completely by volunteer counselors, nurses, and physicians. Over the years, Camp del Corazon has grown to provide patients and families a variety of programs.

In 2002, just after Jay proposed, I volunteered for both junior and teen camp sessions. Being on staff for those two weeks was much more difficult than the entire two plus months I spent on staff at the Christian family camp Campus by the Sea. What many don't realize is that being on the Camp del Corazon staff is a 24/7 job! These kids require around the clock supervision; any time a child needs to use the bathroom or shower an adult needs to be with them (we don't literally go in the bathroom or shower with them). This is not only to comfort parent's anxieties, but for the safety of each child. The health status of each child varies. There are some who come to camp on oxygen or with feeding tubes or who require extra medical attention, while other children are healthier. All children and staff have to report to nursing quarters for medication distribution. The nurse station is housed with any necessary medical equipment and sick bay quarters as well as physicians and nurses.

To me Camp del Corazon was a place of healing, both for the children and staff! It offered those of us "older" heart patients the opportunity to encourage and uplift those younger heart patients. It also provided healing by bridging the gap between patients and physicians. Some children spend more time with their physicians than with family or friends. At camp every staff member is given a nick name; thus how my nickname "ET" was started. You got "busted" if you were called by anything other then your camp name. So while at camp I spoke to my doctor, Dr. Kevin Shannon as "Big Kahuna". The kids think it's great and, well, I do too! Each camp day is structured around a theme. We're there just to love on the kids and have a whole lotta fun! During the night hours at team camp, our cabin spent time getting "deep." Girls opened up about the struggles with living with heart disease. Topics ranged from embarrassment of scars, to fears, to death and loss. Camp proved to be a "safe place" for children to open up because, just about everyone there really could relate. It also gave them supervised freedom. Many of these children have never been away from home other then to the hospital. Never had the chance to go to public places like school or on overnight stays. Camp also provided hope because of the variety of patients (young and older) present at camp. I met so MANY kids and staff who were patients up at UCLA who had the same doctors or surgeons or who have even had heart transplants. I must say that my best camp memories were those quiet times of deep discussion with the teen group. I also got a kick of seeing my doctor, Dr. Kevin Shannon dressed as a king in BLUE TIGHTS and having my surgeon, Dr. Hillel Laks, fly over in a UCLA helicopter to each lunch and spend the day swimming with the kids. You can click on the pictures for a larger view.

Dr. Kevin Shannon aka Big Kahuna and Lisa Knight, R.N. aka Xena.

Dr. Hillel Laks

Some may not know this, but awhile after camp I needed to be "shocked" out of a heart rhythm. It was a quick and painless procedure, but one that was quite scary. What provided comfort while walking into the procedure room was seeing the Camp del Corazon mug on the bedside table. Just a few minutes later Lisa Knight entered the room. She was to assist my doctor in the procedure. Can you imagine how relieved I was? Now imagine that as a kid!

I know with the current state of our economy, many non profit organizations are in jeopardy of losing funding. Therefore, I feel obligated now more the ever, to support those organizations which I believe in. As a former camp staffer and a congenital heart patient, I feel that Camp del Corazon offers so much to families faced with childhood heart disease. I hope that this post and the upcoming ER debut will portray to you the cause and what makes Camp del Corazon so special and near and dear to my heart. Therefore, I've decided to start a fundraising page for Camp del Corazon. Please visit my page at
http://www.firstgiving.com/et4hearts
Thank you!

I can't believe that it's been nearly two months since our last post, it's time we bring you up to date. I must admit that I choose the 4H logo background in honor of St. Patrick's Day and because recently I found my 4H uniform and all my prized ribbons from the OC Fair from years ago. To start off, we celebrated Valentine's Day with a dinner party hosted by my bosses/dearest friends, with several other friends. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, great fellowship, and learning a new card game "Golf". Later that month, I put my Biscotti baking skills to great use by selling packaged bags to raise scholarship funds for our church's upcoming women's retreat. I sold five for $5 raising nearly $100.

I also have been busy working as tax season has come full swing. In addition, I've been teaching bible study more frequently, which challenges me in my walk with God and my leadership skills. Recently my good friend Brianne came over for pizza and a chic flick while both our guys had to work late. I was taken by surprise when I opened the pizza box.

Needless to say, it was the yummiest pizza EVER and without hesitation, I accepted her request. I am honored to return the favor of being apart of their wedding.

Recently, I had the pleasure of reuniting with a friend of mine from Jr. High after finding each other on Facebook. This was a blessing as we met for breakfast and caught up on the last decade!

Last weekend, Jay & I ventured out by accepting our first babysitting gig with our nephews. While Jay was at work we enjoyed making puppets and coloring.

Our oldest nephew anxiously awaited his uncle to arrive asking me periodically what time it was and counting down the minutes until he'd be joining us. Once Jay arrived he was immediately asked to build a Star Wars Lego set and he happily accepted the task. He treated Jay like he was working in a factory and a member of a union. We couldn't help but laugh and make wise cracks when he informed Jay he could take his break now. Jay hoped he got good benefits. It was hilarious. We even had a bit of quiet while the youngest napped and the oldest played Wii; Jay kept on building the Lego set. After Jay's brother and wife returned we all enjoyed a nice family dinner at Islands.

Last week I was most surprised to hear from my cousin Ryan and the news that he'd be in town and would like to visit. He was visiting friends in Manhattan Beach and had time before he would catch his plane back home to Colorado, so my parents, brother, and I drove up to pick him up and enjoy the afternoon together. We took a drive up to Santa Monica Pier, a place that our family (except Bryan) hadn't been to in over 17 years. It was just as much an adventure for us as it was for Ryan, and my brother made an excellent tour guide! We ate a late lunch or early dinner, at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and then strolled the pier and 3rd Street Promenade while enjoying all the street performers and the amazing coastal view.

And last night a few friends from church gathered to say farewell to our favorite Christian band, Delirious. Some may remember that this band played a special part in our dating relationship as well as our wedding. We enjoyed many date nights at their concerts and after an email to them, we got to meet them in person. After being announced Mr. and Mrs. we walked down the isle as a married couple to one of their songs, titled Everything which appears on the playlist. It was a bittersweet concert knowing that the band's original drummer had already left (they had a stand in for the concert tour) and that after Delirious finished their current tour, the band would call it quits. It's unlikely, we feel, that we'll ever see them in concert again so we were extra excited to be in attendance at last night's concert hosted at the House of Blues in Anaheim. It was a first for us attending a concert in this venue, and it was AWESOME! Although we can't be front row roadies anymore because of my pacemaker, we still enjoyed standing very close about a yard from the band. We got up close and personal when Martin (lead vocalist) decided to join the crowd. Fans just in front of us where holding him up, it was spectacular. Below are some highlights from the show along with a few videos. To all our Delirious fans... enjoy!

Martin as Mickey Mouse, after all the concert was at Downtown Disney!