GUNNER GILLESPIE REMEMBERED!
My friend forever, Gunner Gillespie
Gunner's Dad Gus is a Beloved Teacher & Basketball Coach 
Gunner was born September 4, 2000
He passed away October 23, 2008
He was 8 Years Old
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Birthdays are for celebrating life. It is a fact that when I hold The Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival on this Blog Page, it is deliberately undertaken during the week in March that Steve was born. Like Steve, Gunner Gillespie is also a Hero of mine with a capital "H".
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How did I come to know Gunner? Well, there's a story about that only God could have written. I had recently returned from Sahara Aldridge's Memorial Service in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to where I was living in Florence, Kentucky. I consider it a tremendous blessing in my life to have met Sahara and her parents, Shannon and Amy. Sahara inspired me to reach out and try do something that was a whole lot bigger and certainly more important than I was. That "something" was to organize a tour bus trip from Cincinnati to Cape Girardeau for anyone wishing to attend "A Concert for Sahara"--a fund raising concert I had first heard about on CNN Headline News. It was eventually assembled and performed by rock legend Rick Springfield. The performance was held at The Show Me Center Arena on December 8, 2006. I was able to make a number of media appearances in an effort to mobilize support for Sahara after delving deep into her own story and making the choice to become involved from the city I was living near, at the time.
Just two weeks after Sahara passed away from complications of a cancerous brain tumor on November 5, 2007, Shannon and Amy became the first people to mail a check to a bank account created for the medical needs of a special little boy who lived in Benton, Kentucky named Gunner Gillespie. When Sahara's website was active, The Aldridge's mentioned hearing of Gunner's diagnosis of DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) which is cancer of the brain stem. They asked for prayers, and mentioned how their hearts went out to this little boy and his sister Garlynn and parents Gus and Janna. So, at the suggestion of Shannon and Amy, I decided to visit Gunner's Caringbridge website. As January, 2007 began, my Pastor of 23 years, B.J. Chenault and his wife Evelyn sent me a short e-mail that basically read: "We are so concerned about this little boy. Please pray for him". That boy turned out to be Trevor Tredaway.
Like so many others at the time, I was stricken with tremendous grief after Sahara passed away. I really did not expect her to die. I can't explain why. I took my cues from Rick Springfield and I guess whatever doubts I may have had were canceled out by seeing Rick's tremendous Determination. Also, as so many of us did, I followed Sahara's situation on a daily basis...we all did. All 3,000 of us who traveled to The Cape for Rick's show. A group of us staying at the hotel a day before the concert, bonded together and became life-long friends. I was not physically well back then, and my worsening health combined with the grief I was feeling left me exasperated with B.J.'s prayer request. So, I set it aside for a few days and tried to learn, in the interim, what I could about this boy in Benton with the most interesting first name of "Gunner". Who in the world could have possibly known but God Himself that Gunner's family (and later Trevor's) would contact me after I relocated across six states in December, 2007 to Scottsdale, Arizona?
A number of doctors who had consulted with Gus and Janna had offered limited options to treat DIPG--a virulent brain stem cancer that affects approximately 200 children in the world annually (you will be hearing more about DIPG soon from my Special Guests Brian and Janelle Jones on my Blog feature, "The Interview"). With a tremendous amount of Love, Faith, and Hope The Gillespie's contacted me in the spring season of 2008 and asked me if I would consider scouting out a hotel for them near an alternative cancer treatment clinic where they had decided to bring Gunner to for treatment in Scottsdale. I asked them for more specifics, then visited a number of hotels in-person to see what I could find. When the family arrived, I was delighted and I drove over to their hotel and took them out for a Mexican dinner. I have loved this family ever since! At the restaurant I was a quick study too.
I learned a lot from watching Gunner interact with his then five year-old sister, Garlynn. They were fun kiddos and we had a blast. After one travels so far, it is comforting to make a new friend and to be able to just take your time and talk about everything. We were all in high spirits that night and I remember Gunner's fascination with aquariums of fish in the bar area. The way he studied their movement, how they swam, their markings and color, was to witness a brilliant little boy who possessed such a deep and sincere curiosity about life. But fish and reptiles were only the beginning!
Just two weeks after Sahara passed away from complications of a cancerous brain tumor on November 5, 2007, Shannon and Amy became the first people to mail a check to a bank account created for the medical needs of a special little boy who lived in Benton, Kentucky named Gunner Gillespie. When Sahara's website was active, The Aldridge's mentioned hearing of Gunner's diagnosis of DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) which is cancer of the brain stem. They asked for prayers, and mentioned how their hearts went out to this little boy and his sister Garlynn and parents Gus and Janna. So, at the suggestion of Shannon and Amy, I decided to visit Gunner's Caringbridge website. As January, 2007 began, my Pastor of 23 years, B.J. Chenault and his wife Evelyn sent me a short e-mail that basically read: "We are so concerned about this little boy. Please pray for him". That boy turned out to be Trevor Tredaway.
Like so many others at the time, I was stricken with tremendous grief after Sahara passed away. I really did not expect her to die. I can't explain why. I took my cues from Rick Springfield and I guess whatever doubts I may have had were canceled out by seeing Rick's tremendous Determination. Also, as so many of us did, I followed Sahara's situation on a daily basis...we all did. All 3,000 of us who traveled to The Cape for Rick's show. A group of us staying at the hotel a day before the concert, bonded together and became life-long friends. I was not physically well back then, and my worsening health combined with the grief I was feeling left me exasperated with B.J.'s prayer request. So, I set it aside for a few days and tried to learn, in the interim, what I could about this boy in Benton with the most interesting first name of "Gunner". Who in the world could have possibly known but God Himself that Gunner's family (and later Trevor's) would contact me after I relocated across six states in December, 2007 to Scottsdale, Arizona?
A number of doctors who had consulted with Gus and Janna had offered limited options to treat DIPG--a virulent brain stem cancer that affects approximately 200 children in the world annually (you will be hearing more about DIPG soon from my Special Guests Brian and Janelle Jones on my Blog feature, "The Interview"). With a tremendous amount of Love, Faith, and Hope The Gillespie's contacted me in the spring season of 2008 and asked me if I would consider scouting out a hotel for them near an alternative cancer treatment clinic where they had decided to bring Gunner to for treatment in Scottsdale. I asked them for more specifics, then visited a number of hotels in-person to see what I could find. When the family arrived, I was delighted and I drove over to their hotel and took them out for a Mexican dinner. I have loved this family ever since! At the restaurant I was a quick study too.
I learned a lot from watching Gunner interact with his then five year-old sister, Garlynn. They were fun kiddos and we had a blast. After one travels so far, it is comforting to make a new friend and to be able to just take your time and talk about everything. We were all in high spirits that night and I remember Gunner's fascination with aquariums of fish in the bar area. The way he studied their movement, how they swam, their markings and color, was to witness a brilliant little boy who possessed such a deep and sincere curiosity about life. But fish and reptiles were only the beginning!
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As with Sahara's love of basketball, cats, shopping and cheesecake, Gunner's interests were many. But it was trains that both ignited and captivated his imagination--especially steam engines. Our visits to McCormick-Stillman Park where the Presidential Train of President's Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower is on static display made for some very memorable afternoons as The Gillespie's settled in for a very long summer of treatments and activities. Gunner was so curious about others. I recall Gunner as a boy who was genuinely interested in what people did for a living and how they went about their daily routine. He would study many wonderful things: how a model was assembled from all angles-- with quiet curiosity that struck me as genius really. My heart told me he was a gifted child in many ways, and I am still convinced of this fact. With people, he was the epitome of Kindness to everyone. I also noticed that he had a heart for other children facing difficulties and he would ask many questions of his mother, Janna about a person or a place that caused him to feel concerned. He was a sensitive and very sincere little boy. After all, the world is such a big place when you are only 7 years old, and you see the potential and wonder and excitement of so many things! Gunner was a genuine people-person. He was gentle, but he had the most incredible sense of humor and boy, could he find funny things to do and laugh about with his little sister. I can still hear his giggle and on one glorious afternoon when his grandparents came to Arizona, I became the Official photographer at the train park on the Merry-Go-Round.
In later months, during a visit to the world's largest toy train model layout at McCormick-Stillman Park, the elderly volunteer men who ran the trains broke with years of tradition. As Janna, Gunner and I were leaving the display building, one of the volunteers tapped on the window and waved us back inside. Carefully, they opened a door and recognizing just what a student Gunner was of trains, they led him inside the display that was otherwise off-limits to the public. I think Janna and I easily shot over 100 photos with our cameras from the small and tight bleacher viewing area situated above the layout display involving multiple trains operating simultaneously. Gunner listened to explanations, and he nodded several times as the men made a point about a train car he had inquired about. Judging from his smile, he was ecstatic! As the other parents and children around us learned about Gunner's medical situation with brain cancer, they appeared to me to focus on Gunner in the most loving way. We don't see enough of that kind of compassion within adults, and yet this little boy from Kentucky was reaching their hearts and inspiring them with awe. This happened many times.
Gus shared with me how a casual conversation with a man seated near them during a family outing to an Arizona Diamondback baseball game led to the man gifting The Gillespie's a much needed vacation escape to Disneyland in California aboard Southwest Airlines. I can remember picking the family up at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on their return trip and everyone looked incredibly happy and excited as they shared their adventures with me in my SUV. Later, back at the hotel we sat on the floor and looked at many pictures.
In later months, during a visit to the world's largest toy train model layout at McCormick-Stillman Park, the elderly volunteer men who ran the trains broke with years of tradition. As Janna, Gunner and I were leaving the display building, one of the volunteers tapped on the window and waved us back inside. Carefully, they opened a door and recognizing just what a student Gunner was of trains, they led him inside the display that was otherwise off-limits to the public. I think Janna and I easily shot over 100 photos with our cameras from the small and tight bleacher viewing area situated above the layout display involving multiple trains operating simultaneously. Gunner listened to explanations, and he nodded several times as the men made a point about a train car he had inquired about. Judging from his smile, he was ecstatic! As the other parents and children around us learned about Gunner's medical situation with brain cancer, they appeared to me to focus on Gunner in the most loving way. We don't see enough of that kind of compassion within adults, and yet this little boy from Kentucky was reaching their hearts and inspiring them with awe. This happened many times.
Gus shared with me how a casual conversation with a man seated near them during a family outing to an Arizona Diamondback baseball game led to the man gifting The Gillespie's a much needed vacation escape to Disneyland in California aboard Southwest Airlines. I can remember picking the family up at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on their return trip and everyone looked incredibly happy and excited as they shared their adventures with me in my SUV. Later, back at the hotel we sat on the floor and looked at many pictures.
A British Airways flight crew (Flight 2) decided to befriend Gunner and throughout the season, model airplanes and post cards from the Pilot and First Officer arrived to The Gillespie's hotel room with regularity. Families with children around the country and the world who followed Gunner's journey shipped so many toys to their hotel, I had to laugh at how many boxes we shipped back to Kentucky (at least 50 or 60). Gunner and Garlynn swam and explored areas of Scottsdale, Carefree, and Sedona during their long stay. But Gunner's favorite place was the Big Red Rock in Carefree, Arizona that was on the way to his favorite Mexican restaurant. Last summer, after Brian and Janelle Jones relocated to Tempe, Arizona after suffering the loss of their 10 year-old daughter, Natalie Rose, who also had DIPG, I was delighted to be reunited with both families as we shared so many memories over dinner at Gunner's favorite restaurant.
It is said that during difficult times, it is the tender mercies of strangers that rise to the surface of life with unconditional love. As Gunner's physical condition deteriorated, Janna and I spent some very long nights at Phoenix Children's Hospital's Intensive Care Unit with Gunner. The building had so much reinforced steel and concrete that I would excuse myself from the Emergency Room to step outside and telephone progress reports to Gus in Kentucky and then, alternately, to Brian Jones (who took so many of my calls well past 12 Midnight while he and Janelle were still living in Minneapolis). Eventually, Gunner was admitted to a hospital room and I made a food run for us.
On August 9, 2008 a very special family staying in the same hotel while their home was being built,
reached out to Gunner with the gift of a Lizard and a corporate jet trip home to Kentucky for the last time. This new friend was an extraordinary executive with a darling wife who had been a television news anchor here in Phoenix, and they have three lovely daughters. We loaded our two SUV's and headed to the Scottsdale Airport--Janna and Garlynn in one SUV, while Gus rode with me in mine. Gus and I had many sobering conversations man-to-man about Gunner and the family and how he and Janna were balancing so much with the school season about to resume. Gus and Janna are very dedicated high school teachers. On the tarmac, we loaded the plane and took photos of each other minutes before The Gillespie's boarded for their final trip home. It was a very warm day, but not humid for August. We all hugged our goodbyes. Arrangements were made for me to be driven onto an airport cross way in a special motorized cart with a driver. As the private jet carrying my dear friends passed, I could see Gus seated in the right cockpit seat smiling and waving with a baseball cap and wearing dark sunglasses. Janna and Garlynn took aisle seats so Gunner could wave "Goodbye" to me through the plane's window. I can still close my eyes and see his little hand waving excitedly as the plane passed just twenty feet from where we sat. My chest started to hurt and the driver asked me if I was okay. I assured him it was nothing, but of course I was facing the fact that my friends were leaving after months of very expensive and taxing medical treatments. While I hated seeing friends whom I had grown to love dearly leave Scottsdale, I also knew it was the right decision for Gunner. So many thoughts were running through my mind. So many memories. I kept looking back to the beginning of the year as the plane lined up on the runway to a "Hold" position. The plane began it's forward roll and I tried to focus on the routine taking place inside the cockpit as the pilot advanced the throttles for a swift takeoff and left bank high above the Arizona desert that was home for The Gillespie's (and me) for months. I stared at the aircraft until I couldn't see it anymore. Safely out of sight back on the ground, I broke down and cried. My driver , God Bless him, had recognized Gunner from two news stories that ran on Channel 12 TV News here locally. He was getting choked up and all I could remember was how grateful I was hat he kept the cart parked on the runway for some ten minutes after the plane departed so I could collect myself emotionally. I was a complete mess. It was not a good day.
On August 9, 2008 a very special family staying in the same hotel while their home was being built,
reached out to Gunner with the gift of a Lizard and a corporate jet trip home to Kentucky for the last time. This new friend was an extraordinary executive with a darling wife who had been a television news anchor here in Phoenix, and they have three lovely daughters. We loaded our two SUV's and headed to the Scottsdale Airport--Janna and Garlynn in one SUV, while Gus rode with me in mine. Gus and I had many sobering conversations man-to-man about Gunner and the family and how he and Janna were balancing so much with the school season about to resume. Gus and Janna are very dedicated high school teachers. On the tarmac, we loaded the plane and took photos of each other minutes before The Gillespie's boarded for their final trip home. It was a very warm day, but not humid for August. We all hugged our goodbyes. Arrangements were made for me to be driven onto an airport cross way in a special motorized cart with a driver. As the private jet carrying my dear friends passed, I could see Gus seated in the right cockpit seat smiling and waving with a baseball cap and wearing dark sunglasses. Janna and Garlynn took aisle seats so Gunner could wave "Goodbye" to me through the plane's window. I can still close my eyes and see his little hand waving excitedly as the plane passed just twenty feet from where we sat. My chest started to hurt and the driver asked me if I was okay. I assured him it was nothing, but of course I was facing the fact that my friends were leaving after months of very expensive and taxing medical treatments. While I hated seeing friends whom I had grown to love dearly leave Scottsdale, I also knew it was the right decision for Gunner. So many thoughts were running through my mind. So many memories. I kept looking back to the beginning of the year as the plane lined up on the runway to a "Hold" position. The plane began it's forward roll and I tried to focus on the routine taking place inside the cockpit as the pilot advanced the throttles for a swift takeoff and left bank high above the Arizona desert that was home for The Gillespie's (and me) for months. I stared at the aircraft until I couldn't see it anymore. Safely out of sight back on the ground, I broke down and cried. My driver , God Bless him, had recognized Gunner from two news stories that ran on Channel 12 TV News here locally. He was getting choked up and all I could remember was how grateful I was hat he kept the cart parked on the runway for some ten minutes after the plane departed so I could collect myself emotionally. I was a complete mess. It was not a good day.
Every morning, I wake up and open the blinds of my top floor apartment and gaze out my bedroom windows eagerly to see the mountains. From there, it's a walk to my living room to open the blinds and again, I see the glorious mountains. I dress in my bicycle pants for my workout, throw on an ASU T-shirt and make my way to the kitchen to start the coffee pot and begin lining up my bottles of vitamins and supplements to start out the day. In the narrow passageway from my dining room to my kitchen sits a long wood and glass table with three framed children's photos on top: Sahara Aldridge, Gunner Gillespie and Trevor Tredaway. In front of Gunner's photo, there is a diecast scale model of a 32' Ford Hot Rod I gave him as a gift. After Gunner passed away, Janna called me months later and asked if she could return the model diecast car to me so I could have something to remember Gunner with. I was so moved by her call. Janna told me that in Kentucky, Gunner often went to sleep at night with that model car on his chest.
How I came to be blessed in these circumstances? I often say, if you had some large Push Pins and some colored Yarn, you could create my own journey from Cincinnati, Ohio to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Then a piece of yarn would run from Benton, Kentucky to Scottsdale, Arizona and yet others from Midland, Texas to Scottsdale and Minneapolis, Minnesota to Scottsdale. Four sets of parents whose lives inextricably intersected with mine. My Pastor carries a laminated card in his wallet that reads: "Today, God has you right where He wants you. There is no Fate, Chance or Luck that Governs You". When I was driving a large Penske moving truck with my SUV on a flatbed trailer across the country, I stayed at B.J. and Evelyn's home for a couple of days in Texas. He and I stayed up well past 3 AM in his study discussing Sahara Aldridge. I had yet to meet Gunner or Trevor in-person and I needed B.J.'s wise counsel on heavy spiritual matters of the heart. We talked for at least five hours. I needed that. I often think about our talk when I lay down to sleep some nights. It gives me comfort, and I am now better suited to answer a call of the heart when it involves a friend. I have peace of mind.
How I came to be blessed in these circumstances? I often say, if you had some large Push Pins and some colored Yarn, you could create my own journey from Cincinnati, Ohio to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Then a piece of yarn would run from Benton, Kentucky to Scottsdale, Arizona and yet others from Midland, Texas to Scottsdale and Minneapolis, Minnesota to Scottsdale. Four sets of parents whose lives inextricably intersected with mine. My Pastor carries a laminated card in his wallet that reads: "Today, God has you right where He wants you. There is no Fate, Chance or Luck that Governs You". When I was driving a large Penske moving truck with my SUV on a flatbed trailer across the country, I stayed at B.J. and Evelyn's home for a couple of days in Texas. He and I stayed up well past 3 AM in his study discussing Sahara Aldridge. I had yet to meet Gunner or Trevor in-person and I needed B.J.'s wise counsel on heavy spiritual matters of the heart. We talked for at least five hours. I needed that. I often think about our talk when I lay down to sleep some nights. It gives me comfort, and I am now better suited to answer a call of the heart when it involves a friend. I have peace of mind.
What I celebrated quietly yesterday was the birthday of a dear, sweet little boy whom I loved and who loved me back unconditionally. We were true buds. In fact, I sat on the floor and helped him eat his soup and take his meds while his parents attended to packing for the plane trip on that last day in Scottsdale. I'll end this special BLOG Post with a humorous story that Gunner would appreciate.
Gus and I were sitting on the couch in the hotel room watching "America's Funniest Videos", while Janna was in the bedroom packing. On the television, film footage of a boy Gunner's age was shown at a wedding reception. As the Bride stood and bent over to look at the huge wedding cake, the boy suddenly appeared in the camera frame, grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her face down into the cake! You just had to be there! Now, I feel that I know Gus pretty well. But I've never seen him so mortified as he said afterward, "Oh, Man!...I guess she wasn't too happy about that. Did you see that, Michael!" Gunner had been pacing back and forth from Janna's bedroom to the living room so he could watch re-runs of the videotaped incident. The more they re-ran that film footage on the television screen, the harder Gunner giggled. Gus tried to bring some order to the situation by stating "Now Gunner, that's not funny"--which only made Gunner and I laugh harder! Soon, we were both just giggling totally out of control. I don't know what was funnier--the video or Gunner's increasingly energetic giggling. I remember relishing that moment and feeling so happy at seeing Gunner laughing so hard! And I guess that is the memory I will always have, among many, about this young man who made such a special place in my heart forever. For eight years, he was in this world and over a period of months, he added such a wonderful dimension to my own life. I was really Blessed!
Feel free to visit Gus and Janna at Gunner's Caringbridge website at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gunnergillespie.
Gus and I were sitting on the couch in the hotel room watching "America's Funniest Videos", while Janna was in the bedroom packing. On the television, film footage of a boy Gunner's age was shown at a wedding reception. As the Bride stood and bent over to look at the huge wedding cake, the boy suddenly appeared in the camera frame, grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her face down into the cake! You just had to be there! Now, I feel that I know Gus pretty well. But I've never seen him so mortified as he said afterward, "Oh, Man!...I guess she wasn't too happy about that. Did you see that, Michael!" Gunner had been pacing back and forth from Janna's bedroom to the living room so he could watch re-runs of the videotaped incident. The more they re-ran that film footage on the television screen, the harder Gunner giggled. Gus tried to bring some order to the situation by stating "Now Gunner, that's not funny"--which only made Gunner and I laugh harder! Soon, we were both just giggling totally out of control. I don't know what was funnier--the video or Gunner's increasingly energetic giggling. I remember relishing that moment and feeling so happy at seeing Gunner laughing so hard! And I guess that is the memory I will always have, among many, about this young man who made such a special place in my heart forever. For eight years, he was in this world and over a period of months, he added such a wonderful dimension to my own life. I was really Blessed!
Feel free to visit Gus and Janna at Gunner's Caringbridge website at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gunnergillespie.
posted by Michael Manning @ 12:00 AM
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28 Comments:
RIP, sweet Gunner. Safe in the arms of God.
Michael, thank you for reminding us about Gunner and of what's important
Diane: How sweet you are. I wish we were neighbors and send you only Peace and Love. You're special! Continued prayers flow for Lamar's vision. MWAH! :)
Sage: It takes an extraordinary friend like you who stops and takes the time to read such a very long tribute to my late friend, Gunner. I was dressed to go out last night for some air, as I work so much and intended a short piece that would take me 15 minutes to compose. But once I started, hours melted by and it was bedtime. No complaints. God had me right where He wanted me. Time well spent. Thank you again for honoring me and Gunner's memory too with your kind note! :)
I will never understand why children have to endure so much and are taken so soon. I'm sure there's a reason for it but I haven't figured it out yet. I remember you posting about him regularly and he sounded like a wonderful boy.
What a sweet kid...
Becky: lol! Thank you so much for those kind words. Gunner was very special!
Green tea: He really was and I have many memories of smiles and laughter. A very sweet little boy!
Michael you are answering a call from a much greater place in this universe, Its not a easy journey you are on, Most people only wish they could do something for these families, children. Like i have talked to you many times in the past,not everyone knows how to help. Natalie Rose would of been 12 on the 12th of august, with her passing from DIPG like Gunner and so many before her our work is far from over, All of these children came here for a reason,a message, a story to tell ,it is us who get to take what we have learned and share with others. Your blog is a key that opens doors for people to read,feel,and stop and think about love and gratitude for these families, On most days in one city block you pass close to 200 people in cars or walking on the side walks, this is the amount of children in the World who are diagnosed with this rare form of brain tumor. 98% of the work is being done by parents and families and friends to help these children with the journey they are on. I know that the people who can help will show up for you to make this fundraiser for Trevor and his family a huge success,Unless you have walked in these shoes like Janelle and i Have with Natalie Rose you have no idea what a blessing you are, I ask your readers to go to the web sites you post here on your blog and leave these families a message,and help however they can , I know for a fact the mesaages we got from people we never met from all over the world showed us the power of prayer,I can remember reading them to Natalie Rose and she thought it was so cool that people she never heard of were thinking of her and praying for her.
Janelle and I look forward to talking with you very soon and keep up the good work.
With Love and Gratitude We write Brian and Janelle, Angel Natalie Rose Mom and Dad
That was a beautiful tribute to Gunner written with such a personal connection to him! Janna was correct; it was neat to read about such a great child from another person's perspective! I loved the story about you and Gunner sharing giggles over the wedding cake story on "America's Funniest Home Videos." How you must miss such a sweet presence in your life! Thank you for all you do to facilitate awareness and a DIPG/pediatric cancers cure, hopefully one day soon!
Brian and Janelle: Thank you, my brother and sister!
It was good to spend last night with both of you at dinner and then recording your upcoming appearance on "The Interview".
We are blazing new territory on this subject and I so appreciate your kind words to me about where my heart is being led. I'm just a guy who is following The Good Lord and He is leading me to what He wants me to be doing. For once, it doesn't involve a microphone or reading a teleprompter.
Together we will break the silence about DIPG and reach parents of the 250 kids worldwide to share whatever we can about how they can place one foot in front of the other and also reveal insight, light and whatever resources for healing we can.
I cannot tell you this enough: Your late night/early morning counseling sessions with me when we had Gunner meant so much during those critical months of the summer, 2008. Your insights into how I could help, how to deal with my feelings and what was going on was invaluable as I learn about this disease. I regret tremendously that while I was blessed to have met Sahara, that I spent quality time with Gunner and Trevor, I never had the opportunity to meet Natalie. But together on "The Interview", my readers will read your story, your insights and how you have been continuing with your journey here on this page. I Honor you both and Natalie with Love and Friendship! See you soon!!
Michael
Rita: God Bless You for stopping by and sharing those words. I lost a dear friend. But as my Pastor has counseled me through my tears, Gunner is a loss to us all, but he is not "lost" in that sense of the word. We know where he is. He is in Heaven in the bosom of The Lord where no manner of harm can come to him emotionally or physically and he is well. His suffering is over. I am not afraid to confront this reality. When I lost three members of my family within very short, concentrated period of time between 2000 and 2001, it took me a while before I grasped that there was a peace and there was no more suffering and that we are all here for a reason. And that reason is that we have work yet to do here on earth. There is life and there is every reason to celebrate what Gunner brought to me with so many neat times.
For too long now, there has been silence about kids with DIPG. And I have pledged to Gus and Janna that Brian and Janelle and I will be working to break that silence in such a way that that the subject of DIPG will be made safe and accessible to everyone, regardless of who they are: parents, single people like me who will become parents in the future, grandparents and caring friends who may not know what to say. Brian and Janelle share a powerful story of Love and Coping ahead and afterward, I feel people will come forward and know what to say and be inspired to take actions in their everyday life to love those each of us who are alive and are blessings to one another every moment 24/7. There is a better way to treat one another and to bring about positive change. We will help to make that happen here on my BLOG Page.
Love and (((HUGS)))!
Michael
Michael........You are so special to all of us. Thank you for loving Gunner. We miss him so very much...He was a very special little fellow. Love and hugs to you....Angel Gunner's Meippy
Meips: I send you all of my Love and (((HUGS))) from Arizona. I miss Gunner very much too!
Love,
Michael
i think you have a special gift telling stories, michael. your honesty and emotion is extraordinary. thank you for sharing not only the story, but the journey and the people behind it.
there is much beauty in the world, and even beauty in sorrow.
thank you for sharing your blessings with us.
Sitting here with a big lump in my throat...I never had the pleasure of meeting Gunner, although the Gillespie's hometown is very near my own. Gunner touched my heart so profoundly; what a wonderful little boy. Because of him (& now many other DIPG kiddos), I will not rest until DIPG is history. Thank you for sharing your memories of sweet Gunner... Jackie Cooper-Galey
Seraphine: You Honor me with your Love & Friendship and I appreciate that more than you realize. My career involves many pieces of the puzzle, but at the core of it all I am a writer and I love to share stories of people who have added so much to my life, as you have. Thank you again, dear friend! YOU ROCK!
Michael
Jackie: Thank you for your note! There isn't a day that goes by--as I said--where my eyes don't see the framed photos of three children who affected my life forever: Sahara Aldridge, Gunner Gillespie and Trevor Tredaway. The night Gunner's community surrounded The Gillespie's home with candles glowing is a strong testimony of the sheer power of Faith, Hope and Love!
Brian and Janelle Jones lost their daughter Natalie Rose at age 10. I missed meeting her. But through The Jone's Love, we will take on DIPG in this BLOG from the angle of first raising public awareness, and secondly, discussing what each of us can do now to help parents who have just been handed this devastating diagnosis.
As I get older and wiser, Jackie, I realize that money, fame, big houses, big bank accounts and fancy cars (all aphrodisiacs--apparently when you are single and see it in the dating world as I do) are nice. There's nothing wrong with having fun stuff. But at the end of the day, what triumphs over this "fun stuff" is the ability to LOVE and RISK and not back away from it in FEAR.
I knew Gunner to be Bold and Courageous in this regard. He was so bright and had such a big heart. He knew what mattered. I learned so much from Gunner and I will Honor his memory, as he will live in my heart forever. We need to act on the things that Gunner would want us to focus on. He was a Positive and Caring little boy and so, on this Blog site and this month we will do so. Thanks for your love and friendship, Jackie! Back atcha!!!:D)
Thanks for the reply. I have pictures, too--of Gunner and Ellie Willaert in my craft room--looking into their eyes every day keeps me grounded and makes me appreciate my own kids more than ever. I wish you lived near Evansville--could've used someone like you prevent the fiasco that was our Magic Train event. But, we forge ahead. It is so important to help others understand what's really important. Unfortunately, my experience thus far has been that people don't want to hear about pediatric cancer--makes them uncomfortable, I believe. You're doing a wonderful thing in trying to raise awareness. Dari always says, "Gunner knows." I choose to believe she's right--that he sees what he has led all of us to do in his memory. Take care, Jackie
Jackie: Dari is right, of course.I love her answer too! I used to get uptight about how many comments I received or didn't receive. Not anymore.
What matters to me overall, is how many lurkers visit. So, lets say I get 1 comment, for example. If I have 800 on the counter, I know there are 800 people in the world tonight who have read Gunner's story and those who will soon read about Natalie Rose Jones and Trevor Tredaway.
Early this morning, I found myself reading Sahara Aldridge's site from embargoed 2006 postings when she was first diagnosed, and that brought back all of my memories of meeting Sahara too. Brian and Janelle Jones and I will offer perhaps an opportunity for anyone who might feel initially uncomfortable to feel more confident when I finish transcribing their initial audiotaped session with me. This comes as I have some website maintenance issues being attended to. No worries. Whatever it takes, I will get "The Interview" posted so we can reach both the general public and parents who have just received a diagnosis this week of DIPG in their own families. Together, we can work with love and compassion to help others with information, so no one will ever have to be ignorant of what DIPG is anymore. That is my goal. Take care, Jackie! :)
we have something in common! your career involves many pieces of the puzzle, and my puzzle involves many pieces of a career. LOL
Michael,
You are a special man. I will never forget your support and encouragement during Kaylas battle.
There is a special quality that seems to come over children with terminal cancer. To be involved in their lives is a special blessing.
One of Kaylas fondest wishes was to become a published writer. She threw herself into her poetry while stuck in hospital. Her wish has been realized and her work is now in print. I would love to send you a copy to tremember her spirit. If you send me your mailing adress to my email ksstcyrATtelusDOTnet I will send you a copy. If she had survived she wanted to be a journalist.
Thank you for this wonderful rememberance of Gunner. I will visit the Caring bridge site and leave birthday thoughts for Jenna and Gus.
With affection, Susan
Michael I very much remember what you experienced with Sahara... and Gunner and with Trevor. You are a good GOOD man. You inspire me.
Seraphine: You are truly one of the few people who has made mention of this, and with Love and Friendship. What a nice compliment! Thank you!!!!:)
Susan: My heart is warmed by your letter here, and of course I do remember Kayla's journey on these pages well. I would be Honored to receive a copy of her writings. How sacred and how special!
Much Love,
Michael
Patti (Monogram Queen, but to me you're Patti): The children are so precious and have taught me so much! Love and (((HUGS))) to you! Thanks for such a nice message. I know it comes from your heart, my friend.
my dear friend,
this is such a beautiful entry and your friendship is beautiful.
i lost my cell and i lost your number. please call anytime.
you are a gunner gift to me!
your forever friend,
G's Dari
Dari: Love and Friendship Back Atcha! I'm sorry we lost touch. Let me see if I still have your e-mail and I'll shoot you my phone number. I hear from Gus and Janna how you are still so amazing with what you do with your God-given gift of photography for DIPG families. You Rock, my dear friend!
You are a Gunner gift to me too! I miss Gunner very, very much.
Talk soon!
MM
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