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November 2012
Jamie has recently made a decision to write a book about her experiences as a child stroke survivor and experience that continues for her to this day. She has been dealing with many challenges and struggles since her injury. Of course, I support Jamie in this venture, because not only do I think it would be a positive and empowering experience for her, which will help immensely with her on-going therapy and recovery, but it will also be a benefit to other pedi-stroke survivors and their families.
It is Jamies goal to bring much-needed attention to child stroke. She would also like to find ways to educate schools, coaches, and parents of young athletes alike about the real potential for this kind of injury to children and what they should do in the event that a child in their care is suspected of experiencing a stroke. Time is critical in detecting a stroke and getting the child to the hospital as quickly as possible to offset the damages. We will be teaming up with a local author who will be developing a book proposal, outlining Jamies book project and submitting it to publishers. A publisher will become interested in a book based on the strength of the book proposal, and something they weigh heavily is the strength of the author's platform. This is something Jamie is committed to doing,looking for as many ways as possible to raise awareness about child stroke, by getting involved with stroke organizations,stroke support groups,and looking for venues to speak to young people and coaches to inform them of the risks, signs and the proper response to a young stroke sufferer. If any of our friends have contacts or ideas to help Jamie to help others and take something positive out of her ordeal pleas contact us through facebook or her website fightfor7.com. With all our friend help I am sure we can move mountains. Thank You Jamies mom
September 3, 2012
Hello everyone,
Just a quick update as we have been very busy. Jamie is doing well. She just spent a week in Costa Mesa California with her cousins Elizebeth and Tim Hendricks. She flew there by herself and even stayed by herself in their guest house. Who would of thought? lol She had the time of her life and enjoyed every second talking with Elizabeth. Elizabeth truely is the sweetest girl in the world. Jamie starts back to school Tuesday and is a Junior. She hopes to attened college in caliifornia one day. Hopefully all her dreams come true.
December 4, 2011 Hi everyone,
Jamies birthday was a blast. She loved her cake that my friend Felicia Camara of extacy cakes made for her. It looked like a beautiful wedding cake. I will try to send a pic but my phone is acting up. It had three layers of hearts and the big number 16 on top. It was purple with diamonds and glitter all over it. It tasted as good as it looked. She enjoyed all her friends and received lots of nice gifts. She has her permit and has been driving all around town. She is in a happy place which makes me very happy for her. As soon as I figure out my problem with sending pics I will share them all with you. We hope all is well with everyone and we wish you all happy holidays. god blees you all. Jamies mom Click here for pictures
Well folks tomorrow December 1st my baby turns 16. I am so proud of the young lady she has become. She is one tough cookie that continues to move forward no matter what obstacle gets in her way. She passed her written road test yesterday ( WOO HOO ) and goes to get her permit tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY my little princess. I LOVE YOU so very much. LOVE MOM. god bless everyone.
Hello everyone,
Our last update was in May before all hell broke lose in our lives. Jamie is doing o.k. with everything but she has been through the wringer lately. As you all know her Uncle Gary was fighting cancer since 1999. He won his first round but it came back with avengance. He sadly lost this battle on 8-27-2011. He is so missed and we struggle everyday without him. Then my mom took ill 6-3-11 and after Garys passing she took a turn for the worse. Jamie lost her Nana 10-6-2011. These have been deep trying times for our family as a whole. As we were greiving we got a message that we always dreamed would come one day, at the lowest point we were at to lift us up once again. Gary lost contact with his sweet daughter Elizabeth when she was only 3 years old. He left Hawaii not to see her again. ( very long sad story ). A miracle happened when Jamie was nosing around in my phone and found a message that I hadnt seen. It was from his daughter. I seen Elizabeth in Hawaii 7-12-87. I have dreamed of her often and waited for the day I would see her again. This day came Sunday 10-30-11. Man the absolute best day of our lives this year. I call her my rainbow after the storm. She is so beautiful on the inside and out. She has a great life and is married to the most sweetest and most handsome husband Tim. We spent the day with them in New York. They are a breath of fresh air to us all and Jamie couldnt be happier to have her cousin in her life now. We are so blessed and so grateful to have her back. I will write again soon but i need a tissue. Tears of joy are streming down my face. Pictures of Nana 1, Nana 2, Jamie's cousin Elizabeth
Hi everyone,
We just got in from the visit with Dr. Wakhloo at u-mass. Thank the lord things look great. The doctor seems to believe that it was so rare what happened to her brain that it will never happen again. He wonders if there was a viral strain in the town at that time seeing as how it happened to so many. But now Jamie can maybe relax and start to move foward again and become the happy go lucky Jamie of the past. She will start counceling for p.t.s.d. and her life will improve greatly. It is expected and very difficult to deal with but as you all know Jamie is not afraid of hard work. Jamie will come out on top and there is no doubt in my mind. Dr. Wakhloo was so impressed with her. He told Jamie he would love her as a daughter so she should date his son. He is so funny and such a generous of a man. We thank God we met him and that he is the one to take care of Jamie. She no longer needs visits with him as she has been cleared.:) Great, great news for our family. Now we need to throw a party. god bless you all. Jamies mom
May 13, 2011 Hello everyone,
We have a busy week coming up. Monday we are going to u-mass memorial in worster to see dr. wahkloo. he wants to look over her mra and mri. as i said the last update jamie is very nervous. i know in my heart she has been getting better and better so i think this visit is what she needs to get back on track. she needs to be reassured by the best. wednesday she goes to the dentist. friday we go to Mass for jamie to demonstrate the walk-aide and she wil recieve a free case of electrodes. yeah! jamie is working for the summer and doing some school but im sure after she has a great visit with her doc that she will be ready to get back to the ice. anyone wanting to skate with her and help keep her motivated through the hard work just give us a call. im sure she would love company out on the ice. i wish i could skate. i will update as soon as we get back from the monday visit. god bless jamies mom
April 29, 2011 Well stressful day to say the least. What was to be a doctors appointment for a suspected virus turned out to be a 7 hour ordeal. As you all know Jamie has been to hell and back. Well from her first injury on 8-9-08 our lives were changed in many ways. Some good and some not so good. Jamie called me from school this morning complaining that she felt really dizzy and thought she may pass out. When I called her doctor they wanted her there right away so we headed out at 10:00. Her doctor decided to call her neruologist who cleared her 2 years ago and he thought it best to run test. As you all can imagaine as soon as the doctors mentioed they needed a mri and a mra Jamie broke down and I followed. Her anxiety rocketed and they were unable to do a regular mri so we were sent to a different building to try the open mri. We were both so scared we couldn't even think straight. The second try was succsessful and they didnt see any clot so we thank the lord for that. We had to take the disk so her neruologist can examine the images next week and compare them with her old ones. He is out for a few days but as soon as we can we are going back to u-mass for a visit. Her specialist wants to be sure that her brain is still healing as I would imagine so as she is doing so well. The reason I think they worry and then make us worry is that they never found an answer as to why it happened in the first place. Not with all 12 kids from the town. Seeing as Jamie was cleared before I was a little at ease but it is always in the back of our minds to worry. Well her doctor today equates it to ptsd and we are putting Jamie back in outside councling to help her realize that every headache or dizzy feeling doesnt mean that she is getting sick again. However I think anyone that has gone through what she has would panic also. My good friend Keri is going to take Jamie to meditation class as she didnt like yoga. My #1 priority has always been Jamie and I need to focus even more on the issues left behind from 8-9-08. Many of you who knew Jamie before would say how chill and how happy she was. I am working on getting the old happy at ease Jamie back. She is a tough cookie and will move forward through this and come out on top once again because she is truely amazing. She is soaking all the days stress away in the tub and i am waiting for margaritas tomorrow as I have work in the morning and I feel after a day like today I wont stop at a few. The deja voo from today has me exhausted and ready to rip someones face off so I am in for the evening. God Bless all and God Bless my baby Jamie. April 14, 2011 Hi everyone,
It has been awhile since our last update as we have been very busy with work and school. Jamie is doing well at this time despite a few struggles here and there. High school is tough enough without facing added challanges that she faces. As always she makes it through while keeping a pretty upbeat attitude through it all. I can learn so much from watching her. She gets down at times and quickly picks herself up and moves foward. She is one incerdible young lady. Jamie continues to work in the afternoon and will work this summer around summer school. She is still improving and still works hard at physical therapy twice a week. We sent in some new pics that we like. We are on vacation next week and we are looking foward to long walks together on the bike path. Jamie and I are also putting together a scrap book for my nephews. I'm sure the week will fly by. Take Care and God Bless Jamies mom
January 17, 2011 Hi everyone,
WOW! What a night for Jamie. Our friend Melanie Pellowski has been doing interviews with Jamie since the beginning of her journey after her stroke. Melanie set up an interview for Jamie with Frank Carpano tonight. You can view it on turnto10.com varsity life or from my newsfeed on my facebook. Jamie was very nervous but pushing foward through a hard story to share. I am soooo proud of her. I cant tell you how much it means to me for all the support channel 10 has given to Jamie to always look for the positive in this situation. OMG all the people at the news channel were so nice it was just incredible to be there. Dan Jaehnig who is so handsome on t.v. is even better looking in person. I know hard to believe right. He makes me look short at 6 feet tall. Another hottie is Frank Carpano. He is one of the sweetest news reporters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Something really big happened tonight also. All of you who know me well know that I am not shy and could meet everyone in a room and have a great time. Well luckily I enjoy people and talk alot. Tony Beretto who filmed Jamies fightfor7 tournment against the Boston Bruins alumnie team stopped in the green room to say hello. In a conversation we had he is going to help Jamie,Dave Dansereau,and Tedy Bruschi produce a public service announcement. Dave has had this vision for many years. Jamie asked Tedy if he would help her with this and of course Tedy being the incredible human being that he is said yes. This could save many people. I have talked about what happened on the ice the day Jamie had her stroke many times. The other coaches wanted to move her so the game could continue. This could have caused alot of damage. Daves coaches thought he had a pinched nerve when he had his first stroke on the ice at 17. If his coaches had been educated by having to watch a video before coaching Dave wouldnt of had a second stroke. This is so important. All of you and myself would talk about how we never heard of a child having a stroke. These are just a couple of reasons we need this awareness. I couldnt be happier that Jamie will be a part of helping others. Jamie has been blessed to have so many caring individuals have her back. My God bless each and every one of you who have been there for her. Its almost midnight and 5:30 comes fast so I will update again soon. God Bless Jamies mom
January 15, 2011 Hi everyone,
Just a quick update today for we have many things going on. Jamie is working the whole weekend on mid terms and is a little bit crankie. Normal teenage girl behavior I guess. Im hanging in there. Jim had surgery Monday on his right hand so he is laying low. He is doing much better. The walk-aide is working like a charm. Jamie was past excited to see her muscle getting bigger. It is a beautiful sight. Her P.T.s can work her much harder now that she has the walk-aide. They too have noticed a change in certain muscles already. It is absolutly incerdible what this little machine can do. It is life changing. Melanie Pellowski is once again helping Jamie to get thing accomplished that she has wanted to do for some time now. Jamie will be interviewed live this Monday the 17th on varsity life cox channel 3 at 7:30 pm along with Dave Dansereau. Jamie has wanted to work with Dave in helping to spread awareness and take something positive out of both of their experiences as stroke survivors. May is national stroke awareness month and Dave nominated Jamie as I nominated Dave to be the new faces of stroke for 2011. They pick 12 from the country. We will know in February if they get picked to do the adds. You all will be the first to know. Lets keep our fingers crossed. This would be a giant step foward for Jamie to work on her goal of helping others. Take care. God Bless. Jamies mom
December 28, 2010 Hi everyone,
The walk-aid is here! Sarah Rotundo showed up here at the house at 11:30 this morning. Jamie could hardly sleep waiting for the machine to arrive. Let me say that Jamie has trialed a walk-aid before and it was a little different. This is a brand new top of the line walk-aid. Lets say it is the cadillac of walk-aids.The machine is beautiful. We had our special friends here to witness the moment with us. Dave Dansereau who is a very busy person cleared his schedule for this day. We are so happy he could be here as he played a big role in this day coming. When we can get ice Dave skates with Jamie so he will be able to see all the progress that i know will come from this machine. You all know along with Mark Andrew that Dave is the best P.T. in the world so we are so excited to have him as part of Jamies team. My best friend Lisa and her husband Chris were also here. Jamies brother Ryan was here and of course her boyfriend Josh. Josh is very good to Jamie and shares all her big moments. He is such a great kid. We just sent in pictures of them all so you can see who we are talking about. Down the road Dave will be working with Jamie to visit schools in the town to show the children what this new technology looks like. The more information we can get out to other children in the community the more excepting they will become to indifference. I can write to you and say how happy I am but I really can't find the words to express the overwhelming feelings I feel right now at this moment. Gosh we are so totally greatful for this day and all the people in our lives that shared this day with us. Jamie has therapy in a few hours. The first session with HER new machine. Boy I love how that sounds. We thank the person responsible for giving her the machine and thank you Sarah for setting Jamie up with it so quickly. Believe me she will not let you down. I dont' know another person who works so hard and has such a positive attitude to make things happen in their recovery. Jamie will impress you the same way she impresses me every day. As always we will keep you all updated. God Bless Jamies mom
December 25, 2010 Hi everyone,
We have so much to share with you all in regards to a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE but let me fill you in on some background first. First and foremost we wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I"ll take you back to a couple years ago when I first heard of an e-stim machine called the walk-aide. When Jamie was in spaulding they had used a similar machine on her hand. When we heard of the walk-aide Jamie wasn't ready for it at the time. I contacted blue cross just to ask questions and get some info about the machine and of course ended up angry with our health coverage. We are the strongest country with the weakest health coverage for our children. My grandmother used to have a saying penny wise and dollar foolish. That sums up health coverage to me. I was watching a t.v. show that had a marathon runner on and she was a stroke survivor that could no longer run unless she wore the walk-aide. I remember it like it was yesterday when I coulnd't believe that anyone could clearly see the benifits to her but her health coverage stated what I hear much to often and that is that machines like these are concidered experimental. Believe it or not they say the same thing about the benifits from acupuncture. Keep in mind that acupuncture is over 4,000 years old. I guess one could claim that blue cross is just a little behind the times. There are many benifits to Jamie with the use of this machine. First off it helps with foot drop so the wearer is safer. It corrects the foot to step properly to avoid long term problems with the knee, hip, and back. It is a full time job caring for a child that has had such a set back medically and advocating for that child is hard work on top of that. As a parent you just want to focus on your child getting better. Being an advocate is a very nice way of saying you have to become a fighter for everything your child needs. No one can ever underestimate a parents love for their child. I will never get tired and like the great Tedy Bruschi put it 'NEVER GIVE UP' my fight for Jamie. You all remember Dave Dansereau who Jamie considers part of our family. Dave who advocates for all stroke survivors young and old went on a mission with us to get Jamie the walk-aide. Dave got the ball rolling with a lady named Sarah Rotondo who works for a walk-aide company. Sarah has been working very hard with me and Jamie to win this battle with blue cross. We have never met with Sarah in person however she treats Jamie as if she was her own child and we are so grateful to have been connected with her. This brings me to Melanie Pellowski. She is the best reporter for varsity life if you ask me and Jamie. Melanie has done several stories on Jamie and has helped Jamie to bring awareness to child stroke through these stories and by sending viewers to Jamie site. So now we come upon Christmas Eve. The day was going great. We were enjoying family,friends,and great food. My beat friend Lisa LaZenberry stopped by later in the evening with her husband Chris and son David. I suggested that Jim made us a cocktail to make a toast that we are all healthy and happy. My friend Carin Martinez had given us all the fixings to make magaritas for this occasion. As Jim was making the drinks a text was coming in from Sarah Rotondo. This is the text exactly. " Hi Sharon,I hope you and the family are looking forward to a festive and relaxing Christmas. I have some great news,someone saw the news piece on Jamie this past Monday and called our office in Austin to donate a walk-aide for Jamie. The walk-aide showed up at my house today and I can come to RI next week to get it programmed for Jamie." UNBELIEVABLE!!!! CHRISTMAS MIRACLE RIGHT!!! There was not a dry eye in the house. I was trying to fight back the tears as I didn't want Lisa's husband to see me cry. I have that rep as being tough and wanted him to keep that idea. This is the best Christmas. A complete stranger caring for my baby. We don't know who you are but thank GOD for people like you on this planet. It kills me that children in this country have to go without sometimes but know Jamie doesn't have to. I can't tell you all how much this means to us. This will be life changing for Jamie. This machine is so expensive but it can accomplish amazing things for the user. I thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart. May God Bless you always. We are humbled by all the support Jamie has and greatful for each and every one of you who help support her. Lastly we would like to thank Nick Mattera for all his work on this web-site so we can remember all the good things to take away from this journey. Not that we will ever forget Friday,December 24th,2010 the day an unknow person made an incredible impact to our daughters recovery. GOD BLESS Jamies mom
P.S. We sent in some pics from Jamies birthday and from Christmas breakfast at Josh's house with all his brothers and from Christmas dinner.
December 2, 2010
Hi everyone,
Quick update as we are very busy. First off HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE. Jamie turned 15 yesterday. She had a great day. Jamie has been working for the COZ program at Curvin McCabe and the students love her. They made gifts for her and helped make her day extra special. We had family and friends over for her favorite dinner,chicken parm. and enjoyed ice cream cake together. She is passing everything in school and doing a great job juggling work. As always Jim and I are very proud of Jamie. She pushes to better herself everyday. Birthday pics to follow. Take care. God Bless Jamies mom
October 9, 2010 I have been a Cumberland resident for 10 years now. I also grew up in Cumberland and my mother moved us away when I was 13 years old. My husband Jim and I have 3 children ages 21-19 and 14. Two years ago something happened to our family that has changed us forever. Our daughter Jamie was competing in a hockey tournament in Marlboro Mass. when she suffered a stroke at 12 years old. Her story can be found on fightfor7.com. In the beginning she really didnt want to share her story with everyone at school however events have occured to make her change her mind. That happened when we started hearing of other children in this town with the same story. We contacted the Health Department back in 2008. We also contacted the Center of Diesease Control along with the President of the United States. There has been 12 pedi strokes in our town in the past two and a half years. The center of diease control along with the health department have not tested anything as of yet. Jamie and I did put in a request to have the water, soil, and air tested. We are still waiting for this to take place. It makes you wonder what number of children they are waiting for to realize we have a situation on our hands. Believe me the last thing we want is to scare people. Our goal is to educate everyone in town to know the signs and act quickly to save a child. Most people would never think that a child can suffer a stroke. My family certainly didnt. I remember the day 8-9-08 like it was yesterday. Imagine seeing your healthy child collaspe during a sporting event. My husband and I new something was wrong and we rushed down to the bench. To our horror the coach from the opposing team was screaming at the ref to give our team a delay of game penelty. The Vermont coach was also telling the ref to move Jamie to the back bench in order for the game to continue. Sounds crazy right? This is a prime example why Jamie wants to educate parents, coaches, and teachers alike. Jamie was awake the entire time and could hear everything the coaches were saying. She was greatful that one of her coaches on the bench that day is the captain of e.m.t.'s in our town here. He of course had no intentions of moving her and summoned the ref to call 911 saving her life. Two years into to ordeal and Jamie is ready to make a public service announcment to educate and possibly save others. We do not want to see one more family have to walk down this road. Jamie and I strongly feel to do testing even if we never find a link to the enviroment is better than doing nothing at all. We feel that talking about this problem can help families in many ways. Health coverage hardly covers the many needs for these children or new technology which could prove to be very benifical to the children's recovery's. These children have their whole lives ahead of them and as a community and a state we should all do whatever humanly possible to help them succeed. They are our future. Our hopes are that every parent that reads this letter would like to meet with Jamie and see what role they could play to help her save others from the same fate. When a group of mothers assemble for the sake of the children the possibilities are endless. Mothers can move mountians together and suddenly the red tape dissapears and money is no longer the issue. There is much more to be disscussed. Please help Jamie to help others. God Bless Jamies mom, Sharon Coyle October 5, 2010 Hello everyone,
Quick update as we have to much going on at this time. Jamie played in her first game back Sunday with Greg Inman and the west bay girls. She skated 5 shifts in the game and felt great. You couldn't wipe the smile off her face. This meant the world to Jamie. We are so proud of her. Next there has been 12 children in our town in a two and a half year period that suffered strokes. Jamie is in the process of getting a public service announcement for out town. Her friend Tedy is going to help her. David Dansereau is organizing the entire thing. School is going o.k. Jamie is happy. Will write soon. god bless Jamies mom
August 18, 2010
Hello everyone,
Summer vacation is going well. Bob and Donna Larence have been so very kind to Jamie letting her rehab at Blackstone Valley sports center. Jamie is now ready to play in her first game since 8-9-08. We have so many people to thank for helping her out along the way to achieve her 1 goal, to play hockey again. Jamie is looking foward to playing at West Bay in September. We would like to thank Dan Sleboda, David Dansereau, and Mark Andrew. Jamie would not be were she is right now without these 3 incredible men. They all believed in Jamie and filled her with hope and incouragement every step of the way. You all know this has been a long long road for Jamie and they have been there since the beggining. Dan really pushes her because he has so much faith in her. There have been times when she gives him the "look" but in her heart Jamie loves Dan and appriciates all he gives up for her. David is so inspirational to Jamie because he has been there and done that. David understands Jamie perhaps as no one else. He has walked in her very shoes and showed Jamie if he could make it back to the ice she could also. Mark is Jamies P.T. Jamie has been seeing Mark twice a week for the past year. Jamie absolutly loves Mark. Mark has overcome physical issues himself and is one of the most positive people we have ever met. Mark is the one person from rehab who seen the drive in Jamie and never gave up on her possibilities. Jamie and I credit Mark with getting her out of her brace. There is not enough I can say about these people who have went out of their way to help my daughter. We are so grateful and humbled by each and every one of them. They have restored my faith in humanity. Finally we sent in some new pics. We enjoyed a kiss concert with Josh"s family and had a blast at the Cumberland fest this summer. Puck is all healed and very spoiled. In other news the mayor of cumberland is setting up a meeting with the head doctor from the health department to trying figure out why there is a large number of children from this town who have had a stroke in the past 3 years. The numbers are staggering. With help from the lord above maybe we can find the cause and fix it before it happens 1 more time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the other children and their families in the town who have the same struggles as our family. God Bless Jamies mom
July 22, 2010 Hello everyone,
Sorry it has been a while since our last update. We have been very busy and have had some situations to deal with. As you all know Jamie got her dog Puck as her 13th birthday present. Any of you who come to visit know how quick he is on running out the door between your legs. We have a baby gate at the front door and know have one for every door. On June 6th Jim was taking out trash and Jamie was sitting in the front yard. I was in the basement doing laundry when I heard a car squeal and Jim and Jamie start screaming for Puck. When I ran upstairs I seen Jamie standing in the parlor crying and shaking, saying Puck had been run over by the back tire of a suv. She had seen the entire thing happen. When I looked outside I seen Jim over him crying and asking Kyle for a towel. I truely thought he was dead. We were all flipping out when all the neighboors came to help. He wasn"t dead but he was in really bad shape. We rushed him to compasionate care on mendon road Cumb. They said he had 2 broken ribs and lots of brusing but thankfully no internal bleeding. We had to transport him to ocean state for 24-7 care. He was in an oxygen tank in icu for 24 hours. He is know fully recovered and we are so grateful and so very thankful the tough little guy made it. Really sad news is that on July 8th our dog Shadow got really sick with cancer and we had to put him down. We got Shadow from the east providence shelter 15 years ago. He was 1 at the time. Shadow was the best dog. He lived a long happy life and we miss him dearly. We had him cremated to be sprinkled along with me one day. Things have been rough for Jamie but she amazes me how well she handles with everything that is thrown her way. Jim and I had a really tough time with losing Shadow and Jamie was the one helping us. In other news Jamie has been attending summer school and really likes her teacher Mr. Jones. She is doing well and no longer wears a brace on her leg. She met a boy named Josh during school in January and they have been inseperable ever since. He is a really sweet kid from North Cumberland. He helps her with math and carries her books for her. Josh is a big help and just a great kid to be around. I am sending lots of new pics if I can figure out this phone I have. I am not good with tech. Make-a-wish sent the kids to the Quonset air show and she had a blast. We went to east matunic beach and had a beautiful day there. Jamies goal is know to practice skating as much as possible and she is looking foward to skating for Greg Inman in September. We will keep you posted. god bless Jamies mom
May 23, 2010 Hello everyone,
Lots new to pass on. Jamie has been attending Cumberland High School full time for the past 3 weeks. Being with her friends and getting things back to normal have been wonderful for her. She has an A+ in math a B in English a B in history and a C in physics not her favorite subject. Things are moving ahead with great speed lately. She is now out of her ankle brace and starts the walk aid on Tuesday. Jim is taking her for the fitting. I hate to miss it because it is a giant step foward for her but I am going away this week. This will be the first time I have had to go away without Jamie in many years. The last time was in 2000 when I had to fly to New Mexico because my oldest brother Gordon was killed in a car accident. Thankfully this time I am going away for a very happy reason. I co-manage a team with my best friend Lisa LaZenberry for our after school COZ clubs. Our team won competition at CHS and are now going to Knoxville Tennesee for globle competition. Lisa is flying with the 6 students and I am driving with 2 of the moms. I hate to fly as I am afraid of heights. Jim and Kyle will do a wonderful job I am sure however we will be burning up the phone lines. I dont leave until Tuesday and I miss her already. I have to finish packing now. I hope all is well for everyone and take care. god bless Jamies mom
April 28, 2010 Jamie had her meeting today and wanted me to update. She will be attending CHS 5 days a week for the remainder of this year. Our hopes are that she keeps making progress and that she is happy. I am a person who believes that people can overcome just about anything with a positive healthy outlook. She did a super job learning to advocate on her own behalf. Her situation cannot always be easy for a 14 year old to handle but her Dad and I cant be any prouder of the way she handles herself. Jamie and I had a great night Friday hanging with Scott and Rocky Pennoyer. They skated and had a blast. We hope to see you all around the rinks. Take care and god bless Jamies mom April 13, 2010 Jamies meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow but the director called this morning and had to cancel again so the new meeting will be the 28th. Hopefully we can get this resolved asap. Jamie is anxious to get back to school. She is doing great and still improving. Her spirits are up and she is just looking foward to moving on. God Bless Jamies mom April 4, 2010
Hi everyone,
Wishing you all a very HAPPY EASTER! God Bless
March 31, 2010
Well Jamies meeting has to be reschedueled because Cumberland schools were closed today. We will call in the a.m.to do so. Hopefully a.s.a.p. Jamie is standing strong on her stance and Jim and I are very pround of her. She also has professional back up and her doctors also think it is time for her to move forward. Keep you posted. God Bless Jamies mom
March 27, 2010
Hello everyone,
Just a quick update. We have a meeting at CHS this Wednesday to see what the next step is for Jamie. Jamie does not want to go to Sargents school anymore. She wants to be at CHS every day. The problem is we dont have all the say. Jamie is digging her heals in hard. Of course I will fight tooth and nail for her as always. I will let you all know what happens as soon as we know so please pray and keep your fingers crossed that life can get back to normal for her. We have good news also. The child opportunity zone (COZ) is hiring Jamie. She put in a lot of volunteer hours before she was sick and has been back working with the kids. She enjoys helping others and is very excited to have her first job. She starts after April vacation. Her job title is teen helper. She will hand out snacks and run a homework club for grades 1-6. The kids at Curvin McCabe love Jamie and work well for her. The experience is going to be priceless. I know she will do great because she always gives 100% of herself. Hopefully we will have good news to report after the meeting. Next update Thursday. God Bless Jamies mom
March 20, 2010
Hello everyone,
Today I was invited to the R.I. convention center for a seminar with Rhode Island Parent Information Network. They waved the fee so I could attened. There was so much helpfull information on brain injury. It was a great day and we are greatful for the grant. Jamie is doing well and getting even stronger. She is very happy but is eager to attened CHS full time. We have a meeting on the 31st. I have been working many hours so we have been very busy. Jamie continues to impress with her hard work and positive attitude. She is an inspiration. One last note before laundry. Please always inform your children that anything they write on the internet is NEVER ANONYMOUS. All computers have a way to be tracked. Teens can be very mean and say things cowardly if they think they can get away with it. Just let them know that they dont. God Bless you all. Jamies mom
February 15, 2010 Hi everyone,
Another big move foward for Jamie. 8-7-08 was the last time Jamie had slept in her own bedroom on the second floor. On 8-8-08 she slept on the couch in order to get up earlier for her hockey tourney. We all know what happened 8-9-08. When we came home I took our dinning room apart in order to put her bedroom a few feet away from mine to cater to her every need. Well she wanted to move back upstairs so thats what I have been doing for the past 2 days. She couldnt be happier to be back upstairs. All these steps may seem tiny to others but are a big deal to us. She has overcome so many obstacles. She is truely amazing. Jamie is getting over a nasty cold so she didnt get to go to CHS this Thursday. She plans on taking the whole week off for vacation even though Sargents is on a 230 days school schedule. I think it is that many days give or take. She has been in school since August and wants the same break as all her friends. Her cousin Stefanie plans to visit for most of the week. She is skating with West Bay still and Dan Sleboda continues to coach her. We pray and look foward to the day she starts on a team. Hopefully that will be very soon. God Bless you all. Jamies mom
February 4, 2010
Jamie enjoyed her first day back to school. She was so excited to see all her old friends. This is a big step in the right direction for her. Her teachers said she did great. She has a block day which means 2 hour classes. She did well to stay focused. I dont think I could stay focused for a 2 hour class. Life can get a bit back to normal for her now and help her to move forward. It has been a very long road for her and we are so proud of how far she has come. She works hard every day and is improving along the way. I have learned alot from watching her struggles and how she handles them. She could teach people alot about children who have so much more to handle than others. Jamie has always been a super sweet kid that always stood up for the underdog and even more so now. More good things are going to come her way because she is so kind to others and there struggles. I hope all is well with everyone and West Bay we will see you Saturday. God Bless Jamies mom
January 17, 2010 Hello everyone,
Jamie starts at CHS Feb. 4th. She will be there every Thursday and at Sargents the rest of the week. The plan looks great and the school has been doing a great job to set things up for her. Hopefully all goes well the rest of this year and she can get back on track. We now are looking for ice. Hard to find right now. Things are going o.k. We still have our bad days but we are hanging in there. Hope all is well with you all and hope to see you soon. God Bless Jamies mom
January 8, 2010 Hello everyone,
I hope you all enjoyed you holidays. We all had a great time enjoying our family. We had a few little problems last month but they say bad things come in 3s so we are all set for a while. Jamies brother decided to drop out of school at the schools urging then Jim and Jamie were in a car accident (they are o.k. but Jim got whiplash) then a tree fell on the screened in porch all in the same day. Its all small stuff because no one was hurt. We dont sweat the small stuff any more. The great news is that we have a meeting at Cumberland High School on Friday. The school will decide Jamies start date to transition. She will be there 2 days a week and at Sargents 3. She cant wait. Another big step foward for her. She passed first quarter with all B's. Not bad at all considering what she went through. She is still working hard and cant wait to return to play hockey. She misses all her old friends and looks foward to being back at school with them. Next Friday wont come soon enough for her. Hope to see you all around the rinks. Take care. God Bless Jamies mom
January 1, 2010
Jamie wishes everyone a very happy healthy new year. We celebrated with the Czarn family and had lots of delicious food.
Jamie is getting ready to go to the movies with Ari so I will write soon. Jamies mom
December 25, 2009 Hi everyone,
Jamie has had a great couple days. She is feeling better and has rested. Her 2 best friends stopped by Cassie and Haley and they spent the time laughing and having a blast. Cassie bought puck a santa outfit and he looks so cute in it. Jamie loved it. I will send pictures soon. We had family over yesterday and all enjoyed a great meal. Today Nana and Gary are coming over. I have to get back to cooking so will write soon. Jamie wanted to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.
God Bless Jamies mom
December 17, 2009 Hi everyone,
Jamie will start 2 days a week at CHS the end of Jan. She is so excited. We are so happy for her. God Bless you all and happy holidays. Jamies mom
December 6, 2009 Hi everyone,
BIG weekend for Jamie. She went to practice with her former team West Bay. It was a very big move for her to get out there and we are so proud of her. The coaches and the girls were so nice to Jamie and made her feel at home again. This was a big bridge for Jamie to cross because at her age she worries what everyone thinks. She will realize that everyone thinks she is doing great. Jim was fighting back tears of joy watching her take this huge step foward. We could not be more proud of her. A great big thanks to everyone at West Bay. Thank you for always having her back along the way. West Bay has truely always been one big happy family thanks to coach Greg Inman. A real stand up guy with a heart of gold. We have a meeting with Sargents school on December 15th. Jamie is more than ready to transition to CHS. I believe both sides agree to disagree however I am a very strong advocate for Jamie and they will have there hands full on that day. I will keep you informed as to when she will start attending CHS. As always she is working hard to get to her goals and spirits are good. God Bless Jamies mom
December 1, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. YOU ARE DOING GREAT. WE ALL LOVE YOU SO MUCH. KEEP UP THE HARD WORK. ENJOY YOUR DAY. LOVE MOM
November 29, 2009 Hi everyone,
Lately Jamie has been in a little slump and at times it is hard to push as hard as she has to and to stay motivated. Well this weekend she decided to watch her old team West Bay in a tourney in Walpole. We got an unsuspected surprise to see Emily Fox is on the team. Two years ago Jamie and Emily were line mates on the Xpress. They played incredible together. Seeing Emily gave Jamie a shot in the arm so to speak and she became fired up. As soon as we got home she laced up her skates and walked around in them for hours. She is trying to break them in. She needed this and the timing was perfect. The motivation continued with a phone call from Kim who is the child life leader at Spaulding rehab. When we visited a couple of Fridays ago Kim asked Jamie if she were to get Bruins tickets if Jamie would be interested. Of course Jamie said YES. Well Kim called and had 2 tickets to Saturdays game and she told Jamie they were good seats. When we arrived we were shocked at the GREAT seats we had. Jamie is so lucky. The night was like an early birthday gift. She turns 14 on Tuesday. We were in the premium seats. Suite 530. They had gifts bags waiting for her. They served chicken fingers, french fries, pizza, and soda. Then Jamie was told that she would be meeting Patrice Bergeron after the game. About 7 years ago Jims cousin Dan had season tickets to the Providence Bruins and Patrice was the new star. I think he was 17 at the time. Season ticket holders were invited to a free skate with the team and Dan invited Jamie to come along. I have a picture of Jamie and Patrice skating around in the dunk. Now we have new pictures of Jamie and Patrice. The game was great. It went into over time and then a shootout. The Bruins won moving them into first place. Jamie was so excited to meet him again. Great night. Just what she needed. Thank you so much Kim for thinking of Jamie. Awesome memories. God Bless Jamie's mom
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
Today we will spend the holiday here at home. I love to cook. Nana and uncle Gary will be joining us. Tomorrow we will be spending the day remembering our happy thoughts of Kyle Mclaughlin. There will be a CHS alumni game in his honor with donations going to the family. The game is at Mount at 1:30. Our prayers go out to the family through this difficult season.
God Bless Jamies mom
November 3, 2009 Our prayers go out to the McLaughlin family. Yesterday Kyle McLaughlin was killed in an accident on 295 in Lincoln. Kyle was a member of the fight for 7 team. Kyle is behind the right shoulder of Samantha in the team picture in the Bruins slidshow. A great loss of a truely great person. Kyle left a message in Jamies message center awhile back and in his words to her you can see what an amazing, thoughtful, caring person he truely was. Please keep the McLaughlin family in your prayes. God Bless you all October 31, 2009
Hi everyone,
I just sent some new pictures to Nick that Jamie and I had taken over the past month. We went to Gallilee with Puck for the first time this year and we had a blast. Puck loves to swim. Gallilee has been our families' favorite beach spot since the kids were born. Uncle Charlie joined us and we enjoyed clam cakes and chowder another favorite of Jamie's. Jamie had me buy Puck a car seat that not only keeps him safe it helps him to see out the window. As some of you know Jamie has been on the ice about ten times now. Lately 146 has been giving her early Saturday ice. In the picture with coach Dan you will see a kind of fake smile from Jamie because it was at the end of practice and she was grumpy and tired. Her left foot gets sore quickly as she is breaking in new skates. Everything is new from head to toe because she believes the equipment she wore on 8-9-08 is cursed. Jamie has gotten so much taller lately and continues to gain weight from gaining muscle. School is going really good as she is doing all 9th grade work now. She has some trouble with algebra as do most kids her age. Dave Czarn has been on the ice with Jamie and also helps her with school work. Dave is a math wiz with the patience of a saint. She is coming along but all good things take time. We hope to see you all around at the rinks. Happy Halloween! God Bless you all. Jamie's mom
October 18, 2009 Hi everyone,
Jamie is still pushing forward and making gains every day. School is getting better and she is gaining muscle weight. She was able to skate with Dad and coach Dan Sleboda yesterday morning at 146. She loves getting out there. Cumberland High School sends her work to Sargents so she is earning credits while there. She has been bringing test grades home of 95 and 96. She is starting to gain back confidence in her work. Jamie continues to impress everyone with her attitude and work ethic. We went to a freshman football game at chs last week and we had so much fun. It was cold so we took blankets and made hot chocolate and shared lots of laughs with Hailey Jamies best friend and Lisa my best friend. Lisa's middle son Cameron plays for the colts. We have been busy and with after school clubs starting tomorrow things are going to get a little crazy. Sometimes busy is a good thing to keep your mind off certain things. Jamie will be there with me helping others with homework. Jamie has volunteered at clubs for several years and she will have a job there next year. She does a great job with other children because she is so caring. All the kids at Sargents love her. She makes light of heavy situations for herself and others. Ill write soon. God Bless Jamies mom
September 23, 2009 Hi everyone,
Just a quick update Jamie has to study for a s.s. test. Sargents has decided that Jamie will benefit more by staying a little longer there. Because Jamie has been making so much progress they will retest her in Dec. instead of waiting longer. Every one at her meeting stated that Jamie is a pleasure to work with and that she is a very hard worker. We are going to try to fit social events at CHS and BVA into her schedule. We all know Jamie wants nothing more than to be at BVA but I have to do what is right for her and not always what she wants. I do try to keep her as happy as possible but she gets down seeing others struggle also because she worries about everyone else before herself. She continues to get stronger and make giant gains academically. Things are going good at work and we are getting used to our new schedules. Ice time is hard to come by now so she hasn't been out there. As soon as the cold weather comes maybe we can get in some pond hockey. Last but not least I would like to thank everyone for all there messages that Jamie looks back on often to get inspiration from to keep pushing on. It is not always easy. Also a special thanks to Cassie Czarn for being the most supportive teen I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. You mean the world to Jamie. God Bless you all. Jamie's mom
August 5, 2009
Hi everyone,
Sorry it has been a while since our last update. Jamie is doing great. She is at Sargents school at this time preparing to go to Bay View hopefully real soon. Over the summer she participated in a few different programs. What ever her doctors suggest we do. She has been working extremely hard with a new sports specialist at Coro Center. The best news and the best rehab is that Dan Sleboda and Jim have been getting her on the ice. She has been out several times and looks awesome. Of course she couldn't be happier. My husband coached Jamie her whole life and as you all know Dan knows his hockey. We are very blessed that 146 and Lynch have been giving her ice to rehab back. As always Jamie remains in good spirits even though at times she gets frustrated knowing what she used to be capable of. She needs to give herself more credit. Believe me I watch first hand how hard she works. Jamie has allot of faith in Dan and she seems to work harder when he is there. We appreciate all the time he spends with her and how good he makes her feel about herself. The Slebodas have always been great family friends and we thank god for our friendship. Alisha has been skating with Jamie just like old times on the express. Casssie and Dave Czarn visited last night and we had dinner together. Cassie has been a remarkable friend to Jamie. I started back to work last week. It feels good to work again but I think of Jamie every minute. We have been side by side for the last year and it feels a little like separation anxiety. We both look forward to the day that all this is a distant memory and things are all back to normal. I will write again when she starts back to school and of course when she is in her first game. God Bless you all. James mom
July 19, 2009 "THE BEST DAY OF JAMIES LIFE"
Sit back and imagine that you were granted one wish in the entire world what would it be? Jamie's was to meet the Jonas Brothers. Her is how the day started. Tony Sampaio from make-a-wish showed up at the house around 2:00 Friday. He would follow Jamie through the entire evening making sure she had everything she wanted or needed. 2:30 a super stretch limo driven by Mark pulled up to the house. Mark was so good to her telling Jamie to take what ever c.d.'s she wanted to listen to and that she could put the music as loud as she wanted. In the limo she was so nervous as we got closer to Boston. The ride and anticipation for her was a pleasure to watch. The limo pulled up in front of the garden and Jamie was treated like a celebrity. First stop was to sign their tour bus. Of course she wrote I heart Nick her favorite. Then we went across the street for pizza because we were making her eat as she didn't earlier in the day due to excitement. Jamie was then taken to the back loading dock to meet with Steffanie from the band. She was so incredibly nice. She escorted Jamie to the floor right in front of the stage about 5 feet away to watch the pre-show warm up. At this time the entire band and their entourage all came by and introduced themselves to us all. The look on her face as they took the stage, Nick standing directly in front of her I will never forget. You could see Jamie fighting back the tears so she would look good for their meeting. I of course have been an emotional wreck since this happened to her and tears of joy were streaming down my face watching her living a dream. After the warm up Steffanie walked us all back stage. In walked the boys. In Jamie's own words at that point it was surreal. They all greeted her with huge hugs. The boys then asked her some questions, signed the shirt right on her back, posed for pictures, and we gave them a letter Jamie wanted me to write. She was worried she wouldn't be able to speak at this time. She held back her tears and got really mad at me that I couldn't do the same. Kevin wanted to know what her favorite song was. It has always been "A LITTLE BIT LONGER". Kevin said it took Nick about one minute to write. The song is about Nick being diagnosed with type one diabetes and his never give up attitude. They have that in common. Jamie had a smile from ear to ear and was shaking. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. These were the best minutes of her life. The boys were very gracious and super level headed, the fame has not effected them in the least bit. You could see on Joe's face how humbled they were that given one wish that they were picked. They were just as happy to meet Jamie as she was to meet them. Truly incredible kids. Jim and I were so impressed with how they were with Jamie and we are forever grateful. I cannot say enough great things about the Jonas boys. Jamie also gave them the bracelets she designed. They gave Jamie lots of gifts in return. Jamie was then escorted to her seats to enjoy the show. She sat just six rows back. Jordan Sparks opened the show. The Jonas Brothers show brought me back to my earth wind and fire days. The horn section, the violinist, keyboards, and piano. These kids are for real. So much talent in one family. Jim, Tony and myself were so impressed. They put on such an awesome show. The visual effects were second to none. The night was magical. Jamie then returned to her limo. Mark her driver told her she could anywhere she wanted to before being taking to her hotel. Jamie chose Cold Stone Ice Cream. We then went to the Hyatt in Cambridge Mass. Make-a-wish put her up in a suite. She couldn't believe how big the room was. We cam corded her meet and greet so as you can imagine she watched it over and over again. She then rented the Hannah Montana movie and eventually fell asleep around 2:30am. Jamie woke up around 9:00 to go for breakfast and the limo picked us up at 11:00 to go home. This time the driver was Keith and he to had to listen to Jonas blasting the whole way home. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I will update her picture album for all to enjoy. As you all know this dream would have never been possible without Tony, Make-a-wish, and the Jonas working with Make-a-wish. We are eternally grateful to all involved in granting Jamie this wish of a life time. The boys made Jamie the happiest girl in the world. I forgot to mention that the entire day exceeded Jamie's expectations and she was totally blown away the whole evening. She wanted you all to know how special her experience was God Bless Jamie's mom
.......................................................................Go to Jamie's Jonas Brothers PhotosJuly 16, 2009 Less than 24 hours to JONAS BROTHERS. I am up putting last minute things together for Jamie's big day. Those of you who know her realize how big this is to her. Actually when I told people "make-a-wish" was granting her a wish every one guessed it right that she would want to meet the Jonas Brothers. They are incredible kids and we are happy she has good role models. I will write this weekend about every detail but for now I have to make sure things are ready to go for 2:30 tomorrow. God Bless Jamie's mom Hi everyone,
For those of you who haven't heard yet Make-A-Wish has granted Jamie a wish. Her wish is to meet the Jonas Brothers. Well July 17th is the day and Jamie is wayyyyyy past excited. The count down is on. 8 DAYS TO JONAS. Jamie will be picked up by limo and brought to a hotel before and after the concert. She stays in the hotel overnight, has breakfast and then returns home in the limo. She has been looking forward to this for a very long time. Jim and I can't wait either. Most of you know how calm she would become in the hospital while listening to their music. It is amazing how music can help heal and bring you through the darkest times. Woo Hoo for Jamie. This will be "the best time of her life" as she put it. I hope she can stay calm enough to say everything she wants to. She's afraid she won't be able to speak because she will be in shock to see them in person. We will keep you all posted. God Bless Jamie's mom
July 5, 2009 HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY TO MY FIRST BORN CHILD KYLE MICHAEL. Happy Fourth of July!
Kyle didn't want a party this year so we had a small cookout with our friends the Czarns. Jamie is sleeping out for the first time in a long time. I spoke to her an hour ago and she was laughing and having a great time with Cassie. Sometimes we take 2 steps forward and 1 step back. It is during these times that Jamie is becoming stronger as a person. She handles herself better than I ever could. There are new government laws I believe in order to keep students in district. Unfortunately these new laws are going to effect Jamie in a bad way. Before when a student had needs the town they lived in would have to supply these supports. Now it falls upon the town in which the school is housed. In short East Providence doesn't alot enough money to support Jamie at Bayview so at this time she may have to go to Cumberland High. Of course Jamie is very disappointed but we are taking it one day at a time. A lot can happen in two months and god willing she can go a full day and handle it. At this time she gets to tired to attended a full day of school. The neurologist say it can take as long as two years for the brain to fully recover. Jamie is a fighter as you all know and will continue to fight. It breaks my heart to see the sacrifices she has had to make but she amazes me with how she takes it all in stride. I learn from her every day. She is an incredible little girl. Please continue to pray for Jamie as she still is recovering. We miss you all. God Bless Jamie's mom
June 21, 2009
HAPPY FATHERS DAY
Hi everyone,
Jamie had a big weekend. She graduated from McCourt Middle school Friday. As you all can imagine it was a great accomplishment for Jamie to walk across that stage and receive her diploma. All her tutors were there and received a citation from Mayor McKee. Every worked hard this year to help Jamie to get to this point. Her hard work has been paying off as she progresses day to day. Jamie would like to thank everyone for the incredible day she had and thank you for all the cards and gifts. Tedy she hasn't taken off her jersey since it arrived. Dave Czarn thank you for all the pictures. Jim and I were able to enjoy every second knowing that Dave Czarn was taking pictures for our memories. The pictures are in Jamie's picture album. She was so nervous and not to happy she had to walk in front of everyone but later at home she said she was so happy we all made her do it. Thanks go out to her teachers that helped give her that little push. We celebrated at Greggs in Providence with good friends the Czarn family. The day was perfect. Thank you David Dansereau for skipping work for Jamie. It was extra special to share the day with you. Thanks to my niece Crystal for doing a great job on Jamie's hair. Thanks to Dr. Morelle for getting all her tutors there. Really just thanks to everyone we are so so happy Jamie made it. Next goal to get on skates and meet Nick Jonas and of course get David Dansereau on Oprah spreading stroke awareness. We will see you all around the rinks. Jamie's mom
June 12, 2009HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID DANSEREAU Hi everyone,
Today is Jamie's very special friend Dave's birthday. As you all know David Czarn official fightfor7 photographer is the best in the world. Jamie had him make a portrait of Dave Dansereau with pictures from her fundraisers and of Dave crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon. In the background of the picture were words that we think of when speaking of Dave such as inspirational, courage, hero and so on. We can't say enough good things about Dave. Dave just left the house and he loved his portrait. Jamie has a busy week this week with graduation practice on Wed. and Thur. with graduation on Friday. Our entire family and all our friends are so proud of her this year. Jamie has clawed her way back little by little and just so awesome that she will cross the stage by herself on Friday. Sorry I have been so busy and can;t update as much as I would like to. The next big day for Jamie after Friday and of course besides getting back on the ice will be July when make a wish is sending her to meet the JONAS BROTHERS. She has made a calendar for her JB count down. She deserves it and we are so thankful to Jims friend Tony Sampaio for all his help with make a wish. Talk to you soon. God bless you all. Jamies mom
May 28, 2009 Hello everyone,
Jamie continues to do well and is making progress at the partial hospital program at Hasbro children's. Jamie is opening up to the others there and dealing with all the issues that come from a life changing illness. We are still preparing for her graduation and looking forward to august and attending Bay View. We opened the swimming pool this weekend. It will be great therapy for her and I know puck can't wait to swim with her. He loves the water and he has to be locked out of the bathroom because he jumps in the shower with her every chance he gets. Jamie has been using her scooter daily riding up and down the hill. She hasn't been working out as much at home due to her long days at the program. Friends have been coming over and she has been getting out a lot more. We had lots of fun this past weekend with the Czarns and the Pennoyers. We have been cooking on the grill and Jamie has been making home made Italian ice that she learned how to make from the food network. It is made with fresh squeezed limes and is so delicious and refreshing. Any one that plans on visiting Jamie call ahead to order your ice and she will be more than happy to make it for you. We hope to see you all soon. God Bless you all. Jamie's mom
May 16, 2009
Hello everyone,
Jamie started a 3 week partial hospital program at Hasbro Childrens this week. What it is basically is like a school day. She arrives at 7:30 and stays until 3:15. She gets O.T. and P.T. while there and works with fine motor skills for the right hand. Hasbro rehab sends the therapist which is nice because Jamie already knows them. That is except for the O.T. person. Jamie was so excited to see someone new. She said the O.T. was saying her right side is as strong as her left and that she just needs more strength in her hand. She can use a stress ball which can be helpful in more than one way. She is working as hard as ever for her big come back. I've never seen anyone so driven and work so hard without complaining. The new gym is used everyday not just by Jamie but auntie Charlene runs the treadmill and Ryan and his friends lift weights. I am so happy it is getting a lot of use. We are in the process of getting the pool ready. More great therapy for everyone. Jamie still has a little ways to go but no doubt she is pushing harder than ever. Hope to see you all soon. Jamie's mom
May 7, 2009
Hello everyone,
We have allot going on at this time. Jamie is getting ready to attend Bay View this year. She had orientation last night and had an incredible time there. The entire staff was so nice. Her big sister was Jane who skated in her fight for 7 tourney. Very nice girl who was very attentive to Jamie's needs. I ran into an old neighbor at Hasbro rehab last week and discovered her 10 year old son had a stroke. He used to play street hockey with Jamie and lived one street over for years. He is now 12. How does a 12, 10, and 6 year old that all live near one another stroke in a 2 year span. There is also 2 young brain injuries from cancer and seizure. I called the health department and hopefully they do a follow up. I would hate to see another family have to go through what we have had to. Jamie received a letter from a 42 year old woman who used to live in woon. who had a stroke at 5 years old. A uplifting letter was so appreciated by Jamie. The rollerblading is going well. My brother fully recovered from his heart surgery and has his own apartment now. We built a gym for Jamie in his old room. The gym is complete with a total work bench, a treadmill, balance balls, and loads of free weights. The room is beautiful. Every wall in the gym is decorated with inspiration and hope. Rhode Island Hosp. offers a 3 week summer school program complete with therapy that Jamie will be participating in. I am going back to work this summer and when Jamie is done with her program she will be joining me. Jamie has been having some awesome visit from some close friends and having a great time. I would like to thank the Czarn family for watching out for us always. The Czarns have helped us through tremendously as have the Slebodas. We thank god for these relationships. We are truly blessed. May is stroke awareness month so please take the time to write to Oprah on behalf of David Dansereau. Lets all come together to help other children possibly avoid this long road to recovery. God bless you all. Jamie's mom
April 20, 2009 Hi everyone,
It is 11:33 pm 4-20-09. Jamie is finally sleeping after a very emotional, inspirational, and uplifting day. Today David Dansereau ran the Boston Marathon in honor of Jamie as his stroke hero. Well David is Jamie's hero also and the most inspirational person in her life. Jamie was overjoyed with emotion when she watched David cross that finish line. It is incredible to be able to run and to finish the marathon but that much more meaningful when you are a stroke survivor and to finish. I can't find all the words I am looking for right now to express how much David means to our family. After the race David invited Jamie, myself, and Auntie Charlene back to the Lenox Hotel for Tedy's Team runners and their family and friends. At the hotel David told Jamie he didn't just run in honor of her but wanted her to have his medal. Jamie made me promise not to cry today but I couldn't help it. The whole day was a very moving experience for all of us. To watch these runners in person is indescribable. When we entered the hotel room we seen Tedy Bruschi. Tedy has kept in touch with Jamie since her stroke via texting now they met in person. Jamie was speechless at first. She has been looking forward to meeting him for a long time. They talked and took pictures that are in her album on this site. You can see how happy David and Tedy make her. She can see her future in skating by seeing their examples. They have this one link in common being stroke survivors and look what they have both accomplished after their strokes. I can't think of better role models than the two of them. We are so very grateful to have come together with such amazing human beings. We are blessed. I could go on about how much they do for Jamie and how much they mean to her but we were up very early and I'm getting old so I am very tired. Talk to you all soon. God Bless you all. Jamie's mom
April 12, 2009 Hello everyone,
We would like to wish you all a very happy Easter. Jamie is in good spirits. She had a rough couple of weeks but family and friends rallied around her and she pushed through. Jamie, Jim, and I went to visit Spaulding on Wed. It was great to see everyone but also sad memories and new sad stories. We met a 14 year old girl who played for the wizards. She caught a virus that the doctors have not figured out and she had to be put on life support for a while and had to have all her toes amputated. When speaking with her mom she said the same thing all moms say when their child is at Spaulding and that is we are all grateful that our kids are alive. To many times we all take things for granted. Jamie has some new incentives to look forward to. Jamie will walk across the stage at McCourt Middle School on June 19th to receive her 8th grade diploma. She worked so very hard all year with school which did not always come easy. She has come along way and is almost there. I think it was a long winter for her but she is coming around and getting more positive again. At Spaulding we got to see Bob Sweeney and it was great to share with him what the constraint therapy did for Jamie seeing as how the Bruins Alumni raised the money for it. He was pretty impressed. We just added pictures to her album with Bob Sweeney and Matt Lashoff. Her puppy Puck is getting so big. Puck hopefully will loose weight as soon as the weather gets nice and Jamie can take him for long walks. She is getting out a lot more now. Haley, her best friend and I went to the new Hannah Montana movie Friday. It was O.K. but I liked the Jonas Brothers movie much more. If anyone has any games they want Jamie to go to she would love it. Call and let us know. We miss you all and wish you all the best. God Bless Jamie's mom
March 29, 2009 Hi everyone,
Jamie is doing great. She is so happy that she did the constraint therapy. She is getting more strength and more control over her right hand. We just went to see Dr. Bill Sweet on Friday. He hasn't seen her in office for about 3 months. He was excited to see how much stronger Jamie is since the last time he had seen her. Recovery takes a long time however she keeps plugging away and keeping a healthy happy attitude along the way. Spaulding rehab invited Jamie on April 8th to a new gym room dedicated by the Boston Bruins. Jamie will meet current and former Bruins. The Bruins do so much for children. They are surely a classy organization. Jamie is very excited and hopes to see some of the Bruins that skated in the fight for 7 fundraiser. It will be awesome for them to see what constraint therapy did for her seeing they raised the money for it. They do so much but I wonder how often they get to see the results first hand. It will be a fun time for Jamie I'm sure. Its raining hard today so a good day to get homework and home work out done. Jamie and Uncle Gary are cooking breakfast for the family. Now if I could only teach them how to do the clean up life would be perfect. We hope all is well for you all. We hope to see you all soon. Take care and God Bless. Jamie's mom
March 15, 2009 Hi everyone,
Today's update is about an incredible person who is in Jamie's life. This person is David Dansereau. Some of you may remember meeting him when he visited Jamie in the hospital. David lives here in Cumberland. He is so busy all the time I don't know when he finds time to sleep. He doesn't usually have time to read our hometown paper the valley breeze. One day after Jamie's stroke the valley breeze wrote a story on her that was on the front page. Well David just by chance also had a story in the paper that week about Tedy's team as in Tedy Bruschi's to help raise stroke awareness. David's story was on page 7 Jamie's hockey number. As soon as David picked up the paper and read the headline "young hockey player suffers stroke" he contacted us. David rushed up to the hospital and spent hours speaking with Jamie and having his toenails painted red. You see David is also a hockey player, a nutrition coach, and physical therapist who had a P.F.O. and suffered 2 strokes himself. David knew the road Jamie and our family was going to have to travel and he dedicated himself to being here for all of us since we all met that day in the hospital. Davis is a blessing to Jamie and works with her every Saturday getting her closer to being back on the ice. David and Jamie have this special bond of being stroke survivors. I write to all who read this page to please help David help others like Jamie. I beg all of you to visit David's link on this page www.know-stroke.org/ and find another link to the Oprah show to help David get on her show. David has done so much for Jamie that I want him to be able to help others. Jamie and our family have been to hell and back and we will do anything to help prevent another child and their family from having to travel down this long dark road. Please help David to help others. God Bless you all and Thank You for all your support. Jamie's mom
March 12th, 2009 Hi everyone,
Jamie is doing great. Her cast came off Friday and she was so happy about that. We went to the championship game and it was an awesome game. Way to go Bay View. School is going well and Jamie is back to her regular schedule now. 5 hours of rehab a day instead of 8 so a little bit of a break. Over the weekend she got to take in the new Jonas movie with her friends Haley and Alisha. Surprisingly enough I actually enjoyed the movie also. Jamie will return to school in September and will help me out at work for the summer. Each day brings us closer to returning to life as normal once again. We are looking forward to April 20th Patriots Day to watch Dave Dansereau run in the marathon in honor of Jamie. We will be at the finish line cheering him in. We can't wait. On a sad note to all of you who attended Jamie's fundraiser at Curvin McCabe Elementary may remember Sue Richardson who announced on the microphone that evening. Sorry to tell you that Sue passed away Monday. Sue did so much for Jamie as she did for all children. Just the nicest sweetest person I had the pleasure of knowing. She will be deeply missed.
March 1st, 2009 Hello everyone,
We have so many great things to share with you all this week. Let me stare with Mrs. Feeley's daughters Caroline and Kelsey. If you read in Jamie's message center you will see what great kids they are and just how proud their mom must be of them for thinking of someone else. There are some pretty awesome kids out there that help to bring good out of Jamie's situation. We are so grateful for this. Also this week while Jamie was doing constraint therapy she received a card in the mail. Better get a tissue for this one. The card reads " Hi Jamie my name is Becca and I like you love hockey. I play for 2 teams and spend hours on our backyard rink and shooting pucks in our basement. I watched Miracle so many times we had to get a new DVD! I dream of being in the Olympics too. Even my friends say I was born to play hockey. My mom heard about your story and we were at the NESC rink when you had a big fundraiser. We followed your progress on your website and can't wait to read about your first time back on the ice. We hope it is soon. I just had my 11th birthday. I asked my friends to bring a donation to your therapy fund instead of presents. So here is our small donation to help you. Maybe someday we will play against each other. I hope so. Becca". Well there wasn't a dry eye in the house that day. Jamie couldn't believe that someone so young would do something like this for her. First of all the money was a large amount that will help with cost tremendously. We appreciate these girls just mentioned so very much. Its unbelievable and humbling just how much support Jamie has received. We are truly touched. God Bless you girls. Jamie just finished week 3 of constraint. Jamie wants to share with you all her results this far. Jamie would recommended this therapy to anyone in this situation. Jamie can move her right hand open and closed at will now. Her fingers are now moving around. We can see the enormous improvement almost daily. There have been some rough days which is expected due to frustration. She made it through. One thing that pulled her through her rough days was when Tracey at Hasbro put Jamie on these carpet skates. Tracey had her hands full trying to catch Jamie so she was safe because the minute Tracey put these skates on Jamie she took off. She was taking the corners at Hasbro like she was going in for a break-a-way trying to score. The smile on her face was priceless. Its all she talked about on the way home. She said it was the first time she really felt like she was skating since Aug. 9th. Jamie has 5 days left until the cast comes off. As always we hope all is well with everyone and we thank you all for the prays. Jamie's mom
February 23th, 2009 Hi everyone,
Constraint
therapy
is
going
great.
Jamie
is
getting
more
strength
back
and
her
endurance
is
much
better
as
well.
She
is
also
getting
more
isolated
movement
in
her
fingers.
Its
amazing
that
in
such
a
short
time
with
this
therapy
that
she
is
getting
so
much
out
of
it.
This
therapy
is
super
intense
but
Linda
makes
it
enjoyable.
They
cook
lots
of
snacks
for
the
house
and
play
different
games
daily
to
change
things
up
and
keep
things
interesting.
Hasbro
has
done
so
much
for
Jamie
and
she
is
going
to
have
the
chance
to
give
back.
Hasbro
will
be
holding
a
radio
telethon
to
raise
money
and
Jamie
will
be
helping
them
out.
Also
Jamie
will
be
on
their
web
site
to
help
promote
constraint
therapy.
It
is
awesome
what
Hasbro
is
achieving
with
pediatric
stroke
patience.
Jamie
will
always
give
back
whatever
she
can
to
help
out
another
child
stroke
survivor.
She
is
an
inspiration.
We
truly
are
blessed
with
her.
God
Bless.
Jamie's
mom
February 14th, 2009 Hello everyone,
Great
news!
The
constraint
therapy
is going
great.
Only 6
days in
and she
is
instinctively
using
the
right
side
more.
She is
getting
stronger
and much
more
controlled
movement.
She is
exhausted
as you
can
imagine
but
loving
it. She
does the
6 hours
with
Linda
and a
hour of
tutoring
and then
to
Hasbro
for an
hour of
P.T. So
8 hours
of
therapy
a day.
This is
week 1
so Linda
and
Casey
were
here
today.
She will
have
Sunday
off.
It's
weird
but we
were
talking
with her
therapist
today
about
the
clips
that
Melanie Pellowski
did on
Jamie on
Cox. A
few
hours
later
Jamie
received
a large
package
in the
mail.
It was a
package
of
valentine
goodies
form
Melanie.
It was a
great
pick me
up for
Jamie
after a
very
exhausting
week. We
are
blessed
to have
met
Melanie
as she
is a
super
nice person.
As part
of
therapy
today Linda
and
Jamie gave
Puck a
bath.
When
ever he
has a
bath he
runs
around
like
crazy at
top
speed
almost
like air
drying
himself
until
the
point of
knocking
himself
out. He
and
Jamie
had a
nap
together
after
Linda
left at
2.
Jamie is
still
being a
trooper
and
pushing
forward.
We could
not be
more
proud of
her.
Will
write
again
soon.
God
Bless.
Jamies
Mom
February 10th, 2009 Hello everyone,
Jamie
started
constraint
therapy
yesterday.
Linda
Correia and
Casey
O'Rourke
casted her.
Linda is at
the house
now 6 hours
a day
working that
right arm.
They are
trying to
retrain
Jamie's
brain to use
the right
arm first
instead of
the left.
There are 2
ways to go
during this
therapy.
You can be
miserable at
all the hard
work or you
can make the
best of it.
Well as
usual Jamie
chose the
latter. She
is very
happy to get
the extra
work and is
excited to
see what the
results will
be. Jamie
never stops
teaching me
about the
human
spirit. She
has a better
attitude
than most
adults I
know. She
still never
complains
and just
goes with
the flow.
She has a
great sense
of humor
about this
whole
therapy
which keeps
her going
forward.
P.T. is
still in the
daily
routine and
she is
working with
the slide
board.
Jamie's
thoughts
daily are
still
working to
return to
the ice. We
think about
all of you
often and
miss seeing
you all on a
regular
basis. God
Bless you
all.
Jamie's mom
January 24th, 2009 Hi everyone,
Jamie, Jim, and
I are going to
see Bay View vs.
Cranston West
tonight in
Burrillville.
Its been a while
since the three
of us have been
able to attend a
game together.
We are tiring to
get out as much
as possible
before she gets
casted. Her
schedule will be
so tight then we
will not be able
to go out much.
Hasbro has
casted a 4 year
old that had a
stroke after
birth with lots
of promising
results. We
can't wait even
though it is
going to be very
hard for Jamie.
She will get
through it as
always. She is
very, very
tough. School is
going great and
Puck is getting
so big. He
weighs 9 pounds
already. Jamie
has been
enjoying
spending time
with friends and
we have made
several meals
together to
share with
them. Jamie had
a slow week at
the gym because
she had a cold.
Even when she
was sick all
week she still
pushed through
all her therapy
sessions. Dan
Sleboda loaned
Jamie a slide
board to use at
hasbro. Jamie
was really
excited to get
that feel for
the ice back.
She is getting a
new foot support
on Tuesday. She
will be so happy
to get rid of
her leg brace.
I believe Dave
Dansereau wants
to keep it for
her as a
reminder of
where she was
and how far she
has come.
Jamies original
plan was to burn
it. We miss you
all and think of
you all often.
See you soon.
God Bless.
Jamies mom
January 14th, 2009
Hi everyone,
Mrs. Sepe called
from Bay View to
check in on
Jamie as she
does often. We
are always so
happy to hear
from her. Jamie
can't wait to
get to Bay View
and they are
excited for the
day she makes it
there. If Jamie
has to miss this
year then we
will see Bay
View in
September. We
are planning to
make a visit
there however it
will probably be
in March. When
Hasbro cast
Jamie on Feb.
9th she will not
be going out as
much. I didn't
explain in the
last update but
Jamies O.T.
Linda from
Hasbro will come
to our house
Monday -
Saturday week 1
and then Monday
- Friday for
weeks 2-3-4.
Linda will be
here for 6 hours
a day for the
constraint
therapy.
Therefore we had
to move her P.T.
and Speech
appointments to
evenings along
with acupuncture
and the Y.
Jamie's spirits
remain high and
she just keeps
plugging along.
Jamie is my hero
for sure. She
goes through a
lot and never
complains. We
will try to find
time to take in
a few games
before she gets
casted. She
misses everyone
at West Bay and
RIxpress. Hope
to see you all
soon. God
Bless. Jamie's
mom
January
10th, 2009Hello everyone,
sorry it has been a
while since the last
update. Right before
Christmas I moved a
few rooms around in
the house in order
to move Jamie to the
first floor. When I
moved the computer
something happened
to the power supply
and I waited for
Ryan's friend Sean
to fix it. Here's
the new news. Jamie
will start
constraint therapy
on Feb. 9th until
March
9th. Constraint
therapy is where
hasbro rehab will
put a full arm cast
on Jamie's left arm
in order to force
the brain to make a
new path to the
right arm to get as
much function as
possible. Of course
we hope for 100
percent. We are
very fortunate for
all the fundraising
done on Jamie's
behalf in order to
do certain
treatments that
other may not be
able to cover. As
awful as it sounds
there are children
out there that have
to go without
because of the way
health coverage
works in our
country. It is a
shame when someone
can take drugs or
drink and the state
will pay for
everything for them
medically even a co
pay but here you
have a 12 year old
that never did
anything to harm her
body and she has to
pay for everything.
Stroke with a 12
year old doesn't
happen often so
coverage can get
away with not paying
for things by saying
there hasn't been
enough studies. I'll
tell you what a lame
excuse to save
themselves money.
Constraint therapy
cost $15,000 dollars
but when you think
that Jamie could get
even 5 percent back
of use for her arm
it is money well
spent. I'm just
venting because it
makes me crazy the
way things work.
People that make
these decisions
about Jamie have not
so much even had a
conversation with
her. They sit
behind a desk and
make life changing
decisions for my
daughter without a
second thought. So
let me take this
chance to thank
everyone who donated
to Jamie in order to
make this therapy
happen. As always
Jamie is taking and
coping with things
great. She
continues to work
hard every day and
is getting stronger
and stronger. Home
school is also going
great. Jamie has 2
teachers that she
had last year in the
7th grade. They are
Mrs. Lapardo and
Mrs. Brodeur. They
are very dedicated
to Jamie and have
been doing an
incredible job with
her. It looks like
at this time she may
not be returning to
school this year but
we will see how
things go. We are in
no rush and have
learned to slow down
and let things
happen as they will.
We still pray for
the day she returns
to the ice and makes
a full recovery.
God bless you all.
Jamie's mom
December 24th, 2008 Hello everyone,
Jamie joined the
Pawtucket YMCA on Summer
Street with Auntie
Charlene on Thursday.
We didn't take a full
tour yet but Jamie liked
what she saw. Starting
on Saturday Dave
Dansereau is going to
set up a routine for her
to follow. She can't
wait to get in the
pool. Jamie has more
arm and hand movement at
this time. She is
getting stronger. This
will be our best
Christmas ever as we
have so much to be
thankful and grateful
for. Jamie and Puck are
napping getting rest for
all the festivities
tonight. We are having
family and friends over
for dinner tonight and
tomorrow. We wish
everyone a very MERRY
CHRISTMAS and hope the
best for you all. We
miss you all and hope to
see you soon. God
Bless.
Jamies mom
December 15th, 2008
hi everyone,
THANK GOD!!!!! Jamies
brain fully healed. She
will not have to have
anymore angiograms and
she does not need to see
Dr. Wakhloo anymore as a
patient. Of course we
will visit him often.
She had a long day and
is now resting at home.
We are about to
celebrate the incredible
news and my brother
Garys birthday. What a
Christmas present.
Jamie just needs to keep
working out to get all
her muscle back. For
every day of bed rest it
goes something like 1
week for each day to
recover. She has come
so far already and
continues to work very
hard every day. We are
just so blessed that she
is on her way back to a
full recovery. That ice
is getting closer all
the time. Thank you to
the u-mass staff for all
you have done. As
always we miss all our
friends at the rinks and
cant wait to get back.
God bless you all.
Jamies mom
December 14th, 2008 Hi everyone,
Well Jamie went for her
pretest on Thursday.
Normally the doctor does not
come to see the patient
however Dr. Wakhloo and Dr.
Coates came down to see
Jamie. The were so
impressed with her
progress. The last time
either had seen her was
Sept. 2nd and they had not
ever seen her standing up
never mind walking around.
Dr. Wakhloo told Jamie that
he had traveled the world
for the last three months to
lecture in front of
thousands of other
neurosurgeons and all are
still baffled about Jamies
case. They still don't know
how something so rare could
have happened to cause the
stroke. Dr. Wakhloo sat and
went over every film of her
brain and answered every
last question she had. He
is a genius. Jamie goes in
for 7 am tomorrow my brother
Gary's birthday. The
surgery takes 2 hours and
then she has to lay flat for
4 hours. My best friend
Lisa Lazzenberry is going
with us as well as Tony her
cousin. In other news all
the work that her O.T. Mike
Mcadams and the others ( ha
ha ) have done at Hasbro has
been working wonderful. I
have to tell you all that
there is something great
behind acupuncture. Jamie
has gotten more back from
Dr. Guo than she has on the
e-stem machines. Dr. Guo
does o.t. p.t. and e-stem
through the acupuncture.
Jamie can now open and close
her hand. Jamie notices the
huge difference in her
movement and also feels it
is from the acupuncture.
Great job everyone on Jamies
team. God Bless you all.
Jamies Mom
December 9th, 2008
Hi everyone,
I have to tell you there is
really something behind
acupuncture. I see a big
difference in Jamie's arm
and leg movement but more
importantly Jamie see's and
feel's the difference. You
should see her light up
after each treatment when
she can do something she
wasn't able to before. Dr.
Guo is amazing. Jamie has
the best team all dedicated
to getting her back on that
ice. Hasbro rehab continues
to work very hard 4 times a
week with her and Dave
Dansereau 1 a week and Dr.
Guo 2 times a week. Speech
2 times a week is going well
and tutor 4 times a week.
Jamie still is using e-stem
daily. She stays very
busy. Puck has kept her
moving all over the place
also. Jamie has a pre test
on the 11th and she has to
go back to u-mass for an
angiograph on the 15th. I
know the spelling is not
right. Her spirits remain
high and she just keeps
impressing everyone daily
with her great attitude and
outlook. We hope all is well
with you all and hope to see
you soon. God Bless.
Jamie's mom
December 1st, 2008
Hello everyone,
Jamie and Puck just fell
asleep. Wow what an
incredible birthday she had.
When we went out to pt today
we couldn't believe how nice
it was outside today. Jamie,
Puck, and I went out for a
birthday lunch together. In
the evening we had the whole
family over and a couple of
her best friends. Haley (
Coyle ) Boulay and Alisha
Sleboda and family helped us
to celebrate. This was a
very important day here at
the house. We are so
grateful for this day.
Kyle's dad made baked
stuffed eggplant that was
out of this world. We also
had spaghetti with meat
sauce, salad, and Italian
bread. The cake was from
Pamela's. It was a huge
number 13. The cake was
delicious. Jamie got to
stay up past bed time to
watch the sports wrap with
Patrick Little and Sara
Hogan. I was happy to share
the memories of the first
time Jamie ever wore skates
at age 3 in our old back
yard. She was so totally
adorable wasn't she? Jamie
enjoyed all the messages she
received today on her side
kick. It went off the whole
day. Jamie's doctors called
in to wish her a happy
birthday. What an awesome
day for her. Puck is great
therapy for Jamie because
he keeps her so busy and
moving quickly. She also
got a WII which is also
great therapy for her.
Working hard every single
day for her hockey
comeback. Stay tuned
hopefully it will be soon.
As always we thank everyone
for their thoughts and
prayers and wish only the
best for you all.
Jamie's mom
November 27th, 2008 Hi everyone, This will be the best thanksgiving of my life. Our family has so much to be grateful for this year. Our family wishes all of you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING. We miss you all. Acupuncture is going great. Dr. Guo is awesome. Jamie is keeping a positive attitude and working hard. Dave Dansereau nominated Jaime for hometown sports hero and she got picked. Her story will air Dec. 1st her 13th birthday on channel 11 at 10:50 pm. Dave has also received a bio-move 5000 machine not yet on the east coast for Jamie to use. Dave is on top of everything making sure Jamie has all cutting edge treatment. We are so grateful for Dave. We pray for all those who have lost loved ones this year especially the King family. Kyle misses you Billy. God Bless. Jamie's mom November 20th, 2008 Hello Everyone,
Jamie had her 3rd acupuncture
treatment today. Since she
started the treatment she says
her hand feels more her own and
she is able to lift her arm over
her head. It's amazing how much
Dr. Guo has helped Jamie with
her function and circulation.
She is learning to relax and
enjoy the experience. Jamie
continues to work very hard each
day. She starts out with P.T.
then O.T. on to speech,
tutoring, acupuncture and then
her night workouts from P.T. and
O.T. Jamie says she misses
school and being on the ice with
all her friends. So she will
keep working until she gets
there. As always we thank
everyone for their calls, cards,
well wishes, and most of all
prayers. When things slow done
a bit we will be out catching
some games. Actually Mrs. Souza
one of the moms from Curvin
McCabe elementary school gave
Jamie tickets to the Boston
Bruins tomorrow night. While we
are in Boston we are going to
visit Spaulding Rehab. Everyone
there will see how all their
hard work has paid off for
Jamie. We can't wait to see
them. It will be awesome having
a night out. God Bless you
all. Jamies mom
November 14th, 2008
hello everyone,
Quick update while Jamie is
reading. Jamie started
acupuncture today with Dr. Jim
Guo on newport ave. near our
house. We hope and pray this can
help circulation and maybe help
move things along with her right
hand. We just hope for the best.
She continues to work hard in
rehab and on homework. I'll
right again soon. God Bless!
Jamies mom
November 9th, 2008
INSPIRATIONAL, UPLIFTING,
HILARIOUS, SPECTACULAR,
INCREDIBLE, UNFORGETABLE day
at JAMIE'S fundraiser yesterday
with the BOSTON BRUINS ALUMNI
TEAM. The Bruins players are
the kindest most thoughtful
group of men you could find. The
Alumni team gave every penny
back to the jamie coyle fund and
donated all their time and cost
for the day to our daughter. The
fundraiser was a huge success in
every way. This was our first
time back to the arena since
August and we were looking to
make new and happy memories and
that was accomplised to the
fullest. The great Mr. Rick
Middleton and the great Mr.
Terry O'Reilly escorted Jamie
onto the ice for the ceremonial
puck drop and pictures with both
teams. Finz from the Worchester
Sharks provided intertainment to
the crowd. Team Fight for 7 came
to play and the final score was
15-10 Boston. You can't imagine
and I can't fully describe the
feeling's that Jamie and her
Fight for 7 team felt sharing
pizza and conversation with all
the great Bruin hockey players.
There will be pictures on
Jamie's web site from Dave Czarn
official Fight for 7
photographer to share the
memories with those who had to
work but wanted to be there.
Also Melanie from cox varisity
life filmed the day as a
followup to her last story on
nov. 3rd. Our family is so
thankful to all who participated
in the games. Samantha Mattera
the only female player on
team fight for 7 represented for
the girls. She played awesome.
Great goal Samantha. We have
special thanks to Mr. Wes Tuttle
manager of the new england
sports center and his beautiful
wife Marylou ( also a stroke
survivor ) for being so kind to
Jamie. Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle
helped to make the day as
perfect as it was. Thank you to
the Sleboda family, the
Abbenante family, and my
favorite nephew Tony for their
endless work and dedication to
our daughters recovery. They
organized the entire event and
things could not have been any
better. Mr. Shoebottom Jamie
enjoyed talking with you. Mr.
Middleton what can we say
besides your are incredible. In
other news Jamie dropped the
ceremonial puck with her present
coach Digit Murphy for the first
home game for Brown University
womens team. Another uplifting
great night. Today is Jamies
last day of lovenox shots.
YEAH. As always we love you all
and thank you all from the
bottom of our hearts. GOD
BLESS...... Jamies mom
November 1st, 2008
Jamie continues to work very hard
and gains more strength each week.
Hasbro is getting ready to make
another adjustment to her leg brace
as the knee is getting stronger.
Yesterday at Hasbro they casted
Jamies left arm which she relies on
heavily in order to force her brain
to find new paths for the right arm
to come all the way back. Jamie has
not been eating any junk food so
she didn't mind at all to be casted
and not go trick or treating.
Instead we went to visit one of her
friends in the hospital and enjoyed
her friends favorite meal of taco
bell. We had a great visit and
couldn't of had a happier halloween.
When we returned home some of her
friends stopped by to see her and
she was very happy. Yesterday she
also recieved a package from Bay
View Academy which had her favorite
pair of sweats in it. Every 8th
grade student made Jamie a card. You
can tell that they spent a lot of
time on the cards, each one was
different and so elaborate. The
girls there are so sweet and
thoutful their parents can be so
proud of them. Stephanie Martineau
and friends had a bake sale to raise
funds for the Jamie coyle fund and
they were very sucessful. GREAT JOB
Bay View for looking out for one
another. Thursday cox cable did a
piece on Jamie at Hasbro to raise
awareness to pedi stroke. They are
coming to the house today to finish
the piece which will air on Monday
the 3rd at 7:30pm on cox channel 3.
Hopefully some genius watching will
come up with ideas to better help
stroke survivors get back to where
they were before the stroke. Right
know as it stands it looks like
Jamie will be back to school in Jan.
and back skating shortly after. This
is all she dreams about and works so
hard to achieve her goals. Hope to
see you all at the Bruins game next
Sat. the 8th. GOD BLESS everyone and
please continue to pray for Jamie
and her complete
recovery.
Sharon
October 20th, 2008 Hello everyone,
Jamie just got back from P.T. and O.T.
and will be tourted at 2:30 then on to
core training after dinner. She
continues to fight hard each and
everyday to get back were she was
before. Her spirits continue to be
high. She is an incedible person. Her
friends continue to visit and brighten
up the day. We are grateful for all our
friends and family that look out for us
daily. Jamie now is walking without a
cane and she has wrist movement and some
finger movement coming back in. Her leg
is getting stronger by the day. She was
outside with her friends this weekend
practicing her slap shot. As you all
know she cannot wait till the day she is
back on skates and neither can the rest
of us. The way things are going it wont
be much longer. We think of you all and
wish you all the best. Thank you for
being there. God Bless. Sharon
October 13th, 2008
Hi everyone,
Sorry it has been a while since an
update but Jamie has been very busy. She
continues to get stronger and is pushing
hard every day to reach her goal of getting
back on the ice. Seeing she works so hard
all week I make sure she plays hard on the
weekends. This past Friday Jamie was
invited to the first annual " fight like a
girl" tournament to support breast cancer at
west bay. Jamie dropped the game puck
opening game for her u-14 team coached by
Greg Inman and Will Wright. After the game
the coaches took all the girls out for pizza
and a great time was had by all. We went to
support them in the finals on Sunday facing
the team they beat at regionals last year.
West Bay took second place even though they
played a great game. It was allot of fun
seeing all Jamie's friends and the parents.
We took in a Brown game Sunday afternoon
also. We love cheering on both teams as
Jamie is a team member on both. She cant
wait to be skating with them again. Monday
we went to providence college for a day all
about girls hockey in Rhode Island. The
head coach Bob Deraney along with the
assistant coaches Meredith Roth And Amy
Quinlan made Jamie feel right at home. Sue
Sleboda and I set up a table to sell "fight
for 7 " bracelets that Jamie designed
herself and we sold tickets to the Alumni
game in November. Every single P.C. player
stopped by to introduce themselves to Jamie
and chat with her. I have to say the head
coach has led the girls by example because
his players showed allot of class. They were
the sweetest most sincere group of girls I
have met to this day. They could not have
been any nicer to Jamie. A very positive
day which keeps us pushing through the tough
times. P.C. also donated some awesome items
to use for the silent auction in November.
Thank You everyone for a great weekend for
Jamie. God Bless everyone. Jamie's Mom
Saturday, October 4th, 2008
Hello
everyone,
As
you all know Jamie is home thank GOD. She has
had a busy couple of days. She started rehab at
Hasbro Rehab on Allens ave. Providence. Its a
new facility and it is really nice. She will go
in the pool on Monday. Last night she was a
special guest of the Providence Bruins. What a
night she had set up by Sean Marshall and Steve
aka Scott. The two greatest guys around showed
her a night she will never forget. They treated
Jamie and her 2 friends Alicia and Alissa like
princesses. The girls started with a tour of the
locker rooms, met with the players, did a radio
interview, sat on the bench during warm ups, and
Jamie got to drop the game puck. Steve followed
Jamie around the entire night catering to her
every need. How neat is that. We both are
extremely happy to finally be home and sleeping
in our own bed. Without us girls being home you
can only imagine all the house work we have had
to do since Wednesday. Gone for 2 months and 4
guys left alone it will take us a week to get
things back to normal. Jamie continues to work
very hard to get back on the ice. Besides rehab
at Hasbro 4 times a week she is taking private
karate lesson at home from her old teacher
Carlos Miranda the miracle worker. She will
start PT with David Dansereau soon. I am
trying to juggle her schedule between tutoring,
pt, ot, speech, karate, and the ymca. We are so
grateful for everything that everyone has done
to help Jamie progress in her recovery. Thank
you for all the prayers for her speedy
recovery. We love you all. God Bless
Update 9/26/08
hi everyone,
I wrote a letter Wednesday night to thank
everyone involved with the Curvin McCabe
dinner and when I went to send it I erased
it by accident. I have to say Jamie and I
were totally moved by all the hard work
everyone put in to make the night "perfect".
My friend Mrs. Sleboda called from the event
so we could hear the great time enjoyed by
all. We heard how awesome the cafe looked
and what a great job my girls Kathy, Lee,
and Brenda did on the food. The teachers
were hard at work baking all the homemade
desserts and serving everyone. We thank you
all for caring so much about us and for
being with us since the beginning. Curvin
McCabe is a close family where we all look
out for each other. Having Mrs. Fazio at
the helm we didn't expect anything less.
Thanks for making the night perfect.Thank
GOD for each and every one of you. I'm just
getting Jamie ready for bed after a hard day
of rehab. There is one other person that we
have not had a chance to tell how much we
appriciate him and that is NICK MATTERA.
Nick keeps us linked to you all through this
website. Obviously he is an incerdible
person working endless hours for Jamie.
This website has been such a hugh
inspiration to Jamie I believe its what
contributes to her positive attitude. We
love you and cannot wait to see you. Next
update should be from home. ( woo-hoo )
Update
9/18/08
Update
9/18/08
as always we
would like to thank everyone for all their prayers and
inspirational messages sent to jamie. with all this
positive only good things can happen. thank you sherry
and the givens family for the d&d cards. spalding has
one on the first floor. good call. the cards were
beautiful. thanks mrs. graveline for the special cards.
get ready to receive a few calls about the dinner at
curvin. even when im not there i manage to send you
phone calls. jamie and i rowed a canoe down the charles
river yesterday with the adapted sports program here.
the weather was beautiful and the company we had was
great. we had so much fun. it was fabulous getting away
from the stresses here for 2 hours. speaking of getting
away they are giving jamie a day pass to visit home for
a few hours on saturday. anyone that would like to come
visit is more than welcome. jim and my brother-in-law
are cooking on the grill for everyone. we cant wait to
see our home, our pets, and our friends. we go on a bus
with all the kids here tomorrow apple picking. jamies
spirits are high like usual because she is a great kid.
she handles more than i can. she improves every day. she
will be trying a new robotic machine on her arm in the
morning. we pray to get the right arm moving. it is only
a matter of time. bayview and mount st. charles thank
you so much for the morning prayers. love jamie and
sharon
Update
9/14/08 |
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Update
9/10/08
jamie is starting tutoring in a few days so we started with labeling everything in her room in spanish. thank you to the 3rd graders at curvin mccabe for the awesome cards. it helped fill in some time reading them all. all the cards were so uplifting not to mention they filled in alot of window space. [ ha ha ] still working very hard and getting tired out. we cant wait to get home. octotber 1st cant come quick enough for us. we miss you all and think of our friends every day. god bless. love jamie and sharon |
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Update 9/8/08
Jamie says
hello to everyone and misses all her friends. She loves
it here at rehab they are very nice and keep her busy.
She is working hard and getting stronger by the day. In
between different activites during the day we sit out
back on the Charles River and watch the boats go by.
There is an awesome park were we watch skate boarders
during the day. Can't wait to come home. Sharon
Update 9/3/08
hey everyone,
this is
jamies mom. we moved to spalding today and had a very
busy day. we thank god that we are here and jamie is
recovering nicely.while jamie is sleeping i wanted to
take a moment to say thank you from the bottom of my
heart. the prayers and well wishes from around the
country are inspiring to jamie and our whole family at
this time. our support system has gotton us through the
toughest times one could imagine. it is tough to find
the exact words to express how incedible everyone has
been and how greatful we are for all the support. we can
feel the love and it is pulling us through. god bless
you all and know how much we love and appreciate all you
do for our family.
Update 9/2/08 Jamie has arrived in Boston!
Today Jamie left Umass Medical Center to move to her rehab center late this morning and has already taken part in Occupational Therapy as well as Physical Therapy and was to also meet with the Speech Therapy people as well tonight. As soon as Jamie walked through the door someone at the front desk said “You must be Jamie Coyle we’ve heard a lot about you” my how news travels fast about this special little lady!
Jamie was also able to move her right arm with no gravity and had some feeling in the right shoulder. Things are looking better and better each day. We will try to keep up to date as much as possible, but it might be a little tough without being able to travel there daily. Please keep your prayers coming for a speedy recovery.
Update 9/1/08 For those that missed the opening ceremonies of the benefit games this weekend for Jamie you will be happy to hear that Jamie will be moving to Spalding Medical Center in Boston tomorrow. The Doctors are very happy with all the progress that she is making and think it is time to start on rehab. There visit’s will be short and not as many people, mostly family allowed, but please make sure you stay in touch through her message center and wishing her well.
Jamie also saw some of the video’s and pictures from this weekend and loved it and wanted to thank everyone that came out to support her.
Update 8/26/08 Jamie has been having some pretty good days as of late. She is getting more and more mobility in her right leg, as well as her speech getting better and better by the hour. The doctors had some test’s for her with some tough words and she aced it. The doctor was very impressed!
She has also been getting more and more message’s on her site and she receive one the surprised her totally. She received one from Travis Roy. A former Boston University player who was paralyzed in the first 11 seconds of his college career. His not to Jamie can be found on her message board. That is not all for this week though. Jamie had Patrick Travers for the Worcester Ice Sharks come in and visit her and talk hockey with her. He also invited her to come skate with the team once she gets back on skates. She was so very happy about that!
A few hours later she got another surprise. USA Olympic medal winner Katie King came walking into her room with the Gold, Silver and Bronze medal’s that she won at three of her Olympic games. Jamie and friend Casandra Sherman were in shock. Both of them got to hold the medals (as seen in the pictures) and talk hockey with Katie. It was an amazing event that had Jamie saying “wow I feel special and important.” As everyone knows that is Jamie’s goal is to get to the Olympics and I don’t know of anyone that would think of doubting this unbelievable little girl who has battled back so far in such a short period of time.
Jamie will be having some more tests done this week which will determine the next step in her recovery. Please keep the prayers coming! Update 8/20/08 After a great weekend and lots of progress the doctor’s wanted to make sure Jamie was had as close to a clean bill of health before she went to Spalding Rehabilitation Center. Jamie will be staying for a few more day’s with the AWESOME doctor’s at Umass who continuously keep Jamie’s spirits up. Jamie had a procedure this morning and did an awesome job! The Doctors will check up on her in a couple of days and will have a better idea of when she will go to rehab. Keep those prayers coming and thank you for all that have come already (From the Coyle’s.) Update 8/18/08 What a weekend!
There were many good things for Jamie this weekend. Lots of people would have been happy with the fact that Jamie was able to bringboth legs into her body or maybe the fact that her smile was getting bigger and bigger over the weekend. Oh don’t forget the fact theshe went outside for the first time on Saturday. There were a ton of little things that made everyone smile this weekend, but NOBODYcould have beat the smile that was given this weekend when Andrew Bettencourt walked in room 538.
Andrew is Jamie’s idle for hockey player’s and has been for many years.
Andrew and Jamie have been friends for a longtime and the
Jamie knew that nobody could say no to her so she started a trend that
must be continued, per order’s of Jamie. Any guy that walks
It
was an awesome weekend and Jamie is getting stronger and stronger by the
minute and fights her hardest as always. Keep up the Update 8/15/08 Hello everyone,
This is Jamies mom.
Its 9:54 pm on Friday 8-15-08. My angel is sleeping comfortably
right now so i wanted to take a minute to express some
thoughts. As you all can imagine 8-9-08 has changed life as we
knew it forever. First I would like to thank god for
looking out for my baby. We are truly blessed for our family
and friends. We can feel all the love and well wishes from
everyone. My husband and myself couldnt have made it this far
without you picking us up when we were at our lowest of lows.
Jamie has a long struggle ahead however she is a very special
person and i have all the faith that she will be fine. We are
at a loss for words that could express just how amazed we are
with all the support jamie is recieving from the hockey
community. Jamie and I read these messages daily now and the
messages bring a smile to her beautiful face. She gets stronger
each day and your words of encouragement are heaven sent. Jim
and I would like to thank everyone that has been so incredibly
helpfull to us while we need to stay strong for jamie. Jamies
coaches and teammates are the most caring amazing people in the
world and thank god for them. We love you all and couldnt have
made it through without you all. Henry Sherman and family god
love you all for going above and beyond. Jim Hopgood you are one
of a kind. I cant mention everyone right now because i need some
sleep while she sleeps but you all know who you are. As for
Jamies genius doctors thank you for bringing our baby back to
us. For this we are forever in your debt. Dr. Coates we will
always have a bond. Your the most beautiful person i have ever
met. Andrew Bettencourt you are wise beyond your years and will
never know just how much your visit meant to Jamie today. Again
we cant thank everyone enough for all the support for jamie. God
Bless you all. Sharon and Jim
Update 8/15/08
Update 8/14/08
Update 8/13/08
Update 8/11/08
Efforts are being made to set up a fund for
any donations, Please check back for details |
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