So many months have gone by since our last post. That is not to say that we haven't been busy fulfilling Quinn's List dreams - quite the opposite, actually! These months have seen an enormous uptick in activity, from our first annual Feel the Breeze 5k in May to fielding ten new Quinn's List nominations!
Unfortunately while we were doing that, our recap of the Quinn's List trips fell to the wayside. But we are getting back on track (very thankful for Google calendars and reminder alerts!).
And with that, I present to you... Paxton's Canadian Warm Waters!
Paxton was the very first Quinn's List Kid who found us. His sweet mama located our organization and contacted us for our help. And while we hate that she had to, we are so glad that she was able to!
Paxton was also unique in that he was our first Canadian Wish Kid! I used to work with many Canadians and developed a strong affinity for their kindness and sense of community. Kassie and Graham, Paxton's awesome parents, did not disappoint!
When we connected, Kassie expressed Paxton's love of warm water. Mind you, this was the winter. In Alberta. So, not so much warm water to be had. But there was another piece of information in Kassie's email; that is, Paxton had some cousins in neighboring British Columbia who he had not yet had a chance to meet.
We found an amazing partner in the Best Western PLUS Kelowna, a beautiful resort town in southern British Columbia, not too far from Paxton's local family. The wonderful Group and Tour Coordinator, Ginette, handled everything beautifully and became a true partner in this Quinn's List Wish. They were honored to be selected as the venue for Paxton's Wish (more of that Canadian goodness!).
The hotel closed the indoor pool for upwards of an hour and a half each day that Paxton and his family were visiting. This allowed sweet Paxton and his mom and dad time to revel in the warm water of their now-private indoor pool.
And revel, truly, is not quite the word as Paxton really started showing off... when he began walking in the water!! For the parents of a child who will never walk on the earth, this is just a true gift - especially as it had been quite a while since Paxton had done this. Check out fantastic video below!
Paxton, Kassie and Graham spent some time together alone - and some time together with a whole big family! Yep - Paxton got to meet those adorable cousins and aunts and uncles (and really, more importantly, they got to meet Pax!).
we definitely made some amazing memories!
Thank you, Kassie, for letting us be a small part of Paxton's life. A life that was cut way too short.
Just two months after Paxton completed his Wish Trip, he joined our Quinn and Bryce and all of the other angel babies.
It's what makes this job simultaneously the best and the hardest job ever. But it's why we persist in making Memories for Life. Tomorrow is not promised.
Shout out to Laura, General Manager at Okanagan Limousine for donating the limousine transportation to and from Kelowna Airport for our sweet family. A special thanks to our amazing donors - without you all, none of this would be possible. To learn more about Quinn's List, and how you can help make a Wish Trip possible for other children like Paxton, please visit our site.
Way (waaaay) back in September, we had the amazing honor of working with our second Quinn's List family. This one was a little different from the first - this family lives in California and Piper, our Quinn's List Kid, was not one of the Niemann-Pick children. This was a new family, a new horizon and one that - while we wished with all our hearts we didn't have to - we welcomed.
To see Piper's photos is to love her. Penelope "Piper" Collins' fierce personality shines through her dimples and big grins, and makes you just want to laugh with her until your belly hurts. She was a scant 13months old when she took her Quinn's List Wish Trip, and by all accounts, loved every moment.
When I spoke with Katie, Piper's mom, she said there were two things in the world Piper loves most - Dolls and Food. Living in the Los Angeles area, it was a no-brainer: a day at American Girl Place. This Wish was near and dear to me because it was one of the adventures Quinn got to go on, and I know how wonderful the memories are from that day.
Happy faces, beautiful memories with Quinn at AG Place NYC.
I just know that she and Piper would have been a force to be reckoned with!
Along with Katie and Piper were Big Brother Evan and a family friend. The mini-posse enjoyed lunch at the American Girl cafe before embarking on a tour of the store. Big Brother even got in on the fun with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle "doll" to accompany him. After lunch, Piper picked out her very own American Girl Doll and brought it to the 'salon' to get a new hairdo.
It was a perfect day for her. She was able to eat lunch with a doll next to her, pick out her very own doll to take home (which was not an easy decision), and her new doll even got a new 'do! The staff at the store said they had never seen such a young baby so enamored by dolls. It has almost been a year since Piper's cancer journey began, and in this year I have seen the good, the great, and the amazing in people. Words will never be able to express our gratitude to Quinn Madeleine Inc.
Katie, we feel equally as speechless in expressing our honor of being part of Piper's happiness, even just for one day.
Learn more about Piper and follow her journey and that of her amazing family at Facebook.com/TeamPiper.
A special thanks to our amazing donors - without you all, none of this would be possible. To learn more about Quinn's List, and how you can help make a Wish Trip possible for other children like Piper, please visit our site.