Wish of the Week – Elliot

By MWF/PIO
August 14, 2009

There is always one place that can raise Elliot’s spirits: Duluth, Minnesota. After he was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 2 ½ years old, Elliot’s parents would take him to Duluth’s Canal Park near the shore of Lake Superior. Watching the boats and the lift bridges was always a respite from his debilitating chemotherapy treatments.

Though Elliot and his family moved away, he never forgot those happy moments watching ships and hearing the sounds of horns blaring over the water. He told volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Minnesota that his fondest wish was to drive one of those boats near his birthplace in Duluth.

The Shipping News

Angela King-Jones, wish coordinator for the chapter, called Duluth’s mayor to ask permission to grant Elliot’s wish. The story immediately caught the community’s imagination. The mayor was happy to help, and the staff came up with creative ways to fulfill and enhance the boy’s wish. “The community really rallied around Elliot and his family,” King-Jones said. “The mayor granted special permission for Elliot to blow the horn at the lift bridge.”

Elliot and his family boarded the tour boat Vista Star. Captain Chris, who they knew from previous excursions, gave them a warm greeting. He and his crew gave Elliot the VIP treatment and presented him with his own captain’s hat. And the captain let Elliot sound the horn requesting the bridge lift. Under the captain’s supervision, Elliot piloted the ship past the bridge. Everyone celebrated with a pizza party aboard the Vista Star.

Bring on the Noise

At the massive Aerial Lift Bridge (one of Elliot’s favorite maritime attractions), Elliot climbed into the control booth where bridge Supervisor Ryan Beamer let him push the big black button as many times as he wanted. The blasts startled tourists, commuters and seagulls out of their daily routines. With every blast of the horn, Elliot’s smile got even wider.

Many Duluth residents already knew what was happening – the local media had written about his unusual wish. So every blast of the horn gave them a reason to smile, too.

Thanks for the Memories

Sara and Aron, Elliot’s parents, were thrilled with the warm reception the family experienced in Duluth. Part of Elliot’s wish included staying at the South Pier Inn so he could have an up-close view of the ships passing under the bridge. “So many people helped us to be present during our trip and to spend time as a family … and to make Elliot’s trip such a magical time,” they wrote in a thank-you letter published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Elliot also rode in the locomotive of a train, visited local landmarks including the Duluth Children’s Museum and Great Lakes Aquarium, and enjoyed a meal at the New Scenic Café.

Elliot is now in a three-year maintenance phase of treatment and is doing very well, according to his parents.

Source: Make A Wish Foundation

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Patient of the Week – Justin Ferrence

By CDH/PIO
August 13. 2009

Pamela Duminske went into labor 11 weeks before her due date. She gave birth to a premature baby boy named Justin. Immediately after Justin was born he needed medical attention. He was having trouble breathing and the doctors feared other medical complications could arise.

The doctor’s determined Justin needed more specialized care, so he was transported to The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton’s Regional Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Justin stayed in the NICU for three weeks where he was on a ventilator and monitored closely.

“I had a sense of comfort in the NICU because I knew Justin was well taken care of by the nurses and staff,” says Pamela.

Pamela noticed Justin was not growing like he should be at 10 months old. “Justin was not crawling and it was difficult for him to sit up,” A CT scan was performed. Soon after, Justin was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects muscle movement and control. In some cases, cerebral palsy can affect speech and cognitive development. Due to the lack of muscle control, many cerebral palsy patients use a wheelchair, or need assistance to walk. Justin’s prognosis was filled with extensive surgeries and lots of physical therapy.

Justin is seen in the neurology department, the cerebral palsy clinic and the orthopedic department at Dayton Children’s. Daniel Lacey, MD, has worked with Justin for several years.

“Dr. Lacey has improved Justin’s health tremendously by prescribing a baclofen pump that helps with Justin’s tight muscles,” says Pamela.

Justin has been in a wheelchair since kindergarten, but this has not deterred his “go-getter” attitude and in 2008, Justin graduated from Xenia High School.

“Justin had the ability to look beyond his wheelchair and set goals that he knew he could accomplish even if he had to work twice as hard as the other students,” says Pamela.

Last year Justin attended Clark State University and passed his courses with a 4.0 average. In a speech communications class, Justin had an assignment to give a speech in front of the entire class and be graded on performance. The professor told Justin that he did not have to do the speech, but Justin was determined to do the assignment just like the other students. He worked very hard and practiced for hours; he gave the speech in front of the entire class and received an A.

Today Justin is 20 years old and still focuses on graduating from college. “I had to take a break from college due to financial difficulties and health problems, but I am determined to become a teacher one day,” says Justin.

“Dayton Children’s caters specifically to child’s needs. This always made us feel right at home,” says Pamela.

Source: Childrens Dayton

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Firefighter of the Week Dep. Fire Comm. William M. Feehan

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 13, 2009

“Been there, done that” probably best describes the illustrious, 42-year FDNY career of First Deputy Fire Commissioner William M. Feehan, whose life and career were cut short when he was killed on September 11, 2001, as a result of the explosion and collapse of the twin World Trade Center Towers in Manhattan.

Chief Feehan held every title within the Department, beginning as a Proby Firefighter when he was appointed on October 10, 1959. He was a Firefighter through 1963, serving in Division 3, Ladder 3 and the Bureau of Fire Prevention. And then the promotions came, from Lieutenant in 1964 to Chief of Department in 1991. Chief Feehan has served as Deputy Fire Commissioner since 1992. He briefly served as Acting Fire Commissioner in 1993-1994.

A life-long Queens resident, Chief Feehan graduated from St. John’s University in 1952. Before his appointment to the FDNY, he served in the United States Army and was decorated with the Combat Infantry Badge, Korean Service Medal, UN Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal during the Korean War.

Chief Feehan’s wife, Elizabeth, pre-deceased him five years ago. He is survived by his daughters, Elizabeth Feehan and Tara Davan, and sons, FF John Feehan, who is assigned to Squad Company 1, and William. Additionally, he is survived by six grandchildren–Siobhan, Kelsey, Connor, William, Virginia and Kelly.

The death of First Deputy Commissioner William M. Feehan–and with it, his experience and expertise – mark the end of an era in the New York City Fire Department.

Source: New York CityFire Department

Navy Pilot comes Home after 18 years

By AP
August 14, 2009

 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Navy pilot Scott Speicher, the long-missing first casualty of the first Gulf War, was finally laid to rest Friday in his adopted hometown as thousands of people lined the streets to watch a funeral procession pass his school, church and former military base.

Speicher was shot down in 1991 on the first night of the Gulf War. For more than 18 years, no one knew if he was killed or being held prisoner in Iraq until his remains were discovered in the desert, west of Baghdad, earlier this month.

“Eighteen years, six months and 11 days, that needs to be a record that is never broken,” said Buddy Harris, a former Navy pilot and friend who accompanied Speicher’s body home to Jacksonville from Dover, Del. Harris married Speicher’s widow, Joanne, and helped raise Speicher’s son and daughter, plus two more children with Joanne.

Motorcycles, their red and blue lights flashing, led Speicher’s hearse and family following in a limousine along a 30-mile route of sites special to Speicher.

At a monument for war veterans where Speicher’s name was engraved in 1995, military officials, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Jacksonville mayor talked about his military service. Dozens of roses were placed against the wall, where an eternal flame burns. Later, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office fired a 21-gun salute.

The motorcade traveled to Lake Shore United Methodist Church, where Speicher taught Sunday School. It rolled past Nathan B. Forrest High School, where he excelled at swimming and tennis.

Hundreds of people, including veterans and infants, gathered at each of the locations, including the site of the former Cecil Field Naval Air Station where Speicher’s squadron, the Sunliners, was based before he left on the USS Saratoga for the Gulf War.

Shelly Bradley’s husband was on the USS Saratoga when Speicher was shot down.

“It is nice to know he is home. It’s not exactly what we had hoped, but maybe it will bring some closure to his family,” said Bradley, of St. Augustine.

Chief Warrant Officer Brian Farrell, an instructor pilot with the Florida National Guard, dressed in his Army uniform to pay his respects.

“I’m here to recognize the sacrifice this young Navy officer gave to this country and the pain his family has endured for the last 18 years,” Farrell said. “I just got back from Iraq four months ago and I just wanted my family to be a part of it.”

Speicher, a Kansas City-area native who moved to Florida as a teenager, was buried in a private ceremony at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Four Navy planes flew over the cemetery in the missing man formation.

For nearly two decades after the 33-year-old Speicher disappeared over the Iraq desert, his family pushed the Defense Department to find out what had happened. On Aug. 2, the Pentagon disclosed that Marines had recovered Speicher’s bones and skeletl fragments – enough for a positive identification.

Defense officials originally declared Speicher killed in action hours after his plane was shot down over west-central Iraq. Then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced on television that Speicher was the first casualty of the Gulf War.

Ten years after the crash, the Navy changed Speicher’s status to missing in action, citing an absence of evidence that Speicher had died. In October 2002, the Navy switched his status to “missing/captured,” although it never explained why.

Over the years, critics said the Navy had not done enough, particularly right after the crash, to search for the pilot.

“We just want to honor our fallen hero, since he is from our area. We felt is was our duty to come and honor him and his family,” said Deborah Hudgins, who knew some of Speicher’s family members.

Source: Fox News

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think: dan@youngchronicle.com

Soldier of the Week – SFC William Tomlin III

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 8, 2009

Editor’s Note:
Hometown: Barkhamsted, CT
Awarded: Silver Star

After two full days of fierce fighting in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, approximately 300 enemy fighters began closing in on SFC William Tomlin III and his scout platoon of 45 soldiers. They were part of the U.S. Army’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.

It was April 9, 2007, about 9:30 a.m., with the temperature already near a scorching 120 degrees. Tomlin, as the scout platoon leader, was maneuvering his platoon near Chakak, Afghanistan to extend the battalion’s security zone when he heard the sharp crack of incoming hostile fire from enemy fighters. Immediately, he sprang into action and instinctively ordered a small team of snipers to scout for the incoming enemy, but soon enemy gun fire and rocket propelled grenades rained down on the team halting their efforts.

Tomlin immediately rose to the occasion to lead a dismounted counter-attack against the enemy forces which had closed to within 15 meters of the platoon’s location.

“I grabbed three or four guys with me, and we moved into a position where we could suppress the bad guys,” said Tomlin.

During a non-stop six hour battle, Tomlin had one goal in mind – keep his fellow soldiers safe while not being overrun by enemy forces that had his platoon outnumbered six to one. He surged ahead of friendly forces to single-handedly employ multiple weapon systems including fragmentary hand grenades, AT-4s and his M4. Simultaneously, he directed the fires of platoon-organic heavy weapon systems.

By the third assault, Tomlin was suffering from severe dehydration and was near exhaustion, according to his award citation. But, he was able to work hand-in-hand with his Joint Tactical Air Controller, directing the devastating effects of close air support to within 100 meters of his platoon. Additionally, he organized reinforcements from four separate units into a cohesive element that ably completed the enemy’s destruction. These efforts helped lead his scout platoon to victory without a single American loss.

Tomlin’s leadership, personal courage, and selfless dedication in the presence of a determined, numerically superior enemy force were the difference between victory and defeat on this day. For his valorous actions, he was awarded the Silver Star.

Editor’s Note: From Excerpts from an article by Jim Moore in America’s North Shore Journal, Dec. 1, 2008.

• Hometown: Barkhamsted, CT
• Awarded: Silver Star

We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Source: Our Military

Patients of the Week – Javon and Jakayla Bass

By St. Jude/PIO
August 5, 2009

Javon and Jakayla Bass
8 and 3 years old

Diagnosis:

Javon was discovered to have acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 2003 and his sister Jakayla was found to suffer from ALL in 2008.

Javon and Jakayla’s Story:
When Javon was 2 years old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer. He underwent three years of chemotherapy at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Near the end of his treatment, doctors discovered Javon had suffered a relapse and would need more chemotherapy, as well as radiation. Javon began his new course of treatment at St. Jude, and was nearly always accompanied by his mom, Lisa, and baby sister, Jakayla.

In fall 2008, about a month before Javon finished treatment for a second time, Jakayla became sick. She had the symptoms of a cold, and then she stopped eating. Lisa took her to their local doctor, who did blood work. The results of those tests were troubling, and the doctor quickly referred the family to St. Jude.

At St. Jude:
Faced with the possibility that not one, but two, of her children were suffering from cancer, Lisa was devastated. “I thought I was in a dream, and I’d wake up,” she said. But she trusted the medical experts at St. Jude.

St. Jude doctors quickly determined that, like her brother, Jakayla suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She began an intense chemotherapy protocol.

Lisa says that it was hard for Javon to learn that his little sister had cancer too, but the Child Life specialists at St. Jude explained to him that he could help her get through it, and that made him feel better.

The two children couldn’t be closer. They like to sing together and play Gameboy™.

“Jakayla loves Javon,” Lisa said. “She wants him always by her side.”

And although Jakayla still has two more years of treatment to go, Lisa is happy to report that her little girl is in remission.

Editor’s Note: To help give hope to children like Javon and Jakayla who are fighting life-threatening illnesses, please become a Partner In Hope.

We would like to know what you Think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Source: St Jude Hospital

Wish of the Week – Grace

By MWF/PIO
August 8, 2009

During her wish to be in her own original fairytale, 6-year-old Grace learned that even the most imaginative wish can come true. But her mother, Jeanette, learned something even more important: that a Make-A-Wish^® experience can restore a family’s hope and joy.

“A wish is a powerful thing,” Jeanette said. “I completely underestimated it.”

Grace’s Imagination Powers a Fairytale Wish

Grace is diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack blood vessels throughout the body. Each week, she must visit the doctor to combat the condition’s effects.

Still, Grace has a lively spirit with an imagination to match. Wish granters knew they’d have to be creative to make her fondest wish come to life. They weaved together elements from the most famous and beloved fairytales, crafting a day that would create thrilling memories for Grace. They also got her input on fantastic creatures she’d like to see in her personal fairytale.

Her wish began with a limousine ride to the Seattle Children’s Theater, where she met her fairy godmother. Grace received her own set of fairy wings as she took a prime seat to watch a customized stage production based on the children’s book Goodnight Moon. The cast even invited Grace up on stage; they incorporated a “red space giraffe,” one of the fantasy creatures she wished for, into the production and then presented it to her.

Seattle Becomes a City of Fantasy

And the experience just kept getting better: The cast invited Grace to an Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea party after the show. But she couldn’t stay long – she had to zip over the Pacific Science Center. A chauffeur dressed as a pirate took the wheel of a Candyland-themed golf cart to deliver her to the center.

There, Grace got to see amazing creatures – though they were all real creatures, they equaled everything she could create with her imagination. She learned about blue whales and enjoyed a private show in the planetarium.

Still, her fairytale day wasn’t over. At Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, Make-A-Wish^® volunteers and supporters were waiting for her arrival. They were dressed in animal hats, masks and costumes. Talented performers from the cast of Seattle’s Teatro Zinzanni also joined the fun, parading around like Grace’s own personal menagerie of circus animals.

The party continued upstairs in a private room where Grace, her family and friends enjoyed “space” strawberries and cake. A juggler, a face painter and even the Easter Bunny provided entertainment for the night.

Grace’s Joy Eclipses Her Illness

Grace’s fairytale day came to a close at a Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Bellevue. The entire staff wore fairytale-themed hats for their guest of honor.

Jeanette was moved to tears several times as she saw how enthralled Grace was during her wish. It transported them all away from the world of those difficult weekly medical treatments.

“Those moments were a million miles away and sharply juxtaposed to the thrill of the entire day,” Jeanette said.

Source: Make A Wish Foundation

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Officer of the Week – Sergeant John Gerard Coughlin

Remember September 11, 2001
Angels Among Us
Sergeant John Gerard Coughlin
Shield 375
ESS-4
August 4, 2009

Editor’s Note: We at the Chronicle, will never forget those police officers, who have given their lives in 9/11. Each week we will honor one with their stories.

This week we feature:

Sergeant John Gerard Coughlin
Shield 3751
ESS-4

John G. Coughlin was a giving man, and that kept him very busy.

Sergeant Coughlin, 43, was with the emergency services unit of the New York Police Department. In his spare time, he was a volunteer firefighter in Pomona, N.Y., where he lived with his family. “He was always on the go,” said his wife, Patricia Coughlin.

He was good at spoiling his three daughters, Erin, 16, Tara, 13, and Kayla, 6. He took them parasailing, white-water rafting and to amusement parks. He took them to baseball games, but there was a slight complication. He was a Mets fan and all three girls are Yankees fans — Mrs. Coughlin is neutral — and so they went to both stadiums. When the Yankees played the Mets in the World Series, well, that got a little tense.

A former Marine, Sergeant Coughlin was active in the Rockland County detachment of the Marine Corps League, helping older veterans and doing honor guard duty at funerals. “He loved that,” his wife said. “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” One of his favorite times was the middle of December, when he would take a week’s vacation to work on the Marine Toys for Tots Program. “He was a firm believer that every kid should have a toy for Christmas,” Mrs. Coughlin said.

– The New York Times 12/15/2001

Source: NYP Angels

Firefighter of the Week – Lt. Stephen Gary Harrell

By Alysha Sideman
Advance Staff Writer
August 8, 2009

He loved his family, his job and making music, and was loved for his sense of humor, quick wit and kind heart.

His family came first, but Stephen Harrell had two other loves — firefighting and music.

When he attended the funeral of another firefighter, he was so moved he wrote a song about it. The lyrics were about the people and children the fireman left behind.

Ironically, it is now a song about his own family.

As the lieutenant on duty Sept. 11 at Ladder Co. 10, located across from the World Trade Center, Mr. Harrell and his fellow firefighters were some of the first to respond to Tower 1 after it was attacked.

He is now listed among the missing. Reports placed him in the center staircase of Tower 1, somewhere between the 30th and 40th floors.

Compounding the hardship for his family, his older brother, Harvey, 49, a lieutenant with Rescue Co. 5, Concord, is also missing.

Mr. Harrell’s dream was to have one of his songs recorded professionally said his wife, Meghan. Fortunately, he made amateur recordings of many of his songs and some of his friends are now trying to make that dream come true.

“Having a part of him — even if it is just his voice — really helps. It will help to carry on his memory for our daughter. It gives me something tangible to hold on to,” Mrs. Harrell said.

Writing songs was cathartic for Mr. Harrell and now listening to them will be for his wife and his daughter.

“He saw a lot of people pass away in his lifetime. This is how he dealt with it,” Mrs. Harrell added. And his musical talents weren’t just confined to singing and songwriting.

As a young man, he took music classes at the College of Staten Island, and later he filled his home and surrounded his wife with all kinds of music — and three pianos.

“He was a wonderful musician. There wasn’t an instrument he couldn’t pick up and play by ear. He played the saxophone, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, baritone horn and piano,” she said.

On their wedding day, he sang Eric Clapton’s classic “Wonderful Tonight” to his wife in front of all the guests.

Born in Plant City, Fla., he was brought to Midland Beach before his first birthday, and moved to Westerleigh in 1993 as a newlywed. After seven years there, the couple settled in Warwick, N.Y.

A 15-year veteran of the Fire Department, Mr. Harrell, 44, was the officer on duty with “probies” on Sept. 11. His career choice may have been prompted by his older brother, Harvey, but firefighting was also in his blood.

“They were six in the family, including Stephen, and all very close. He was best friends with Harvey and Dave,” said Mrs. Harrell. “But he was always helping people. It was part of his personality. He was also fearless. He was a natural (firefighter).”

Before he was promoted to lieutenant in 1998, he had worked as a firefighter in Brooklyn at Ladder Co. 122, Engine Co. 255 and Ladder Co. 157.

“Stephen was not only my brother, he was one of my lifelong best friends, along with my other brother, Lt. Harvey Harrell Jr. — who I call Buddy — who also perished in the World Trade Center that day,” said David Harrell. “We were all close in age and closer in life. We grew up together, we became men together and we stayed together. I don’t know if we were more like the Three Musketeers or the Three Stooges, but we were three together, forever.”

Before Stephen Harrell’s daughter, Holly Rae, was born, he was a member of many rock ‘n’ roll bands — singing and playing the saxophone. After she came along, he wrote songs about her and sang to her. He continued to perform for special occasions, including every family wedding and at Fire Department benefits. Mr. Harrell played the baritone horn for the New York City Skyliners Drum and Bugle Corps. He once performed a solo of “Tonight” from “West Side Story” in Roosevelt Field, L.I.

“Stephen was my inspiration in music,” said his sister, Cynthia Casserly. “I plan to play one of his favorite songs, ‘Amazing Grace,’ on my bagpipes at his memorial.”

Mr. Harrell was an avid skier and took part in the Firemen’s Ski Races at Hunter Mountain for many years. He also skied at resorts in Canada, and enjoyed golf and basketball.

“In his young days, he spent many a night playing basketball and football anywhere he and his friends could find an empty lot. It was not about competition or winning. It was about friendship, fun and laughs,” added his brother, David.

Mr. Harrell had a very close relationship with Holly Rae, now 7, and coached her soccer team.

“She embodies everything that is good about Stephen, and that is a whole lot. He was an original. He had an abundance of friends who loved his sense of humor, quick wit and kind heart. A wonderful father and husband, he will always be in our hearts,” said Mrs. Harrell.

In addition to his wife, the former Meghan Truppa; his daughter, Holly Rae; his brother, David, and his sister, Cynthia, surviving are his parents, Miriam and Harvey Lee Harrell Sr.; another brother, William, and another sister, Barbara Lee Harrell.

Source: Staten Island Advance and FDNY Ten House

Wish of the Week – Victoria

By MWF/PIO
July 27, 2009

Although she is only eight years old, Victoria has had a passion for the kitchen for five years. Whenever she visits her grandparents, she can often be found right alongside her grandfather, who is a whiz in the kitchen. Her all-time favorite chef is Rachael Ray. Victoria talks about her constantly and loves to watch her on television. She hopes to one day cook like Rachael and maybe have her own cooking show.

Victoria’s wish took her and her family to New York City to see Rachael Ray in action. With a limo ride to the airport and the royal treatment in the air, she felt like a VIP. Once in the Big Apple, it really sank in that she was about to meet the celebrity chef. Victoria sat in the VIP balcony and watched two tapings of “Rachael Ray.” She was blown away when Rachael came out between segments, made eye contact and waved to her.

In a moment of utter shock, Victoria became very shy as she got face-to-face with her culinary idol. She was delighted to discover that Rachael was just as sweet in person as she appears on television. After they shared a hug, Victoria said she would never wash her hands again, and Rachael joked, “You better wash your hands if you’re going to be handling food!” Rachael signed her newest cookbook for Victoria and the pair took pictures together. As the two said goodbye, Rachael told Victoria, “This is your home. You come back anytime.” It was a moment that the aspiring chef won’t soon forget.

Wish Granters: Maria Bracamonte & Melissa Sackman
Referred by: her mother
Adopted by: Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm Glazer

Source: S.Fla Make a Wish

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you thnk? And is there a child that you would like to have MAW help? Contact us at dan@youngchronicle.com

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