HELP

November 2011
I saw a link on a friends Facebook post to a blog that was dedicated to the journey of a sweet girl. That sweet girl was Anaya Cassin Potts. She had Krabbe Leukodystrophy. I was for some unknown reason to myself incredibly drawn to her story. To her life. To her journey. It didn't take reading many of her mother, Camara's, blog entries (http://healinganaya.blogspot.com/) until my heart hurt but I continued to follow it.
On November 13th, 2011 Anaya received her Angel Wings.

I was completely heart broken. For 3 days I sobbed. At times, uncontrollably. Jamie couldn't understand why I couldn't avert my attention elsewhere. I couldn't understand. So instead I accepted that I must, for some reason unknown to me, have needed this awareness. Maybe it would make me (has made me) appreciate my healthy smiling children more. Maybe it was to tell me to have more patience. Maybe it was to create a sense of thanks for all I do have in my life. I'm not saying I wasn't thankful up to that point but maybe I just needed to be more aware of everything around me...my husband, my children, my family and friends. Shortly after Anaya passed I even went to have energy work done. I couldn't shake the heart break. It was incredibly powerful. I thought of her, Camara, Brent and Solara as if I had known them personally. It broke my heart knowing a mother and a father had lost their baby. I couldn't imagine. I didn't want to imagine. It hurt.

Since last November there have been so many positive changes in my life. Many of which I give gratitude to my new awareness. I have continued to follow Anaya's mother Camara on Facebook through her many community pages.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAnayaInitiative
https://www.facebook.com/camaraloves
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Un-Sorriso-per-Ginevra-A-Smile-for-Ginevra/138529646238762

She is amazing. She is strong and she is a fighter. She has one of the biggest hearts I have ever been witness to. She is constantly serving others in need and for that I applaud her. I'm sure it takes a lot of emotional strength to go on after the loss of your own child, but to help others who's children are affected by the same devastating demyelinating condition takes a lot of emotional courage and once again, a very
BIG HEART.
Camara has spent the last few days visiting baby Gabriel in Monterrey, Mexico. Gabriel is also affected by Krabbe. It is terminal and he is getting sicker. She went to Mexico to extend her help to his family as they are struggling financially. With her first hand knowledge of the disease she has been able to reach out to her Facebook community for some of the material things Gabriel is in desperate need of which include but aren't limited to a nebulizer, tubing, receiving blankets, portable suction machine, a feeding pump and bags and more. Gabriel and his family are still in need of help financially so his parents can afford doctors appointments, medicine, future hospitalizations for sickness and supplies. They must also buy or find oxygen equipment and a special stroller as well.

Its hard to imagine what it would be like to be in Mayte and Armando's shoes. We have almost everything we need here in Alberta. In Canada. Our doctors visits are paid for. Some of us have medical insurance plans that cover prescription costs. If Mayte and Armando lived here in Alberta and as a couple they made less than $29,000 a year Alberta Works would provide them with a Child Health Benefit Plan. It hurts my heart that they don't have access to these kinds of options.

Today I felt the need to share this story.
To share Gabriels story.

If you can help IN ANY WAY please please do. A donation as little as $5.00 adds up and is so much help to them.  https://apps.facebook.com/fundrazr/activity/bb54b4c3cd03409297ba95198bfe0d84

If you aren't able to help financially please share this.
https://www.facebook.com/littlegabriel

For your ears and hearts I am thankful.

Much Love, Shanon