ELLA's Teddy Program

I was of one the "lucky" ones...
Compared to others in my situation...

You see, I was "fortunate"...
For the fact that because Ella lived...
Almost 8 months...
I did not go home empty-handed...

Although I did go home an orphaned mom...

I was "fortunate" enough...
To have almost 8 months...
Of teddy bears...
Clothes...
Books...
Pictures..
Videos...
Music...
And other toys...

Which when panic strikes...
Keep me for going insane...

I have a little bit of Ella's life...
With me...
In my heart...
In her room...
All over my house...

But not everyone has this "chance"...
And so, when I heard...
Of this program existing in Australia...
I knew I what I had to do...

It is a simple gesture...
A teddy bear...
The basic and yet ultimate...
Newborn's gift...

Almost everyone receives...
At least one as a gift...
When a child is born...
Or even before the miracle of life...
Begins...

Ella did...
Flocon Flake...
A cuddly polar bear teddy...
From her auntie A...

And as a child earn his or hers wings...
Whether at home...
In a hospital neonatal unit...
In a hospice...

Whether that child is...
2 minutes old..
3 weeks old...
6 years old...
Or 18 years old...

As a parent is left orphaned...
The comfort of a teddy bear...

A King Louie monkey...
A pink Hungry For Love hippo....
Or an ICU The Cat stuffie...

Is all you need...

To get you through THE moment...

The moment where the ground...
Opens up from under your feet...

The moment that panic sets in...
At the abberation of your loss...

The moment that you...
Once again realize...

That this IS it...

ELLA's Teddy Program...
Is just that...

A way to pay it forward...
Another mean to help myself...

By getting someone else as well...
Through THE moment...

Because I am "fortunate"...

And because I know...
How a teddy bear...
And a piece of my angel...
Gets me through my days...

And my nights...

Long live ELLA's teddy program...
Long live the memory of Ella...
And every other angel...
Being honoured...

As new teddy bears...
And carefully chosen small angel ornaments...
Will be offerred...
To bereaved parents...
On their behalf...

ELLA - Everyone Loves Little Angels

Feeling Safe After Being Robbed

I've kept myself busy for weeks...
Preparing for Ella's 2nd memorial birthday...
Busy to stay focused...
Busy to feel safe...

For I've been robbed...

Just as it happened 20 years ago in Québec City...
When I shared a condo with my sister...
And 12 years ago...
When my loft was again broken into in Montréal...
I carry this fear...

This fear of not feeling safe...

It can show up in the middle of night...
When a strange noise is heard...

It is still there, after no many years...
Always...
In a corner of my being...

Except this time...
Since March 2009...
This fear occupies my whole self...
Because the fear is very real...

For I have been robbed...

Ever present...
I never know...
When it will strike...
Or what will set it off...

Catching a glimpse of a teenager...
Shaking her head with a non-verbal "nuh huh, no way"...
And eyes that say...
"If you buy this,I am no longer your daughter"...
As she looks at her mom with a tender smile...

You know the look...
That both my sister and I...
Have given our mom at least once...

The same one you gave yours...
When she was trying to shop...
For something to make herself seem...
More hip...

I have been robbed...

Hearing the rolling gutteral sound...
Of my baby's laughter...
As tickles...
Invades her little body...

I have been robbed...

While riding the city bus...
On a Saturday evening...
Seeing your 4-year old kid sport...
Huge butterfly wings...
And talk non-stop...
Telling a teenager on the bus...
About how wonderful...
Her friend's birthday party was...
With a bonus...
"Nice talking with you"...
As the stranger exits the bus...

I have been robbed...

Planning that trip...
The one every mother-daughter must go on...
Deciding on every little detail...
That drives you even closer together...
That trip...
You will always remember...

I have been robbed...

The family picnic at the beach...
With tons of food...
A barbecue...
And maybe even some balloons...
When games are played...
Then a toe is dipped first...
And the entire body soon follows...
Into the ocean...

I have been robbed...

The utter sense of pride...
Or of concern...
You get when your little one...
Takes a first step...
Or breaks a body part...

I have been robbed...

That look of sheer joy...
Or is it pure fear...
As she sits on a horse...
For the very first time...
Just like Maman did...
When she was a toddler...

I have been robbed...

The bottoms line is most people...
May only carry such a fear...
Into the corner of their being...
After being robbed of their material belongings...

But parents of angels, like me...
Will go through life...
Day in and day out...
Feeling like their gut was ripped...
Right out of their body...

Robbed of the gift of life...

Robbed of their unconditional love...

Robbed of memories to be...

Robbed of that photo on Santa's lap...

Robbed of the first tooth fairy loonie...

Robbed of the swimming classes...
And the pink tutu twirls...

Robbed of that first day of kindergarden...
With tears flowing as leave...
And smiles all around...
As I later pick her up...

Robbed of that first walk together to grade school...

Robbed of "that" look and impatiently tapping foot...
That yells out "Mom, I am old enough now"...

Robbed of turning a blind eye...
On nocturnal escapes in the moonlight...

Robbed of passing on the keys to the car...

Robbed of waiting up all night long for her to come home...
Having honestly forgotten about her curfew...

Robbed of seeing my daughter...
Choose the profession that makes her happy...
And not the one she thinks...
We would want her to be...

Robbed of witnessing my daughter...
Walk down the aisle one day...
Or better yet...
Throw herself an "un-wedding" party...

Robbed of seeing her growing belly...
And little feet kicking left and right...

Rob of meeting my grandchild...
And her watching grow...
Into the best person of all...
The person she chose to be...

Parents like me will forever face...
This fear of being brought back in that moment...
When their loved one was taken away...

Whether at the beach, strolling...
Hoping to put the day's stress and worries away...

Whether at the mall...
On public transit...

Chatting with friends and even family...

Waching a commercial on TV...

It is undeniable...
And it is clear...
That I have been robbed...
Of my love...
My life...
My soul...

I am the mother of an angel...
And I will never be safe...
Nor do I ever want to be...

But boy would I ever trade...
My loss with...
Anyone who thinks...
I will "get over" it...

You never get over grief...

You may learn to live with it...
You just find ways to cope...

Until that moment you fear...
Comes right at you...
And brings you back to the moment...
Where you realize...

I have plainly and simply...
Been robbed...

ELLA - Everyone Loves Little Angels

It Only Takes One...

It only takes one...
Big heart...

It only takes one...
Kind soul...

To make a difference...
And brighten...
Someone else's day...

It can come in the form of a smile...
A gentle hand on your back...

It may show up when you least expect it...
From someone you don't know...
Someone who understands your fears....
And shares your pain...

It may be handed out
As a strength coin...
Because it is clear...
You need it...

Or as a hug without a need for words...
To catch you as you spin...
After having the wind knocked out of you...

It will surprise you...
And bring you to tears...
While filling your heart...
With hope...
And a sense of joy...

It can come from your family...
Your friends...

From a complete stranger in the street...
Or from another from across the world...
From a group with common misfortunes...
Or another who just wants to help...

It can materialize...
As one who finds himself...
Facing a similar faith...

It can be done in person...
Or by phone...
By email...
Or through social and traditional media...

It may be monetery...
It may be wordy...

But it is always done...
With purpose...

I was fortunate...
To come across...
The path...
Of one big heart...
The path...
Of one kind soul...

And so...

ELLA...
Everyone Loves Little Angels...
Was born...

Out of my loss...
To fight my grief...

To give a sense...
To my baby being taken from me...

To ensure...
Ella did not die in vain...

To keep her alive...
In the hearts of those...
She touches with her story...
Daily...

To pay it forward...
And bring support...
Maybe some peace...
Onto others...

As it had been done...
For Ella and for me...

It only takes...
One simple gesture...

From you...
From me...

To help sick kids...
And their families...
ELLA's Foundation will one day be...

To support bereaved parents...
ELLA's Wings...
Spread large and wide...

To manage symptoms...
Improve quality of life...
And maybe one day...
Find a cure...
ELLA's Hope...
Is that of those facing rare diseases...

But specifically...
It only takes one...
To restore hope to many...

Ella's Hope...
To eradicate...
One rare disease...

The rare disease...
That took you away from me...

ELLA - Everyone Loves Little Angels