Seven days in May...and on Monday, May 29, it will be
seven years since you had to go.......

Linda and I went to her brother Denny's wedding last
weekend. It was a nice day for a wedding. Denny is 56
like me. He got married in 1972 and had two
kids....and whoops, his wife left him.....didn't work
out.....then he caught up with his flame from 6th
grade and they moved in together 10 years ago.....
haha, and then last week they got married.

Did you see the little girl, Stace? I know you did.
You probably knew her before I did. She reminded me
of you. Doesn't look like you, but still.....when I
saw that little 4-year old walk down the aisle in her
soooo beautiful white dress, such a pretty
flowergirl....I remembered when we walked......
seems like it was yesterday. Yesterday. I wish.

When we went to the reception as fate would have it
the time came when I happened to meet her beautiful
young mother, Megan. Italian. 100% pure Italian.
I saw the resemblance.......soft black hair, curly and
both so cute. I couldn't help but compliment her on
her kid. What is her name? "Isabella," she told us.
We call her "Bella" for short. "Well, she sure is
cute." "Yeah, she's come so far," her mom said to us.
My head turned sideways a tad...."Come so far? What
do you mean?"

Megan then went on to explain to us how her little
girl had survived liver cancer and how she came to get
her liver transplant. I worked hard to hold back my
tears....Oh My God. Pray tell. Yes, her aunt found a
bump on her abdomen two years ago when she was but a
two-year old. Soon they learned that Isabella had
stage 4 metastatic liver cancer that had completely
enveloped her liver and tumors were breaking out all
over her lungs. I fought to hold my tears, although I
was sure Megan was used to this by now. Please go on.

Isabella was put on high dose chemotherapy and given
months to live. But, God had a different plan for
this little one. About six months later, Bella had a
complete response in her lungs. But, you knew this
Stacia, didn't you. I know you did. In fact, Bella's
liver tumors were all gone except for three....

hmmmm, mom and I looked at each other.....three...
three is the qualification point....the same team that
saved my life decided to resect them....Two and a half
years old, little Bella went in for major liver
surgery and seven hours later the doctors emerged to
tell her mom that they were so sorry, but once they
got in there they could not find enough margin to
complete the resection.......so they had to just sew
her back up and put her on life support.

Oh my God, your kidding. I could imagine the hysteria
and pain of that moment.....for me, this was not hard.
Hope is an ethereal being. When we need her the most,
she sometimes is so hard to hold onto.....we had to
sew her back up.

We're so sorry. But, we have something for you. We
decided to put her on the top of the pediatric waiting
list.....ohhh, brick walls and rollercoasters, how
well we know them.....come on take a ride...an E
ticket ride....36 hours later, a young woman in her
20's was dying in the ER and she was an organ
donor....the doctors decided to take 1/2 of her liver
and give it to little Isabella.

And there she was at the wedding and reception, just a
cute, normal looking 4-year old running around having
a blast. Well, I soon told Megan I had something to
share with her. I am a liver cancer survivor too and
I had my transplant almost four years ago. "Megan,
would it be ok with you if I met your little girl?"
She went off and retrieved Isabella, brought her away
from the other kids and fun, which she was not too
happy about.....

and, gulp, then I got down on one knee......

and I smiled broadly at this little angel and said "Hi
Bella, my name is George." Bella got a big frown and
ducked between her mom's legs. Haha. I dont care what
your name is...your big........shy, this one........
" Don't be scared. Your mom told me you had a liver
transplant." Bella then peered into my eyes, and for
a moment I saw someone else......"Guess what, Bella I
had a liver transplant too," I said as I pointed to my
liver.

That's when her eyes got all big and her smile came
back. Her fear disappeared and was replaced by pride
as she pointed to her stomach and told us, "I got a
BIG one....I got a big one." I made the Mercedes cross
upon my stomach and asked her if she had one too.
Bella then started trying to pull the straps down on
her dress....I did not get it at first.....and then
she just flipped her dress up and showed me her scar.

Back to George's home page

All of this right in the middle of the reception and
all the people......oh my.......and there it was, the
same scar I carry......I was trembling at being in the
presence of this miracle. Bella then smiled at me and
said, "Show me yours!" Uh-oh......I looked around...
Hahaha, she had me dead to rights. So, I pulled up my
shirts....all the way....and showed her my scar....
right there in the middle of the reception.....

This is how my week of remembrance and mourning began.

Ohhhhhhh, Stace.

Can I see a living miracle and ever doubt that you are
not lost to me? Could I ever stop believing in you?
I believe in love. I believe in angels....I believe
in miracles.......and I believe in you. Time is
trying to put a dull edge between us.....thats what I
feel at seven years......but it shall never, never,
never happen.

I call you, Stacia. I call you to hear me. Mom and I
miss you so damn much.....we miss you so much. I'm
crying now. Can you see my tears? I remember when
you were little like Isabella. And, I remember your
whole life. Fathers remember with pride how their
little girls grew up and became beautiful women.
Remembering tonight how you danced and grew into such
a lovely woman brings back so much to me. You had our
crooked smile. When the sun shined on you, the whole
world stopped to look at you. I know deep in my heart
that you were a great, great human being and a
creature born of love.

Alas, my darling, God had other plans for you that we
could not interfere with......26 years......far too
short for your mom and me......we're still hurting
Stacia. You know, we're still hurting. But, I see
all the signs. I see them all. And underlying all
those beautiful signs is a promise. A promise made
real by many visions.......

that your death was not the end.

And so, I shall live Stacia. I shall live for mom. I
shall live for Jodi and Greg. I shall live for David.
I shall live for you. I shall live for all the
Stacia's in this world. I shall live for all the
Isabella's in this world. I will laugh and I will
cry. Until my day will come and I will awaken in the
Knowing Mist.

Until then my darling child, I send you this
anniversary letter of love. Don't ever let go of me.
And when your mother sleeps tonight, please go to her
and join her dreams.....once again. Let her know what
she meant to you. Take away her mother's pain and set
her mind at ease.

And when you are done with mom, go out and find this
young child, young Isabella.....and put her under your
protection. That is my wish for you this night, my
saint who I miss so much.

On Monday, seven days will become seven years.

And to my angel, I say......God bless you. God bless
you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.
You took me under your wing......because you knew that
she was sick.....you took me under your wing....
because God loves our child so damn much...

Spread your wings far tonight, angel.

In the moon, I shall see Her. I shall see Her
crying......for me.

We love you, babe.