Name: jon-david
Posts by mafiahairdresser:
Donna’s Good Things
December 29th, 2011
I have lady friend whose daughter, Donna, was born July 20th, 2005. Donna was one of those angels who show us adults love, laughter, “judgelessness,” acceptance and tenacity; only to fly away after a brief lesson-encounter. You see, Donna was diagnosed with a brain tumor in March of 2007, and she passed away October 19th, 2009.
Please don’t shy away from reading. I know; you are probably a parent. Just thinking of a child who suffers or passes away must be hard for you. I promise I will not try to wring any tears from you in my little blog.
I’m here to tell you about Mary Tyler Mom. She’s my friend, and Donna’s mom. She has a blog at Chicago Now, called: Mary Tyler Mom, where she began to write about her daughter’s ordeal, her pain, and her whole experience of loosing her baby. She now writes about living as a mom and wife and she’s a damned good writer and she’s funny and she reminds me of another writer that I will mention in a minute. I’ve read Mary Tyler Mom’s blogs about Donna and I was moved. But I fell in love with this woman with what she has done with the sorrow and joy within her to honor her daughter.
After she died, and because Donna loved to dance, Mary Tyler Mom wanted to make sure that other kids who wanted to dance, and who still could, would be able to, so “MTM” started a scholarship to the dance studio where Donna had used to practice.
Then Mary Tyler Mom purchased a dozen DVD players for the oncology patients at Children’ Memorial because Donna’s DVD player had been such a comfort to her during her many treatments over the years.
Once a check came to Mary Tyler Mom with the inscription, “To Donna’s Good Things,” a movement was born. I’m proud to say that I am part of that movement. Just be reading about Donna’s story in a blog and writing about it here at Sassy Moms in the City.
Donna’s Good Things is a website and anyone can donate but the purpose of Donna’s Good Things is to “Provide joyful opportunities for children facing adversity, be it economical, familial, and social or health related.” Donna’s Good Things is also about sharing your good things and learning about others’ good things and passing them on, or being moved enough to donate to your own worthy cause in the spirit of “DGT’s.”
In 1989, I picked up a book at an airport, as I always do, to read on the plane. I’m a professional writer, so I always pick up an airport best-seller, to see what the competition is writing so I can discreetly plagiarize it. I spied and picked up Erma Bombeck’s new book, I want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise. I’ve loved this writer/columnist’s work all my life and I expected to be rolling in the aisles of my plane because Erma is hilarious! Unfortunately, I did not read the ibid on the cover “Children Surviving Cancer.”
Well I did laugh on the plane. And I did cry. A lot. The reason Erma Bombeck wrote this book was because she understood that children are children, whether they have cancer, or they are rich or poor or healthy. They accept things that taste good and things that are painful; and they cry when they are hurt and laugh when they are happy. But all kids want to be kids and play. They want the adults in thier lives to love them and treat them like kids–especially kids with life-threatening illnesses.
I don’t have kids but I believe they are people who understand the fundamental reasons that we are all here: We are here to love and learn and laugh, as best we can, for as long as we can. My friend, Sheila Quirke, aka: Mary Tyler Mom, & Donna’s Good Things, understands this and honors her daughter by passing that on to us. I just thought you should know that someone is reminding us, besides your kids.
jon-david is the author of the eBooks, Mafia Hairdresser, and The Glow Stick Gods, and a hairdresser at Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa. He will be spending New Years Eve with Mary Tyler Mom and a few kids at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Feel Free to donate at www.DonnasGoodThings.com and check out www.chicagonow.com/mary-tyler-mom
