Chasing Rainbows: September 2021

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Fourteen Years of Chasing Those Rainbows...

I know what you're thinking.

"Wait. I thought you lost all your writing? Your entire blog? You said it was put up for auction!"

To that I say, all true. Well, true-ish. I'll write up an explanation at the bottom but for now there's something WAY more important.

Today is Gavin's fourteenth birthday. Seems impossible but true. We spent the day as a family trying to do things Gavin would have loved. Our original plan was to be in Ocean City, NJ but thanks to a nail in my tire and a flare of my Rheumatoid Arthritis that had me in bed for two days, we created a Plan B! As it turns out, Plan B was pretty awesome.

We took the kids to a big arcade called "Round 1" in the middle of the day! Going to places like this is something we haven't done in so long due to the pandemic. I'm so grateful we were only with three other customers in the entire place! It allowed me to relax and imagine Gavin's face watching Brian and Hope play. I'm sure he laughs all the time watching these two goofs.

The most important part of our birthday celebration came next. Today Hope's 2nd grade was celebrating "Random Act of Kindness Day" at school! And Brian is involved in a "Service Project" event in his grade. And I hoped for us as a family to do something meaningful to honor Gavin's special day. So we decided to have a Winter Pajama Drive for foster children in our area! Hope's bestie from pre-school has incredible parents who have fostered - and also fostered to adopt. Adrienne and her business partner run an organization called Fostering Hope in Limerick, PA. Please check out their website if you have ever thought about fostering. They would be happy to talk to you about their experiences!

Fostering Hope has a "Foster Share Closet" where they house donations of clothes and diapers and equipment and bottles - things that people might need if they get a last minute call to foster. No family should feel unprepared or unsupported as they take in a child. Their closet is currently in desperate need of new WINTER pajamas - from newborn to teen. So Ed and Brian and Hope and I went shopping and filled our arms with piles of pj's in honor of our own snugglebug, Gavin. We'd love it if you could join the pajama party!

Our hope is to help Fostering Hope fill their closet with brand new Winter PJs in all sizes from newborn to teen for both sexes. But secretly we do hope that we can just empty their wish list on Amazon. It would not only be a HUGE blessing to families and children - but it would continue to spread Gavin's ripple of hope further and wider.

I created an Amazon "registry" of pajamas called "Gavin's 14th Birthday." You can pick out one or twenty pairs and they will be shipped directly to Adrienne from Fostering Hope. It will remain open until October 6th and you can get to that registry for Gavin's birthday HERE.

(My favorite brother pj picture - and it was SO worth searching for tonight!!!)

Click HERE if you'd like to see the Fostering Hope Wish List on Amazon and help us clear it in honor of Gavin! Brian and Hope would FLIP if we did it.

We love you, Gavin!! Fourteen years as parents - and Daddy and I are so grateful we learned first from you.

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Now - here is what happened to my blog!

Is it possible for me to make this a short explanation? Doubtful, but I am going to try. I'll make it in bullet points to help me try to be brief!!

2020 (Although I could stop here, I will offer up a more detailed explanation.)
Wasn't writing.
Don't check Gmail so didn't realize my blog bill went unpaid because our credit card changed and I forgot to change it online.
They put my blog up for auction because I was a deadbeat.
BUT - it was just my blog ADDRESS that I lost! All my content was still on "Blogger" and I just needed to purchase a new domain. So bookmark or write down the new address. www.kateleong.net instead of .com

I had a true hero save the day. My cousin's husband reached out hoping he could figure out how to help me. He was the ultimate detective and I owe him a HUGE debt. The relief that washed over me when I saw our family life story come trickling back was indescribable. If you are from my area - or maybe even further, thanks to the pandemic - you might recognize my hero's name. Bill McMenamin from McM Entertainment. He has a Trivia/Music/Bingo/Entertainment company and let me tell you something - he and his family helped a LOT of people get through quarantine. Check out this great article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about that time. Thank you, Bill!! And thank you to everyone who reached out with suggestions and to tell me about the Wayback Machine website! And to those who offered me a virtual shoulder... that was a devastating month or so!!

BUT I'M BACK!!!!!!! And we have a LOT to catch up on. Stay tuned. And thank you, as always, for loving my family like you do!!

Gavin's Playground Project

Gavin's Playground Project was born from my desire to see an "All Abilities" playground built at Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. This is the hospital where Gavin spent a lot of time during his life... and where he ultimately died, surrounded by friendly and familiar faces. To mark the one year anniversary of his death, I held a fundraiser on April 5, 2014. You can read all about it in THIS post.

We raised a LOT of money, but not enough for a playground! If you would like to contribute to help make this playground a reality - so no kids will ever have to sit on the sidelines watching their peers play - you can contribute directly to the hospital through the Chasing Rainbows fundraising page HERE. Your donation will go directly to the hospital for the playground and is tax deductible. You can also create your own fundraising team page and start collecting donations in honor of anyone you want!! There is also a mailing address on their page if you prefer to mail a check. Designate your contribution in memory of Gavin Leong - or write in that this is for the playground so your dollars will go to the right place. Thank you for your support of Gavin's Playground Project!

Gavin's Trust Project

I created "Gavin's Trust Project" to help support Gavin's friends who receive services from the Chester County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania. I wanted to continue to try to "make the impossible... possible" for kids like Gavin, knowing well how hard it can be to get much needed "special needs" items. It makes me happy to know that even after his death, Gavin continues to help others. Click HERE to learn more about the Trust Project! All of your donations, big and small, will be added to Gavin's Trust Project to help therapists and teachers get what they need for children in this program. You can write a check made out to CCIU and mail it to: Chester County Intermediate Unit, c/o Deb Hiller, 455 Boot Rd., Downingtown, PA 19335. Please be sure to add "Gavin's Trust Project" in the memo. Thank you on behalf of me and my little superhero!