Testimonies
Testimonials
God sends postage to little girl
"I am a
Anyway, I had originally told my daughter that she could pick out two boys and two girls to shop for. It turned into 12 because she saw their photos and she would say, "They're all so wonderful! I just can't pick." We compromised and made an age limit of up to five years old. She wrote individual cards to each one of the children based on their profiles. The beginning was about the same with slight variations.
It was a Sunday when we finished addressing the packages. She insisted that we go to the post office that night. I had to feed the stamp machines to get enough postage. Most envelopes where a combination of $.37, $.23 and a whole lot of $.01 stamps. I thank God that they were self-adhesive. I remember counting them out, "$2.87, $2.88, $2.89, $2.90!" and Kara kissed each one before she slid them down the chute.
We were short postage on the last package. We only had $.54 of stamps left. We needed $2.90 to send it. I told Kara I would buy more stamps in the morning. She was very disappointed, however, I pointed out that we were able to send 11 out of 12 packages. One more day would be fine.
All of a sudden a young man came in to drop off a package. He saw the patchwork of stamps on our package and commented on how nice it looked. Kara came right out and told him the story. He asked how much we needed. I was too embarrassed to say, but Kara came right out and told him what we needed. He gave us three dollars without hesitation, but I was still feeling funny about it. I didn't want to take the money. Kara wrote something down on a piece of paper and gave it to the man. It was GTN' website address. She told him he could look up the little boy that he was going to make very happy by giving us the postage. He was very tickled by the idea. He promised her he would do that.
When we got into the car Kara turned to me and said, "Mommy, God is so good." I agreed. She went on, "He sent us that man when we really needed him the most." The idea stopped me in my tracks. I don't think I will be embarrassed by another's generosity ever again. I had started out trying to teach my daughter a lesson in giving. She ended up teaching me so much more."
Michele Gill
Bear,
A college student with a soft spot in her heart
"I came to GTN a while ago. I thought and still think that this is one of the best websites on the web!! I have always loved writing letters and always wanted a way to send a nice thought or smile to some little child in need, and now I have a way to do that. Sometimes I get busy with life and behind in update emails, but I always end up reading them and returning to the GTN website before too long, and every time I visit, I have lots of emotions.
GTN just touches my heart and my life more than I ever could have imagined. I do not have anyone in my family with any situations like this and I am not a parent. I am a 19-year-old college student who has a soft spot in her heart for the loving, kind, and innocent souls in this world, and my heart goes out to these kids. Thanks to Alex for putting this website together so that so many people can come together in love and support for each other. GTN is truly a beautiful thing and I'm very thankful to be a part of this whole experience!"
Meghan Ellison
A "GTN Junkie" mom
"I feel like I am on a roller coaster of emotions when I visit the GTN website. One minute I am crying with a parent and the next smiling at how strong these little babies are. Then back to crying when one of the children has had a good day or a breakthrough in treatment.
Before I came to this website I thought life was so overwhelming because I have a two year old. Thank you for making me look at my life and my family in a different light. I think Justina's mom said it the best *Sometimes you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right*. I must admit I have become a GTN junkie (ha ha) I have to come here daily to read the updates and just to look around.
I have two small children. My oldest is my daughter and she is six. My daughter has a heart of gold and when I tell her about these children and all the tough times they go through the little tears well up in her eyes and she says "Mommy the best thing we can do is pray for them" then she shuts her eyes and waits for me. She has told everyone we know about GTN and how they should send cards. Thank you for such a wonderful website.
Alex you are truly Heaven sent. I pray for every one of you daily and think of you constantly. So GTN means I get to spend a loving moment with my daughter and with all of you. I feel like I have known all of these wonderful people for years. Thank you so much for the smiles and even for the tears."
Canon City
An emotional Australian truck driver
"I stumbled upon GTN almost by accident, as a result of an email I read. As I read through the website, I was moved more and more. To put it all in perspective, I am an older man who is now separated and living way out "in the bush", as Aussies put it. My ex had a couple of children to whom I was a step father most of their lives but they are now full grown. At no time did they have any illnesses of note and since I have no children of my own, I have never had to undergo the mental torture that both parents and children of your website have.
Having been a truck driver all my life, I have seen more than my own share of death and destruction, mostly cataclysmic trauma, because of that, I have become a pretty hard nosed sort of a man. You HAVE to be, or else you end up going crazy, I think. As a result, very little touches me emotionally in comparison to what would once have done so. Having said that, I sat here in tears as I read through even just the "Featured Kids". Then I went to the "Angel's Page" and lost the plot completely. I am a big man and by necessity hardnosed of outlook and pride myself as being tough as nails, but some things seem to turn the water works on and this website was one of the "some things". I have no fear of admitting emotion, but it is rare that I allow myself the luxury of the feelings engendered by this website.
After perusing the website for a while, I thought I would go and "Meet the Founder". What I found was a very beautiful and seemingly well adjusted lady and an apparently "normal" (whatever normal is) lifestyle. You say that you haven't any children, nor relatives in the circumstances depicted on your website, so my only conclusion is that you must have a wonderful heart and outlook on life. Perhaps you are a rare and precious gift to this world, because someone such as you can accomplish so much with so little, using such a powerful medium as the Internet.
YOU are the angel of your website. Whatever you do with your life, never, EVER lose that which is essentially you and that is a love and spirit from within that few of us can aspire. It is something that the likes of me will never be blessed with, so cherish that which you have."
~ Ian Rosser
A teacher of children with learning disabilities making books
"I teach reading and writing at a private school for middle and high school students with learning disabilities. There are only about 120 kids at the school and about 30 of them have been involved in sending mail to the GTN kids.
Instead of sending cards to the GTN kids my students write stories and make them into books and send them along with a letter to a child of their choice. Usually my students spend anywhere from a half hour to two hours checking out the GTN website.
After they have viewed it they either write a story and then choose a kid to send it to or they choose a kid then write the story. I try very hard to send something to the child and their siblings, because I don't want the siblings to be left out. Some of the students become very interested in the project and will continually ask if I know anything more about the child they chose. Others are only interested if I tell them something, but they don't ask about the child.
I think this project has been very educational in helping the students with their writing of letters, stories and writing in general, but it also has opened their eyes so they are thinking about someone other than themselves. It has definitely had an impact on the kids. You especially see it when they first look at the website and when I tell them that a child has died, especially when it is a child that one of the students has sent a book to. Overall I think this is a great, educational project and I will continue to do it for the third year this fall."
~ Katie Adams -
A featured child's Grandmother's touching e-mail
"Dear Alexandra,
First, I would like to say thank you and God bless you for your Make A Child Smile website. It has helped us so very much. I am Emma H's Grandma. She was a featured child on October of 2000. She is my little red headed baby doll. She's doing very well with her treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
When Emma was diagnosed with leukemia, Alexandra, I thought I would die! Literally, I thought my heart was stopping! She is (or was at the time) my only grandchild. The light of our lives, my heart! How could this happen??
When we were in the hospital with her I kept waiting for the doctors to come in and say "You know, we are sooooo sorry, we've made a mistake, you can go home!" And of course they didn't. And I started getting mad. Mad at God and... just mad! And I started... not doubting my faith, I would never do that, but just having a very hard time.
Then my daughter, Tammy, said "Mom, look at this website, Emma is going to be a featured child in October!" I told her "No"!!
Then when October came, she printed the website for me and left it at my house to read. I started to read about
Alexandra, your website helped my Tammy and my Emma so much! Then Emma's cards and little gifts started coming, it made our whole family smile. I was totally surprised at how many cards, letters and little gifts Emma received (and still does receive!). How much it helped Tammy and Ron to know people from all over the world were praying for our Emma. Prayer is so very powerful!
Words just can't be found to thank you Alexandra! I just don't know what to say. If I can do anything, although I don't know what I could do. I'm just a Grandma who spoils her grand babies too much. But if I could EVER do anything to help your website please let me know!
You are always in my prayers too! God bless you!"
~ Sharon (Emma H's Grandma)
A mom of a featured child who became an Angel
"My daughter Sandy and I found the GTN website and instantly knew we had found something special. We started sending cards and stickers to the kids on the website. But
I had thought of trying to get
It felt so good to have all these people showering her with so many warm wishes.
Since she has been gone we have remained a part of the "family" of the GTN website. We still sometimes get notes or cards from people who had written to
~ Lori (Angel Sandy's mom)
Cards make a difference even after a child is gone
"In November of 2000, my computer was down and whatever e-mail I had accumulating, the company working on the computer just deleted. So I was never informed that Jessica W (Feb/00 Kid) had passed away. In December, when I printed out the address list of all kids from the website, she was not listed as an Angel, so I did not find out that way. I then continued to mail my cards to all kids as usual.
In September of 2001, I received an e-mail from Kate, Jessica's mom. She started out saying she should have e-mailed me sooner, but her family was enjoying my cards so much that she didn't want to write, but she had to thank me for Jessica's birthday gift. They had just been to her gravesite and put balloons and flowers on her grave. They stood there picturing her playing with the balloons.
I e-mailed her back and told her that if it was okay, I wanted to continue sending the cards in Jessica's memory for them to continue enjoying. She sent me a message immediately saying yes, that she was happy for her to be remembered that way. I added Jessica's siblings that I had never sent cards to, so I'm still sending them cards now.
I was so very touched by this. We don't have to lose those we truly love. I'm so very happy that my cards are bringing smiles to Jessica's family. I smile and say a prayer for them when I fix a card for Jessica.
I know this is very rare and unusual, but it blesses me that MY cards are bringing the family smiles and good memories of Jessica."
~ Louise Boswell
You're never too "young" to experience something new
"Dear Alexandra,
I must tell you what a joy it has been for me to have gotten involved with writing letters along with poems and sending various items to April W (Dec/01 Kid). She became my choice when I found out that she was 90 miles from her home when she was hospitalized. This dear girl has become part of my life, so much so that I have sent her about 9 letters along with almost that many original poems. I have also written two letters in response to her mom. In my attempt to cheer her up, she has actually become an encouragement and an inspiration to me.
The biggest thrill was when I received a three page hand written letter from April's mom. I had tears in my eyes as I began reading that letter, especially so when I realize that April was receiving mail from various parts of the world as well. I have placed the original "featured kid" page of April among the Favorites on our computer.
I received the website from a friend during mid December and my life has taken on a new meaning since then. I am keeping a file on the dates and copies of my letters as well as copies of the updates about April. I felt that you might appreciate hearing about what your organization has meant to me. Perhaps the biggest shocker is that all this has happened to me as I am approaching 80! I thought I had experienced everything there was during my lifetime prior to finding out about this dear girl and your organization!"
~ Fred Horneck
GTN brings a smile to those who send cards too
"I've been a member of Make A Child Smile since May, 2001. I had to retire from teaching after 26 years, when I had an accident at school (I was hit in the head with a large ball), had whip lash which led to Fibromyalgia. I tried to work for 3 more years, each year getting tougher and more taxing. My doctor pulled me out of school 3 times during the 3 years - making me go on temporary disability. My whole life, my whole being, my whole identity was being a teacher. I loved it!! The fourth time the doctor took me out, was the last. I'm now on permanent disability.
I'm only 54 years old and have so much time and love to give. I was devastated! It took me over 2? years to come out of a very deep depression because my world was turned upside down. Everything was different. I couldn't do any of the things I used to do. I was a workaholic, independent, and very active. All that changed. In therapy, they tried to help me sort it out, but there's such a deep need inside of me to be productive and help children.
I don't know what made me look at that particular magazine with an article about this organization. All I know is is that it's helped me regain some of the respect and guilt I had lost. I need these children as much as they need me. To be able to bring a moment of sunshine, cheer, a smile, a moment of forgetting pain, is worth all the time and energy I have to give. I sometimes get e-mails or cards from the children, and I sit down and cry. I cry because I touched someone's life, no matter how long it is. I will always remember these wonderful children and their great siblings. I will always remember the most wonderful moms and dads, going through something no one should have to go through, but have courage, patience, love, and take time to update us. I think these are the greatest parents ever.
Thank you so much for opening your hearts and letting us in your lives to help a little. I am truly honored to be a member of GTN!!!"
Bonnie Ermilio
Encino,
