Angels Among Us

by Karen Gibbs
photography by Abby Sands Miller

There’s no better time than Christmas to look for angels among us. There’s no better place than the northshore to find them. For this issue, Inside Northside went on a search for angels and discovered that these loving creatures come in a multitude of disguises. From a caring blonde-haired kindergartener to an enthusiastic grandma; from a good-hearted pilot to a thoughtful stay-at-home mom—the stories of these angels assure us that many halos shine over the heads of our readers. Here’s to those angels among us. Here’s to you all.

Megan: Braden’s Angel

Megan Elizabeth Farrell, age 5, has a fairly good idea of what an angel is. According to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed kindergartner, “They wear a white dress and something on their head…and they’re little—about this small,” she says holding her hands shoulder-width apart. “They help God. Yes, they just fly down here and help God by picking people up and bringing them to heaven. Like teamwork,” she smiles, giving a single nod that sends her ponytail bouncing in agreement.

While Megan’s angels bring people to heaven, Megan, as an angel to her family, brings heaven to people, especially to her 2-year-old brother, Braden. Last year, Braden was diagnosed with Hurler’s syndrome, a rare genetic disorder marked by the lack of an enzyme needed to break down and recycle materials in cells. The build-up of these materials causes progressive damage throughout the body. According to doctors at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Hurler’s, if not treated early with enzyme replacement therapy and bone marrow transplant, significantly shortens the life of its victims. Ideally, a sibling donor for the marrow transplant is most effective. Since Megan is Braden’s only sibling, the honor was hers alone.

Megan’s mother, Tasha, explained to her daughter that Braden was very sick and needed his sister’s blood to get better. Megan readily agreed. However, when the time came to have her blood drawn, Megan balked. Like any 4-year-old, she didn’t like needles going into her arm. After listening to three specially trained nurses in the lab explain what needed to be done, Megan countered, “Can’t you do it first?” Once she watched one of the nurses have her blood drawn, Megan’s anxieties melted away. Extending her arm to the nurses, she said enthusiastically, “Let’s do it!” She watched while they did it, and boasts, “I didn’t even cry.”

Megan was a perfect donor match for Braden, who now had to fly home to Louisiana and undergo twelve weeks of enzyme replacement therapy before having the marrow transplant. The infusions, which lasted five hours per session, were hard on Tasha and Braden. “In the beginning, he’d cry a lot, but he got used to it. When we’d get to the hospital, he’d say, ‘Bye-bye. Let’s go bye-bye.’ He wanted to leave. It wasn’t fun, believe me.”

At the end of August last year, the entire family (including grandparents Farrell and Arceneaux) flew to Minnesota for the transplant. Before leaving Louisiana, they celebrated both children’s birthdays. (“You never know what might happen,” Tasha explains softly.) Braden underwent nine days of chemotherapy in preparation for the transplant.

At the end of Braden’s third week at Children’s Hospital, the transplant took place. As donor, Megan went first. “I carried Megan in my arms to the O.R., where they prepped her. They had given her something to help her relax. I was able to stay with her until she was asleep; then, I gave her a kiss and left,” recalls Tasha.

Twenty-two punctures were made to draw marrow from Megan’s pelvis. Remarkably, she spent about an hour in recovery and was back in her room ordering macaroni and cheese soon after. Surprisingly, Megan never complained of pain. She had more pleasant things to think about. Explains Tasha, “She knew everyone brought her gifts, so she was more excited about that. It was like Christmas time.” (One of Megan’s favorite presents was a camera given to her by the doctors.)

That same day, Braden received the best gift of all—his big sister’s life-giving marrow. Amidst an atmosphere of celebration, nurses, doctors and family members, including Megan, filed into Braden’s room as the marrow arrived. Brightly colored balloons and hand-drawn signs (“Bad to the Bone” was one Tasha made) set the mood. Little Braden, his head bald from chemo, stood smiling in his crib. He knew this was a happy time, but little did he realize just how happy a time it was. After all, this was the day a pony-tailed little angel named Megan brought new life to him—and to everyone there, that was pure heaven.

In August, Braden and Tasha returned to Minnesota for Braden’s one-year check-up. His condition is considered stable. With a few restrictions, Braden is expected to live a relatively normal life. Says Tasha, “Looking back, I know God was with me every step of the way.”

Erin Patrick Pierce: Wings of Love

If angels are beings that fly around doing good things, then Covington’s Erin Patrick Pierce should be wearing a halo. You see, he has wings (a single-engine Mooney and a twin-engine Geronimo), and he does nice things for others, especially when he uses his “wings” to fly seriously ill people to distant hospitals.

It all began on June 8, 2006, when Erin became part of Angel Flight, recently renamed Air Charity Network. Erin learned about this Good Samaritan pilots’ organization from fellow Rotarian and Angel Flight pilot Buddy Hall. Since then, Erin has provided over 10,000 passenger miles bringing patients and family to and from treatments that would have been impossible to reach without Angel Flight. Pilots involved with Angel Flight receive no compensation; they donate time, use of airplane, and fuel.

According to Erin, however, the rewards far outweigh the cost.
His first passenger, Dominick, was an adult leukemia patient headed for M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston. Dominick’s sister had come along for company. The flight to Houston went smoothly, but the return flight a few days later encountered a fuel delivery problem at 11,000 feet near Lafayette. Erin radioed that he needed to make a precautionary landing, and was quickly vectored to Lafayette. Unbeknownst to him, Dominick was listening to the conversation on his head set. Erin realized this after he saw Dominick using hand motions to indicate to his wide-eyed sister that the plane was heading sharply down. Dominick was smiling.

Much to the sister’s relief, Erin landed the plane safely amid a crowd of fire trucks and emergency vehicles. He then rented a car and took Dominick and his sister back to Slidell. “Something occurred during that flight,” Erin says, explaining how Dominick’s attitude took him by surprise. “I don’t think Dominick would have traded that flight for anything. I think he actually enjoyed it. Maybe it was because he felt that—for a moment—his cancer did not matter.”

Like Dominick, most of Erin’s Angel Flight passengers are adults. Occasionally, however, he does transport children. Such was the case with Spencer, a 13-year-old Mandeville student. Spencer was at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, but he wanted with all his heart to be with his classmates when they graduated from junior high. Spencer called a friend of a friend who made the child’s wishes known. Erin’s employer, Parish National Bank, generously provided the plane and the fuel, plus gave Erin time off from work to grant Spencer’s wish.

While talking about his mercy flights, Erin’s voice modulates between humor and tender emotion. When asked what drives him to be part of Angel Flight, he responds with a question. “Have you ever known a person who died from cancer? My sister died from breast cancer. She was 27.”

He continues, “I picked up a lady in Gulfport in a twin-engine plane. We flew to Arkansas where another Angel Flight pilot was waiting to take her to a cancer center in Oklahoma. She told me that a local medical center gave her two weeks to live. That was seven years ago. She is still going strong and leading an independent lifestyle, having to go to the Cancer Institute for treatment only every now and again. She now looks at cancer as an inconvenience, not a death sentence.”

As in the case of this brave and determined lady, people often have to make decisions on where to get treatment based largely on transportation available. Angel Flight offers options to patients, and those people that they help never fail to express their appreciation.

Remarks Erin, “It is humbling. I don’t deserve their gratitude. My wife, Erika, and I often talk about how every day we come across opportunities to do something good for others. I take advantage of some of them; it just so happens I do it with an airplane. A lot of people do better things than I. This isn’t even heroic,” he declares. “The people at Angel Flight, they are the heroes. The American Cancer Society—they’re also heroes. Some of their members in big cities volunteer 50-hour weeks. In Houston, the taxi drivers charge reduced fares or no fares for people going to M.D. Anderson. All of these are heroes.”

If these individuals are the heroes, then who does Erin see as the angels? In all humility, he says, not himself. No, to Erin the biggest angels are the cancer patients themselves. Bearing the weight of sickness and possible death, they still focus on caring for others. Once, while in Houston, Erin came across a little boy who was not doing well. In spite of his own condition, he was more concerned about his family. Observes Erin, “When people are dying, they don’t want to make anyone upset. The little boy told his mother, ‘Please, Mama, don’t be sad.’ This little boy was truly an angel. He was worried about others and not himself—and that’s also how my sister felt.”

While it’s true that Erin’s patients travel on the wings of a Mooney, his kindness travels on the wings of love.

Those readers who would like to extend a helping hand to a critically ill person might consider becoming part of Angel Flight or volunteering for the American Cancer Society. Even if you don’t have a plane, there are many ways to get involved. Go to www.angelflightsc.org or www.cancer.org for details.

Karen Lindsey: Founding Angel of Ronnie’s Life Ministry

For Karen Lindsey, the call to serve wouldn’t go away. As a busy mother involved in the lives of her children Abby, 13, and Miles, 5, and as helpmate to husband Tim, Karen’s plate was already full. Add to that the untimely deaths of her parents eight weeks apart, the diagnosis of cancer in her brother, Ronnie, as well as the survivor’s guilt she carried from being spared the wrath of Katrina, and there is no doubt she was “maxed out” in time and emotion.

After Karen attended a weekend retreat where she experienced God as never before, she left that spiritual oasis willing to follow God’s lead, but not sure where he wanted her to go. “I drove around with a notebook and wrote down ideas as they came to me,” she explains. It was her concern for the well-being of her cancer-stricken brother that brought to light the ministry God had chosen for her, “Ronnie’s Life Ministry.”

Karen describes this ministry as a simple service designed to encourage others in time of need. Through prayer and personal notes of love and support, participants reach out to those who are hurting. Karen took the idea to the pastors of St. Timothy United Methodist Church in Mandeville, who saw its merit and invited Karen to present Ronnie’s Life Ministry to the congregation.

One Sunday last fall, Karen invited friends and family to St. Timothy’s to listen as she shared her idea with fellow church members. She prayed for God to work through her; the idea was well received by those in attendance. Karen’s brother, Ronnie, knew a little about the ministry, but was caught off guard by the scope of it. “Tears filled my eyes and I was glad that I didn’t have to speak after her, as I wouldn’t have been able to. I felt proud to be her inspiration for RLM, and that I had a special place in her heart and in God’s plan. I think she is an angel.”

Within 10 months, 73 people had joined RLM, all as intercessory “pray-ers” and most as note writers. As word of RLM spread, people called requesting that their loved ones be placed on the intention list. Karen added others whose stories she’d read in the newspaper. As of August, 155 people have benefited from Ronnie’s Life Ministry.

While every one of the 155 stories bears telling, two in particular show RLM’s worth. Let us begin with Spencer, who flew to Memphis on Erin Patrick Pierce’s Angel Flight. Karen learned of Spencer from a friend and kept up with his condition through caringbridge.org, a website used by parents of hospitalized children to update family and friends on their child’s progress. The heart-filled entries of Spencer’s mother, Joan, were of special interest to Karen. She learned that the 13-year-old northshore boy, who was in Memphis at St. Jude Children’s Hospital battling terminal ALL leukemia, had a passion for baseball.

That bit of information shared with her sister, Gladys Edward, was the catalyst for Gladys to contact Marucci Bat Company, a Baton Rouge business that makes personalized bats for the pros. Hearing about Spencer and his love of baseball, they agreed to make a “Spencer Boyer” bat for the terminally ill boy. Not only did the company make the bat at no cost, they also had it specially signed by pros. Gladys shipped the bat to Spencer with a letter of encouragement from Ronnie’s Life Ministry. Joan told Karen that Spencer treasured the bat, sleeping with it at the hospital until his death on June 12, 2007.

The second testimony to the power of RLM comes in the story of little Sam Seidel. This precious 2-year-old had fallen into a swimming pool and was under water for 15 minutes. Karen learned of the toddler’s plight from her sister in Baton Rouge. After checking out Sam’s website on caringbridge.org, Karen fell in love with him. She put his name on RLM and followed his story day by day. Wanting to reach out to Sam, Karen planned to pay him a visit while on an upcoming trip to Baton Rouge with her family. At the last minute, she grabbed two stuffed turtles that her children had recently won at Universal Studios. Abby offered to give her turtle to the comatose boy, but Miles couldn’t quite part with his, a decision that would have positive impact later.

In Baton Rouge, Abby and Karen both went into Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. On the way to Sam’s room in PICU, they encountered two ladies walking down the hall. Spying the turtle in Abby’s arms, they asked her where she got it. When they heard it came from Universal Studios, they were disappointed. One woman explained that her son was using a turtle like that one to support his little legs. She was hoping to find a local source for the toy for other children in the hospital.

As soon as she heard that, Karen said, “Are you Kahne?” pronouncing phonetically the name she often read on Sam’s website.

The woman responded that her name was Kahne (pronounced “Connie”).

“This turtle is for Sam!” Karen effused.

“Who are you?” questioned Kahne.

As soon as Kahne heard Karen say, “I’m from Madisonville…” she made the connection.

“Madisonville? Ronnie’s Life Ministry? Thank you for all of your cards,” she said as the two hugged.

Karen relates the rest of the story in staccato phrases. “…in a sedated coma… on life support…lifeless little body….blonde hair…no shirt….horrible sound of the machine breathing for him...” And then adds, “When his mother pulled back the blankets, there was the exact turtle, just like ours from Universal Studios, supporting Sam’s little legs.”

Karen knew at that moment that she had to find more turtles for the children at the hospital. She and Kahne checked the stuffed animals but found no identifying tags. When Karen and Abby returned to the car, Karen looked at Miles’ turtle, the one he wouldn’t give up, and found just what she needed—the KellyToyUSA, Inc. tag fastened to it.

That night, Karen went home and wrote the story of “Precious Sam and the Turtle.” Then she went to the website of KellyToyUSA and located the turtle.

Its name was Sam.

And Karen was in awe of the goodness of God.

At the time of this interview, Sam was home receiving therapy, making progress, smiling and interacting with other kids. And the turtles? They’re on duty at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge as well as at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. Karen has one case of Sam turtles in reserve to send to other children on behalf of Ronnie’s Life Ministry.

Audrey Pierce:
Dream Factory

Audrey Pierce doesn’t simply step out in faith—she gallops! The organizer of Louisiana’s first chapter of Dream Factory, a national wish-granting group that fulfills the dreams of chronically and critically ill children, Audrey went from a meek, retired grandma to a dynamic spokesperson and motivator in just a few short months.

“I’d always felt there was something missing in my life. After I found Jesus Christ, Dream Factory came up. Now I feel I have discovered my purpose,” she explains. “When an opportunity [like Dream Factory] comes up, you have to act on it. It’s not there by accident.”

No, it was not just by accident that Audrey agreed to accompany her daughter, Rhonda, on a visit to Dream Factory’s Give Kids the World Village in Orlando. As president of the Memphis chapter of Dream Factory, Rhonda wanted to share her passion with her mother. Audrey found the village amazing and overwhelming. Here was a place for Dream Factory’s special kids and their families to stay while enjoying a dream-come-true vacation at Disney World. Designed as handicapped-friendly, the village is tailored to the children’s unique needs, including a swimming pool with wheelchair ramps.

Touched by what she saw, Audrey knew she wanted to be a part of Dream Factory. Upon returning home, she shared her idea with neighbor Vicki Knight. Together, they were a perfect fit. Audrey had enthusiasm, but was a newcomer and didn’t know a soul, while Vicki was a lifetime resident who knew everybody in town. The pair networked to spread the word about Dream Factory. They advertised for volunteers in the local newspaper and in their church bulletin.

On January 1, 2007, Louisiana’s affiliation with Dream Factory officially began. Joining 33 other chapters in 19 states, the Franklinton chapter held its inaugural meeting shortly thereafter, signing up 15 members. That was a good start, but Audrey knew they needed more volunteers and a sizeable sum in the bank before they could fulfill any children’s dreams.

Soon, civic and women’s clubs in the area began inviting Audrey to their meetings. Not a public speaker, Audrey delivered these initial presentations despite shaking hands and a pounding heart. As her fears quickly yielded to her passion, Audrey’s confidence grew. In a short time, Dream Factory had over 40 members, including a 13-member board of directors.

Audrey set an ambitious goal of $20,000 for funding dreams. “Some doubted, but I said, ‘I think we can do it,’” explains Audrey. “As time went on and money came in, I finally could say, ‘I told you so,’” she laughs.

The money came in from sources usual and unusual. On January 2, Audrey wrote the New Orleans Saints asking for help. Remarkably, within five days a Saints representative called to find out how they could lend a hand. The items they donated—a team-autographed football, autographed photos, t-shirts and hats—were raffled off, producing a powerful $8,000.

The Rotary Club of Franklinton provided another financial boon when they, along with northshore members of the LA Restaurant Association, held a food fest and auction for Dream Factory. This endeavor netted a handsome $5,000, bringing the organization more than halfway to its goal.

As word of Dream Factory’s mission spread, others joined in earning money. Volunteer Cindy Adams bought an iPod and raffled it at $2 a chance. In one month, they raised $2,000. The once-daunting goal of $20,000 was within reach.

Schoolchildren, wanting to do their part, raised $3,000 in dress down days. Says Audrey, “Everything was falling into place.” By June 1, 2007—six short months after their first meeting—Dream Factory of Franklinton had raised $20,000. What a tribute, not only to the optimism and hard work of Dream Factory members, but also to the caring and support of the community of Franklinton.

With go-ahead funds in place, Dream Factory set out to make dreams come true. As Audrey so aptly describes it, “We didn’t have to find the children; they found us.” The criteria were easy: northshore children with a cognitive age of 3-18 years who are critically or chronically ill and who never had a wish granted. As names were submitted, members met to select recipients and set up individual Dream Teams to take over making each child’s wish come true.

“Jacob was our first child,” says Audrey, a smile stealing across her face. “He wanted to see Mickey Mouse.” Jacob’s Dream Team pulled out all the stops for the 3-year-old boy who was born with cerebral palsy. The morning he and his family were to fly to Disney World, Jacob rode a fire truck from his house to the local McDonald’s for breakfast. With a police car leading the way, Jacob made a hero’s arrival at his favorite restaurant. Well-wishers lined the street with signs and balloons. After breakfast, Jacob and his family traveled in a white stretch limousine to the airport, and then flew to Orlando for a week at Give Kids the World village and Disney World. Much to the delight of the Dream Team, their sister-chapter in Memphis paid for Jacob’s dream.

The second “Dream Child” was 12-year-old cerebral palsy victim Lucky Bright. “Don’t you just love that name?” asks Audrey. As it turned out, Lucky was lucky, indeed. He was one of seven special-needs kids adopted by William and Jamilla Bright, ages 67 and 72, respectively. Lucky’s dream was to go to Disney World. His Dream Team arranged to have him ride in a police car—lights and sirens on, of course—to the local McDonald’s for breakfast. Dream Factory volunteers once again lined the street with signs and balloons, giving Lucky, his four siblings and his parents a festive send-off. After breakfast, Lucky Bright and his family rode like celebrities to the airport where they boarded a jet for the Magic Kingdom. Observes Audrey, “The love that the teenagers of that family have for Lucky is inspiring. Those kids think nothing of pushing Lucky three miles in his wheelchair just so he can go to McDonald’s.”

As with Jacob, Dream Team did not have to pay a penny to fulfill Lucky’s wish. This time the local Rotary sponsored the entire dream for Lucky and his family. Speaking before the Rotary, Lucky’s mother thanked them for the memorable vacation and confessed that her special family had blessed her in more ways than she could say.

Other dreams are in the works for Dream Factory. A young girl wishes to have a “princess bedroom,” and her Dream Team is fast at work making that a reality. Young teen Erin Byrd and her family are going to Disney World at Thanksgiving.

While these are fine starts for the fledgling organization, Audrey hopes that within the next five years Dream Factory will fulfill 30-40 wishes annually. She especially invites people living in Eastern St. Tammany to submit names of needy children and to consider forming a satellite chapter of Dream Factory in their area. Audrey urges people to join, saying, “Being a part of Dream Factory will give more blessings than you can imagine. Helping these children takes your heart. It brings good to the children and it brings out the good in the community.”

Charles Henault, of Hopkinsville, Ky., founded Dream Factory in 1981. The second-largest wish-granting organization in existence, Dream Factory prides itself on its broad volunteer base, having only four salaried employees. For more information, call Audrey Pierce at 985-839-0283, or go to www.dreamfactoryinc.com.