Here "A Song for Kellen"
By Sheldon Aucoin
 
There's a night light in the hallway
in case he needs to see
There's a storybook laid out for him
his favorite one to read
There's an old man in the study
with a picture in his hand
of a young boy and his daddy
the two were best of friends
 
And he lies awake at night
afraid to dream
Afraid to go back to that day
when he lost everything
And he hears a voice beside him
softly say "Hey Dad!" How've you been?
 
He just smiles and he says to him
I'm still Here, I'm still Here
I'm still right where you left me.
 
As he watches in the shadows
He can hear his daddy pray
And he's asking why the good Lord
Had to take his boy away.
And if only for a moment
he could hold him once again
he would offer up his final breath
to be with his best friend.
 
So he slips away that night into a dream
that takes him to the day
when he had everything
And he hears a voice beside him
softly say "Hey Dad!" How've you been?
 
He just smiles and he says to him
Now I'm Here, Now I'm Here
Now I'm Here right with you.



  

Video Description:  A father loses his son at a very early age. He was just 7 years old. He
is devastated. His love for his son is so powerful that he creates an altered reality in which his son is still in the house. So he carries on his life as usual. Turning down his covers, getting his favorite story book out and turning on the night light in the hall way every night. He lives out the rest of his life like this until he becomes an old man. The boy`s love for his dad is so great that his spirit has stayed in the house to watch over his dad. One night the old man prays to God to have his son with him again, and that night the old man dies.
He is then reunited with his boy......This is a story about Eternal Love!!!

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"Here" was written a few years ago, but it now has become a song to honour and remember a local boy from the author's hometown.

Kellen Barry Surette:  February 8, 2006 - September 11, 2013

This morning, the official Grand Opening of the renovated Stait Park in Fergus, as the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora Accessible Playground was held.  I would like to say Thank You once again to everyone who supported myself and Darrel's Playground to have Darrel's name on the Park's signage as a Bronze Sponsor. Without the assistance of family, friends, and others around the Centre Wellington community, this dream would not have become a reality.

Previous Links on the Park:

http://www.darrelsplayground.com/1/post/2013/04/april-2313-dream-into-reality.html

http://www.darrelsplayground.com/1/post/2013/07/evolution-of-a-park.html

http://www.darrelsplayground.com/1/post/2012/10/darrel-and-the-stait-park-renovation.html

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Articles on the Grand Opening:  http://www.southwesternontario.ca/community/stait-parks-new-playground-opens/

http://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/comments/index.cfm?articleID=18432

Over the past week, I have been re-reading my Blogs from 6 years ago, and I have reposted some of them on Darrel's Facebook Page.  While they bring back a flood of memories from the
most painful part of my life, in a strange way, I am grateful that I managed to put my thoughts together enough to have these to look back at today.  Time has a way of changing our perception of both recent and/or more distant events.  Though it is impossible for me to ever forget what happened over those last few weeks, days and hours with Darrel, it is somehow helpful to know exactly what I was thinking when they were actually occurring to myself and our family.  Judging from some of the comments they have received, they also continue to have an impact on those who read them today.  For that, I am also thankful.
 
I am often asked why, even now...six years after Darrel was taken from our family, I continue with raising awareness about childhood cancer?  How will any of my actions encourage the decisions makers to pay more attention to the fact that childhood cancers are both overlooked and underfunded here in Canada, and elsewhere around the world?  Wouldn't be easier on me to distance myself from all the pain and suffering that goes along with watching other families fighting for the lives of their children, much like we did with Darrel?  What goals to I hope to achieve, and how am I going to make it happen???  Sometimes, in the back of my mind, I wonder if these people aren't more interested in me stopping these efforts so they don't
have to constantly see my Posts on Facebook or be asked to donate any of the fundraisers that I take part in.  In truth, I don't have a definitive answer to these questions,  but who really does know what tomorrow will bring for them and/or their loved ones. We all just do what we can, when we can, and hope for the best outcome.
 
Making a difference is never easy, but anything worth doing usually never is.  I am reminded of
the story of the young boy and the starfish.  I've seen many variations of the story posted on the Internet, and have no idea who the original author was (though credit often is given to Loren Eiseley, among other people).  Below is one version that I have taken from another site:
 
One day, an old man was walking down the beach just before dawn.  In the distance he saw a young man picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea.  As the old man approached the young man, he asked, "Why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?"  The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun.  The old man exclaimed, "But there must be thousands of starfish.  How can your efforts make any difference?"  The young man looked down at the starfish in his hand, and as he threw it to safety in the sea, he said," It made a difference to that one!"  After thinking about what the young man had told him, the older man spent the rest of the morning throwing starfish back into the sea too.
 
 
Spending time online communicating with the parents of children battling against  neuroblastoma may be upsetting now and again, but it does come with its own rewards for me on a personal level.  That is not for others to judge, yet they still do.  It doesn't matter to me if I ever know the person who gets involved because of something I post, or get a "Thank You" from a family who is helped by one of the donations that I make.  That isn't why I do what I do.  My family was once on the receiving end of the generosity and kindness of strangers, and know all too well how much it is appreciated.  Unfortunately, the road towards a cure is blocked by many obstacles, one of which is a lack of adequate funding for research.  While the ongoing research was not at a point that it could save Darrel, and the countless other children lost over the last six years, or those taken in the years before that, each step taken forward raises the hopes and chances for the children facing any of the forms of childhood cancer in the future.  Knowing that some how, in some way, I will have contributed to this better tomorrow, is more than enough to keep me fighting the fight.
 
In a world where wars have been going on for so long that the many of the combatants don't even know how or even why the conflict began, life and death decisions are still being made by political leaders, both near and far from the battle lines.  Why is it that these same political leaders seem determined to sit idly by as children in their own countries not left with little or no support in the fight against childhood cancer?  Why is it that many in the general public are prepared to mobilize to protest on either side of the pending war debate, but have no willingness to even sit through a commercial from a children's hospital, as it makes them too uncomfortable?  While the prospect of peace in the Middle East is a noble goal, our children deserve better TODAY....MY CHILD DESERVED BETTER.
 
There is no longer any thing I can do to help my son in any way.  That responsibility and honour ended six years ago today.  The memories I have and share through these blogs, and the efforts I make to raise awareness, help to keep Darrel with me in the here and now.  It does not need to make sense to anyone other than me, so if you disagree, please refrain trying to impose your logic onto me.  If you are truly my friend, you would support me for who I am today, not who you want me to be tomorrow.
 
Thank You
 
Love and Miss You Little Man

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Looking at the Hit Counter, this website will have reached the 13,000 mark today.  Thank You to everyone who continues to keep the memory of Darrel alive with me.
  
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Next weekend, the Grand Opening of the newly renovated The Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora Accessible Playground will be held.  I would like to say Thank You once again to everyone who has given their support to this project.  The Park has been open to the public since late July, and has always full of children enjoying all there is to offer throughout the Summer.  While I am pleased to read that the Centre Wellington Council has recently approved a bid for the Millburn Park Splash Pad here in Fergus, it is somewhat disheartening that the Township is
funding this project, but did not financially assist the former Stait Park renovation.  The fundraising for the park, fronted by Power of Play, was a true community effort, of which Darrel's Playground is proud to have played a part in.  It is unfortunate that the Township could somehow budget $245,000 for the Splash Pad, but nothing for the Park.  That being said, if the Township had assisted in the funding for Park, our participation may not have been required, and Darrel's name would not be on the Park's sign as a Bronze Sponsor.  Hopefully the weather co-operates for us next Sunday, as several activities and special events have been planned for the official Grand Opening.
 
http://www.evite.com/event/0209CIYT2I2JAACHKEPC5WJAE7P2QA/?gid=fb

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Lunchtime on Sept 9th/13

A McNugget Feast in Darrel's Honour and Memory. I would like to think I would have converted him to Harvey's by now, but that's yet another one of the "What Ifs" that I'll never have an answer too.

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When tomorrow starts without me, 
And I’m not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes...
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn’t get to say.
 
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love. 

But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I’d always thought, 
I didn’t want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
The thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday
Just even for a while,
I’d say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did
My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven’s gates
I felt so much at home
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said “This is eternity,
And all I’ve promised you. 

Today your life on earth is past
But here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day’s the same way,
There’s no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.

Though there were times
You did some things
You knew you shouldn’t do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you’re free.
So won’t you come and take my hand
And share my life with me?”

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right here, in your heart.

-David M. Romano