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A Memorial To
In April, I received a call from Sarah Wilson, who has been involved with
"Help From The Heart, Inc. since its creation. She and her fiancée, Joe
Arick, have been so wonderful to provide the entertainment for the
organization whenever needed. In fact, Sarah and Joe are in the process of
recording a CD, which will include our song, "Help From The
Heart", as well as other songs of hope and inspiration. When Heather
Dobson asked Sarah to sing at a memorial for a young man who had lost his
battle with cancer, Sarah was happy to volunteer. Heather wanted to put
together a memorial service to honor this young man. They needed someone to
provide the memorial plaque, so Sarah began to tell Heather about our
foundation and asked her to give me a call. When Heather began to speak of
this young man who had gone to school at Newark High with her son, Justin, I
knew immediately that it was Jesse. Heather did not know that the
organization had granted Jesse's last wish for a day bed and that we knew
his family. It seemed amazing to us both that we had been brought together.
Heather worked with Ms. Tonya Cline, the assistant principal of Newark High
to prepare for the ceremony. On Memorial Day, May 28, 2001 at 6 P.M., we all
met with Jesse's family at the high school. A buckeye tree was donated to be
planted on the school's grounds in Jesse's memory. "Help From The
Heart" provided the bronze plaque to identify the memorial. Sarah sang
"I Will Remember You" and "His Eye Is On The Sparrow".
Joe sang "How Great Thou Art". I was overcome with
emotion. My heart was breaking for Jesse's mother, Donny, and his father,
Rocky, and their other children, Savannah, Sonya, Sabrina, Rocky, and Brett.
Many of Jesse's friends, relatives, and class mates were in attendance. When
the tree was placed in the ground, each person took a small shovel full of
dirt to fill in around it. The air was filled with feelings of missing this
sweet, kind, loving, humble young man who lived life to its fullest. He
loved sports and excelled in baseball and was certainly an inspiration to
all who knew and loved him. I will always remember his courage, strength,
and positive attitude in spite of his illness. His mother, Donny, said that
he never complained throughout his entire illness and battle with
cancer. I shared my feelings for Jesse and his wonderful family with all in
attendance. Sarah and I had chosen a special reading to share with the
family. It was entitled "Wish List" by Collin McCarty. I asked
Sarah to read it. I want to share this beautiful message with you.
"Wish List"
Of all the things I wish for you, I would give anything if
these wishes could always come true...
I want you to be happy. I want to fill your heart with feelings of wonder
and to be full of courage and hope. I want you to have the type of
friendship that is a treasure-and the kind of love that is beautiful
forever. I wish you contentment: the sweet, quiet, inner kind that comes
around and never goes away.
I want you to have hopes and have them all come true. I want you to make
the most of this moment in time. I want you to have a real understanding of
how unique and rare you truly are. I want to remind you that the sun may
disappear for a while, but it never forgets to shine. I want you to have
faith. May you have feelings that are shared from heart to heart, simple
pleasures amidst this complex world, and wonderful goals that are within
your grasp. May the words you listen to say the things you need to hear. And
may a cheerful face lovingly look back at you when you happen to glance in
the mirror.
I wish you the insight to see your inner and outer beauty. I wish you
sweet dreams. I want you to have times when you feel like singing and
dancing and laughing out loud. I want you to be able to make your good times
better and your hard times easier to handle. I want you to have millions of
moments when you find satisfaction in the things you do so wonderfully. And
I wish I could find a way to tell you-in untold ways-how important you are
to me.
Of all the things I'll be wishing for, wherever you are and whatever I
may do, there will never be a day in my life when I won't be wishing the
best... for you.
I do not believe that anything can compare to the pain of losing a child.
While Sarah was reading "Wish List", I felt as if Jesse could be
sharing this message with his beloved family. It is my hope that I have
touched their lives as much as they have touched mine. God sent me to this
family to ease their pain and soothe their hearts. They will always be
a part of my life.
With love,
Pam Steele
April 4, 2001 Jesse VanValkenburg
Jesse VanValkenburg passed away on Sunday, April 1, 2001. His
father, Rocky, called me on Saturday to let me know that Hospice had been at
their home and that the end of Jesse's battle was nearly over. We cried
uncontrollably together, neither of us wanting to accept the inevitable. I had
just met Jesse eight days before. I sat with him and he shared his story about
his battle with melanoma, a dreadful skin cancer. He was thrilled with the
fact that I had granted his wish to have a day bed for him to rest in
downstairs at his home. He loved the "zebra" patterned sheet set
that he had requested also. When Sam Alban Furniture delivered his day bed, he
grinned with delight and appreciation. I had to see Jesse before he died to
say goodbye and to tell him what a wonderful young man he was. When I arrived,
he was surrounded by those who dearly loved him. As I sat on the edge of the
day bed and rubbed his head and held his hand, I shared my feelings of love
that were in my heart for him. How courageous he had been! Jesse was tired
from his long battle with cancer. When his father called on Sunday, he said
that Jesse was in peace now. We cried together again, but we both knew that
Jesse was in Heaven with no more pain and suffering. God sent me to this
family. I was able to bring joy to Jesse's life. His family will always be a
part of my life as will "Jesse's Story". Please keep the
VanValkenburg family in your prayers.
From my heart,
Pam
03/23/01 The Story of Jesse
God is always with me and His ministry has become my lifelong mission. He
leads me to those in need and brings me together with wonderful people whose
hearts eventually connect to mine. Jodi Ghiloni, one of my "Helping
Heart" volunteers, shared a story with me about her son, Adam's, friend,
Jesse VanValkenburg. Jesse is 15 years old and has melanoma cancer that has
spread to his lungs. He is the son of Rocky and Donny VanValkenburg and one of
six children. Jesse was a carrier for The Advocate here in Newark, but had to
drop his paper route after several surgeries. Adam was kind enough to help his
friend and assumed the responsibility of Jesse's route. After hearing Jesse's
story from Jodi, I immediately called his mother, Donny, to see what I could
do to help. Donny assured me that they had enough funds for Jesse's monthly
trips to Chicago where he has to travel for special experimental
treatments. Melanoma usually strikes an adult, not a child. Once this cancer
spread to Jesse's lungs, the only option for treatment was Chicago. I asked
Donny what I could possibly do to brighten Jesse's life. I suggested a stereo
of his own, realizing the soothing effects of music. However, Jesse has become
very weak lately. His breathing is labored and difficult and to climb the
stairs to get to his bedroom expends all of his strength and energy. His wish
was for a day bed that he could rest in downstairs, and a day bed Jesse now
has, that is complete with coverlet, pillows, mattress pad, blanket, and his
request of zebra patterned sheets. I bought a beautiful maple day bed with a
quality Serta mattress at Sam Alban Furniture located at 57 West Main Street
in Newark, Ohio. A dear woman by the name of Marge waited on me and introduced
me to the owner, Mr. Reece Alban, who is a kind and compassionate gentleman.
Mr. Alban offered me a discount on the day bed to do his share to help me fulfill Jesse's
wish. All of Mr. Alban's employees seemed to reflect his giving nature. Tears
welled-up in all of our eyes as we talked about this courageous young boy who
is battling this dreadful disease. When I visited the VanValkenburg home to
deliver the bedding for Jesse's day bed, the entire family welcomed me with
open arms. I met Jesse and he talked with me about the cancer and showed me
the scars from his many surgeries. I hugged him tightly and let him know that
we all were praying for him. Many of the emotions that I experienced when
Jordan battled cancer surfaced as Donny shared Jesse's struggles. I recalled a
particular scripture that had given me strength, Isaiah 41:10, "Do not
fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right
hand". Jesse is a wonderful young man who needs to be remembered often in
our prayers. I know he would appreciate cards of encouragement. His address is
Jesse VanValkenburg, 109 Maholm, Newark, Ohio 43055. Contributions to the
Jesse VanValkenburg Fund can be mailed to Park National Bank, 50 North Third
Street, Newark, Ohio 43055. In closing, I wish to thank Mr. Reese Alban for
his kindness and his sincere desire to help others. God continues to bless me
with people who are willing to join me in my mission to make a difference in
another person's life.
From my heart,
Pam Steele
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is a registered Non-Profit Organization