What a difference a few weeks makes. Lots to catch up on and plans to make…
On October 6th at 4:56pm, my daughter and her husband – Kaitlin and Jaleel Harrison – welcomed into the world the newest addition to the family. Her name is Nevaeh Celeste Harrison and she is a beautiful and healthy baby girl, having weighed 9lbs, 1oz with a length of 19 and ¼ inches when she was born. She joins her sister Naomi Kiara, who turns 1 year old this week. October is a busy month for the Harrison’s – as their anniversary is also this month.
My wife Lynda and I will be traveling out to Illinois to visit the newborn Nevaeh and the rest of the family once my son Corey’s girlfriend Alyssa gives birth to their expected daughter, Luna, in about four weeks. New life in the world to two young families – things are well in the Norton and Harrison families. We were originally going to drive out, like we did last year, when we brought an entire SUV filled with things for Naomi, but that won’t work this year.
We don’t want to get stuck in crazy Winter weather, so we decided to ship half of a garage full of things that are for all three granddaughters and then fly out as soon as Luna is born. Seems to us to be the most efficient use of both time and money to get everything we bought the grandkids (and their parents). Every little bit helps, especially when it comes to clothes, toys and other essentials. We are so excited to visit and see everyone, we can’t even stand ourselves. Lynda and I are very happy.
Onto more local happenings – there is a fundraiser for Amanda DaSilva, a single mom originally from Somerville, who now lives in Methuen, who has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Amanda graduated from Somerville High the same year as I did (1986) and has many friends who still live here. She was diagnosed with Sarcoma and went through aggressive treatment in 2013 and as a result of that intensive treatment, developed MDS which has progressed to AML now and she needs a lot of help.
As a single mom to her teenage son Michael, she has massive medical expenses – and with the help of her family and friends – will beat back cancer once again. This is a tough thing for anyone to go through and we all know someone or some family that has had to deal with this at one point or another and it seems to hit that much harder when it’s someone you call a friend.
The fundraiser “Help Amanda Kick Cancer’s Butt!” will be this Saturday (October 24th) from 7:30pm to 12:00am at the Dante Club – 5 Dante Terrace (Craigie Street). If you can join us, that would be great – if you can’t, then please go online to https://www.gofundme.com/keepinghopeforA and give anything you can to help this Somerville native and her family out. There’s also a Bone Marrow Drive that will be held on Saturday the 24th at the Timony Grammar School at 45 Pleasant View Street in Methuen from 10am to 2pm where you can register yourself as a bone marrow donor and help save a life. I hope to see many friends on Saturday night at the Dante Club. Thanks very much. #GMK