Notes
To Laura
1/24/03
Laura,
Life in general has been a struggle for most, and a light for
many. Nikki and you have proved to me that no matter where God leads
us, we will be there for each other. Attending masses has and will
now be more than just once in a while. I am so proud of everything
that you accomplished, and I know that you and Nikki will be
watching over me. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to meet
two great people who will inspire me through out my life. Wherever
life leads me, I know that two heroes will follow. You were and
still are a great aspiration in my life, and I hope that you never
think back and wish that anything be changed. You have made such
great accomplishments in your life, and I know that you will
continue to help others in heaven. All of us in Avon miss you
greatly, and can't wait for our future together. Thank you for
inspiring me to live life at its fullest, and cherish every moment
that goes by. God will always watch over you and Nikki and the rest
of us. I miss you and love you!
Whitney McLellan
1/20/03
Dearest Laura, as one of the
newest Angels in Heaven of the Smile Quilts
family, we at Smile Quilts will be making a Memorial Quilt to be
added to the Smile Quilts site so that all who loved you and gained
strength and wisdom from knowing you may visit. They may also add
their thoughts to this very special Memorial Quilt to honor such a
beautifully spirited young lady. You touched many thousands of
people's lives, young and old in your too short lifetime. For any of
your dear friends and family reading this post they can add to your
Memorial Quilt by sending graphics and/or words they would like to
have on the quilt to sprite@tds.net and put For Laura in the subject
line. We at Smile Quilts know there is a void at the present in the
lives of all who knew you. For them we pray that time will give them
the comfort they need just from knowing such a tender and loving
person as you. And for you Laura, rest in His arms for your journey
was long and hard. He will give you all that you need.
Love, prayers and peace to you Laura, Sprite from Smile Quilts
Never to be forgotten...
Laura, you are in our hearts
where the Love and Courage and Hope you taught us all abides.
Now you keep us in your prayers...
From my heart to yours,
Judi
1/5/03
To the dearest Angel in Heaven -
We
love you and know that you will always be looking down on us from
Heaven. Thank you for teaching us about courage, strength,
determination, and to always cherish the life God has given us. Your
spirit will forever remain in our hearts. You have been an inspiration
to us all.
We miss you
Rest in Peace
Love forever,
Willa Burke
1/4/03
December
24, 2002
Dear Laura,
During this Holiday Season I would like
to take this opportunity to tell you how much I admire your strength,
courage and unselfish nature. Although I have known you for perhaps
only a year and a half, I have learned so much about you and from you.
For one, you are brilliant, like a shining star. Your words of wisdom
go far beyond your chronological age. You are a ‘patriot’ in the fact
that you strive for goodness in all people. You fight for what you
believe in and always have kind words for others. For example, you
fought to have a ‘Teen Room’ built in Connecticut Children’s Hospital.
Your thoughts have become a reality. You are a young woman that makes
things happen. You are unselfish and always think about those around
you. For example (and there are many), when I broke the heel of my shoe
coming up to the hospital, you without hesitation, asked your mom to
lend me her new boots so that I may walk around comfortably. You are
‘brave’ and talented. You had the courage and confidence to sing at
your friend Nicky’s funeral. That, is not an easy thing for anyone to
do and I applaud your ability to touch the lives of all of those around
you. For Laura, that is your greatest gift. You have the ability to
reach others in ways that you might not even notice. You are a
‘celebrity’. And yes, I am putting you in the likes of Faith Hill,
Michael J. Fox, and all of the others that you have pictures with/of in
your room. You have been all over the media – posters, journals,
newspapers, etc. People all over the world are praying for you and know
about you and the wonderful ways that you touch our lives. Your
kindness and unselfish nature do not go unnoticed. I wanted you to know
this. And before I end this letter, I also want from you an autographed
picture of you so I can prove to everyone, “Yes, I know Laura Santiago’,
since you are a celebrity, far greater than any of the others I
aforementioned. I thank you for touching my life in a way that has
enabled me to become a stronger person and face some of my own fears and
challenges on a daily basis. I love you and wish you nothing but joy
and peace this holiday season.
Forever in my thoughts and prayers,
Dawn
1/2/03
Dearest Laura....You have been fighting for so long now. Nikki's
illness was a complete whirlwind for us. Just 6 months between her
diagnosis of cancer...what felt like forever for chemo treatments and
Nikki's last breath, just one year ago. I cannot stop thinking of you
tonight, and for so long now. You have been fighting a most
courageous
and horrific battle....for Twenty months now. When I think that Nikki
fought so hard for 6 months...and it has been so much longer for
you......I know you are so very tired now. We all wish you peace and
comfort. I have so many good memories, as you and Nikki became friends
over Chemo. Not something any child should ever have to do, but you two
never complained...you just did what you had to do to get through your
ordeal. Laura, we are all praying for a miracle....we know how
much you want to get better...but if this is not the miracle that God
has in mind for you....and we know how much you Love God......then I
pray for your release from this pain. The miracle is something we cannot
see and do not understand yet....but in our faith, we know it is Good.
I know that Nikki will be there waiting for you, along with your dear
grandparents. Please do not worry about your mom and your sister. It
will be hard for them to learn to live their life without your physical
presence, but they will be sustained by the courage and love that you
have given them .... your love will always be with them and You will
always be with all of us. You and Nikki have given me the courage to go
on. And when you sang for Nikki, at Nikki's funeral.. "There You'll Be"
I was given a gift and my spirits were lifted to the Heavens. Who would
ever think a mother, whose most precious child just died, could feel the
way you made me feel. Pure and unconditional love. For now I know,
that the love between a mother and a child, or a sister or a friend,
will endure. Laura thank you from my heart, for being there
for Nikki, when she needed your love and friendship the most. I know
Nikki is there for you. Whatever happens, dear Laura, you will be
alright, because you have always been a precious angel from God. We
love you. <3<3<3 Nikkismom
1/1/03
Happy New Year Laura! we wish you
a peaceful new year---we watched the ball drop at Midnight and thought
of you and our many other new year's together.
we love you!
Aunt Darcy, Uncle Fred and Amanda
1/1/03
Hi Laura -
Heard you had a nice holiday with the family - we pray for you
constantly and hope you know how much we love you. Santa has hung up
his sleigh for this season and we are all very tired. We wish you good
things for the new year.
Love Mrs. G from the North Country
Hi Laura, This is Minerva, I'm
here at my sister's work place writing you a short letter to let you
know that I'm thinking about you this New years Eve. Your a very
special young lady and I have grown to love you through out these
years. We have always kept in touch and that has always made it
special for me. Tell your mom and Joelle that they are in my
prayers also, and that you all have a good New Year their in the
hospital room. From where you are at the hospital will you be able
to see anything at times square. I will call you soon and sing you
another song. That might scare you plump out of your bed LOVE
MINEREVA
Hi
Laura-
I don't think you know me... but I was on your bus last year and
someone sent me your site. I also went to ISCC with you and your
sister. I just wanted to tell you to hang in there and be happy!!
Good luck with everything, and keep smiling :)
~Thinking of you always,
~Amy Wrubel
HEY KIDDO!! As difficult as it is
please know that there is a plan for all of us and an outcome that we
have no control over. I think God chooses special people to enlighten
those around and to be a role model for others. For those who think
life is so bad and they have the weight on their shoulders need heroes
like you. To show the strength and love that one person and one
family can. You and Nikki are special people with very special
families and sisters. Whatever life has given you you have taken and
lived it to the fullest in both good and bad times. You are a winner
in every battle no matter what has been brought to the field. In your
fifteen years on earth, you have taught others a lifetime of lessons.
Where ever this road leads remember it is not a dead end, signs and
curves will bring great memories and pot holes will no longer exist.
Thank you for teaching me ever more the lessons of living and giving.
We love you, the crazy tutor and her family
Dear Laura,
Hello from Spain! I spent Christmas
here praying for you...and I think God heard my (and everyone's)
prayers because you seemed to have a wonderful Christmas with your
family. Living away from home sure teaches you that family is the most
important thing in life and you are sure blessed with a loving,
supportive family. Just to let you know....the holiday season of
miracles is still in full swing here....We are waiting for the 3 Kings
to arrive on the sixth with gifts for the baby Jesus, and perhaps that
miracle for you! I have the wonderful Hartford Courant article
featuring you and your sister above my desk here, you give me strength
every day! Just letting you know that people are praying for you
around the world....
Besos,
Kaitlin Muench
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Your courage, love and
generous spirit have deeply touched so many lives. Because of you,
we are loving more fully, finding more strength and reaching out to
others more generously. You have allowed the Lord's love to shine
through you...and that light will shine forever!
Mary &
Ken
Dearest Laura, you are now an angel with
God. You have always been an angel on Earth. No one fought a
tougher fight, but you were needed to look over us all. Now you and
Nikki can run free from pain forever. You will always be in our
hearts, thoughts, and day to day activities. Be Free Little one and
rest in peace. We will gather around your Mom and Joelle and help
them get through life down here without you. Your heart lives on.
God Bless and Keep You Safe from Harm
My thoughts are always with you Ms. Santiago and your family. Your
daughter was extremely loved and I will never ever forget her.
God Bless
Michelle Carey
12/31/02
My dearest Laura,
Kisses,
Dr. D
12/31/02
Dear Laura,
You are an amazing young woman who has a lot of courage. All of our
thoughts and prayers are with you always.
12/31/02
Dear Laura,
I have been praying for you every night now. You are the
strongest person I know and your courageousness inspires me. You have
impacted so many lives and are loved by all. Stay strong!
Love,
Melissa Papio
12/31/02
Dearest Laura,
A very special friend is on her way to provide strength and
courage during these trying times. She should arrive sometime tomorrow.
Hang in there we all love you so much. You have surpasses even the
greatest of expectations and made us all so proud.
Nina, Wendy, Chuck and Shoshana
12/31/02
Dear Lil Miss Lovely Laura,
I am so happy to hear you had a good Christmas! Mine was pretty good,
I got some clothes and stuff. And wow a phone call from Faith Hill!!
That is soo exciting! You shoulda asked her to sing for your own
private concert ha ha. I am so proud of you for staying strong and
proving all those people wrong. Hang in there and keep your head up!
forever emi* p.s. sm; )e
12/31/02
Laura,
I am so glad that you were able to
have a lovely Christmas with mom and Joelle and the whole family. how
wonderful that you got to talk to faith hill!!!!! that must have been
the best moment!!! and she sent you a lovely gift! I did not know
how much you liked faith hill but now when I hear her on the radio I
get a tear in my eye and a smile on my face. did you know uncle Fred
and josh gave you blood last week??? they were so happy to help you
and give you a very special gift. now you and uncle Fred and Amanda
are really connected (of course you always were but now......)I wish
you a happy and peaceful new year-----you are so brave and so
wonderful.
we love you so very much!
Aunt Darcy
12/30/02
Laura-
I don't think you know me... but I was on your bus last year and someone
sent me your site. I also went to ISCC with you and your sister. I just
wanted to tell you to hang in there and be happy!! Good luck with
everything, and keep smiling :)
~Thinking of you,
~Amy
12/29/02
Dear Laura,
Hey, Laura. I heard that you are
dying. I can tell you now that you will be dearly missed. I value
your friendship, and I try to remember the good times. I pray to any
god or spirit that may be listening that they will help you out. I
pray for your recovery and health, or, if that's not possible, for
your pains to be deterred. I have cried for you before, and I will
again, but I know in my heart that you will always be here. Nikki
is. When I was at a walk for life, she WAS there. I wondered if she
were there, and like an answer, I just knew she was there. She will
be with you till the end, and so will I. She was with you in your
operations, and so was Jake. When I have questions about my life, I
ask Michelle. And I know that she is sitting next to me, telling me,
Just have faith. You are my hero, and I wanted to dedicate a song to
you on the radio, but I could not find the number. But none the less,
I'm thinking of you, and I know that not only in my dreams will you
soar up in the sky, but you will, and you already do. You
never backed down, and you weren't afraid of failure. I said at my
teacher's memorial service, "There is a bigger battle- the fight of
never giving up- and he won it." You've won it. I want to be with
you on Christmas, but I can't. Maybe you'll be with me then. I know
my family versus my relatives, and you are a part of the family by all
means. When Gale calls, I'm afraid that you've died or are dying.
Now that you are, though, I'm not afraid because I know you'll be okay
and you have nothing to worry about. Whether or not there is a heaven
or god does not matter to me any more- if I could stay here, I would,
and I know that you'll make the right choice when it's your turn. I
sometimes wish that I could have one chance to make all the cancer of
the world a person so that I could have a chance to get even. For you
and for Nikki. For Michelle, Jason, Maria, Doug, and so many thousand
other people and especially kids that have never had a chance to live
life to the fullest. I kept thinking, "When Laura gets out of the
hospital and builds up her strength, we can go snowboarding. What a
time she'd have." I imagine who I want to be 10 years from now, and I
want to be a pro skateboarder. I want to be famous, and I want to
raise money for cancer research. If I get there, if I make it, I know
you'll be there. I know because you are an excellent friend and if
you lose hope than you don't have much. So I don't lose hope, as
small as my chance of making it big may be, that I can make it and so
many kids can make it through cancer. I love you Laura, and so many
people are praying for you, so don't lose hope because that would let
me down, and I'm sure that it would disappoint all of the other people
praying for you, too. If you don't hear from me again, I'm with you.
Always. Please be with me, too.
Love, Aaron
Fight the odds, hero.
12/29/02
Dearest Laura,
You have come to the end of a
dreadful and courageous battle with the most relentless and horrible
illness I can think of. You have shown such courage and bravery
thruout all of this, and your faith has been such a strength for your
mom and sister, as it has for all of us. I just wanted you to know
that I believe you are the strongest and and most persistent people I
have ever known. Your love for life and caring for all others is such
an incredible inspiration to all of us. You are truly amazing.
We have all been so blessed to have
met you and your family and to have walked this difficult path with
you. Your beautiful smiling face will be evident in every sunrise;
your peacefulness and strength in every sunset. You have the powerful
strength of the great ocean, and the gentleness of the soft breeze of
spring. You will always be remembered by us, and will continue to be
in our prayers, You have made our lives so much richer just by being
you - you are truly my hero. I wish you peace, and the long awaited
rest you so deserve after such a long battle. I am sad that we could
not have spent many more years together, with you and Aaron being
healthy and full of laughter. Be at peace. We love you, and will
take good care of your mom and Joelle. Someday we will all be
together in a much better place.
Love you always,
Marianne
12/29/02
Laura,
I have just recently found out about your struggle with cancer thru
Mario Ventura and friends. I just wanted to let you know that I will be
praying for you on a daily basis. I hope that knowing their are
sooooooooooo many people out there that care about you, brings you lots
of strength and hope. My husband and I plan on attending the fundraiser
at the Portuguese Sport Club on January 23rd. and we look forward to
meeting you. You are a courageous young lady and I am sure you will
beat this and have a loving and fulfilling life.
Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas and a happy and healthy New
Year.
Concerned strangers,
Elizabeth & Victor Leitao
12/29/02
Dear Laura,
Joanne, and Joelle,
Just wanted to drop
a line and wish you a good night. I have been praying for you and Gina
told me to send her love to you all. Love you very much.
Love,
Karina
12/29/02
Laura - just wanted to let you know that you and your family are
constantly
in our thoughts and prayers. We pray God will continue to give you the
strength to fight this illness. You are a brave girl and have a
wonderful
family. You are an inspiration to us all.
Your MAW friends,
Terry & Nancy
12/29/02
Hey Laura!
I'm sorry that I haven't posted for a while. I've been looking
at your site but I haven't gotten around to posting. I'm still
constantly praying for you. Stay strong. You're still my
inspiration! Keep the faith. God does amazing things!
Kelly
12/29/02
Dearest Laura,
We pray for you every day and know that our
prayers will be heard.
As always, I send you very gentle hugs and much
love.
You are in my thoughts and fervent
prayers each and every day.
My love to you,
Dr. deSilva
12/29/02
God is our blessing PEACE & keep your head up high. Clara
12/29/02
Merry Christmas to you and yours. happy
thoughts and glad you are all together. take care, love the crazy
tutor
12/29/02
Laura-
I hope you had a nice Christmas. It was
really nice here; I woke up this morning, looked out my window, and it
was snowing (even the ground was covered with snow)!! It was so nice
to have a white Christmas, especially because of the disappointing
winter we had last year. Hopefully things looked just as nice in New
York.
I just wanted to let you know that you are
in my thoughts and prayers. Remember to have faith, because with God
all things are possible. I wish you a blessed holiday season and a
happy new year.
All my love, Jenifer
12/29/02
Hello there sweetie! Merry Christmas. I hope
that through it all you are able to find happiness in the holidays. I am
praying for you. I hope you got some snow in NYC, I haven't seen the
weather reports today but its beautiful and white in Avon. Love you and
miss you. Hang in there. This is such a wonderful time of year and you
are lucky enough to have a loving family surrounding you. Love you,
Karina
12/29/02
I hope you and your whole family's Christmas is partly full of joy.
Please tell Laura I am always thinking of her and that I know Nikki is
her angel and is watching over her!
Lots of Love,
Michelle Carey
12/26/02
Laura,
I hope you had a Merry Christmas! It was so white! I finally got a
new computer (the old one broke a while ago) so now I can write to you
even more! Keep your head up and keep smiling! We all know that you can
and have been. You are an inspiration to sooo many people here in
Avon. I hope you know that. You are ALWAYS in my prayers.
Love Always and Forever,
Lindsay Fitzgerald
12/24/02
Hey Laura. everyone in Avon
is thinking about you and your family a lot. you're in all of
our hearts. we're all looking for a miracle but Know that they
may not be possible. We love you so much!!! Merry
Christmas Eve to you, your mom and Joelle and I wish you all the
best!!!
Love, Torie
12/24/02
Laura~ I just
wanted to let you know that you are always in my prayers and I think
about you everyday. stay strong...you are an amazing person. have a
happy holiday with your family and cherish every moment together! we are
all praying for you...
Tracy
12/24/02
Laura-
It's only now that I found out about posting notes, otherwise I
would have definitely done this a long time ago, I just wanted to tell
you that you inspire me everyday and that I'm always thinking about you.
you have the most beautiful voice, and I only hope that someday I can
sing near as beautifully as you can, you're in my prayers
With much love,
Michelle Wilbur
12/24/02
Lil Miss Lovely Laura,
Wow only one day until Christmas, get excited! Stay happy and
have fun on the holidays. Word is it is supposed to snow about a foot
here on Christmas day, so I'm sure you too will have a wonderful white
Christmas. All my friends are always thinking of ya and keeping you in
our prayers. And always remember missy, ya gotta keep your head up!
forever, emi* okamoto p.s. sm; )e
12/22/02
Hey Laura!
I'm sorry that I haven't posted for a while. I've been looking at
your site but I haven't gotten around to posting. I'm still constantly
praying for you. Stay strong. You're still my inspiration! Keep the
faith. God does amazing things!
Kelly
12/22/02
Just letting you know that you have inspired and humbled me by your
strength in fighting this disease. You are an amazing person, and try to
keep your chin up. Have a happy holiday in NY and remember that many,
many people are praying for you.
a friend
12/22/02
Laura -
A sprinkling of snowflakes and jingle bells for you. We're all
praying for you and hope you know how much we love you. Love to Mom
and Joelle and purple hugs and kisses too.
Love Mrs. G from the North Country
12/22/02
12/21/02
Laura,
Just wanted to tell you again how
much we love you. You have been our special girl since you were
born--and you and mom were right there waiting for Amanda when she was
born. i remember mom sneaking you into our hospital room so that you
could visit Amanda for the first time. You are a wonderful young lady
and you have accomplished so much. You have taught us what strength
and determination really mean and yet through all of the things you
have had to endure you are always thinking of others and not
yourself. The night you had mom call us because you were worried
about Amanda-----we just love you so much.
i know the distance between our
homes kept us from doing a lot of everyday things together but when we
got together oh boy did the distance fall away. remember our rides
through your neighborhood at Christmas time and we would go """oohhhhh-ahhhhhh
att all the pretty lights??????
we love you and wish only peace and
joy to you.
our love always,
aunt Darcy, uncle Fred and most of
all AMANDA
12/21/02
dear Laura and family,
I've been checking up on Laura's website frequently and just wanted
to drop you a line. Laura, you are quite the fighter! we need more
people like you with even a fraction of your strength. keep your chin
up and that lovely smile on your face. to Laura's family, I wish you
the very best during this holiday season. best of luck in all that you
do. :)
meg duffy (a friend of nikki's)
12/21/02
Hey Laura,
Talk about SLOW??? I did not even realize that you had a web page all
this time!!!!! This is one of those times where you just feel so
unbelievably stupid you want to collapse, but you would not know, would
you, because you are a GENIUS....... Seriously!
Anyway, I will be thinking of you always, and wish you the best of luck
with all this ..........stuff. Please feel free to IM me or give a call
any time (I know this is online but I will be flattered to entertain
phone calls from strangers- I hardly get any because I am such a loser
nerd >;P) 1-860-659-0877.
I remember your crystalline singing voice all the time, and you inspire
me to GET PRACTICING, right? It is such a pleasure to know you . Keep
singing.
We are all praying for you.
Love,
Carolyn
12/21/02
Hey kiddo. I hope things are very
festive in your room, although I am sure that it doesn't seem like
that right now. It has to be the most specialist Christmas ever. I
hope you are surrounded by your family and can feel the love and
prayers of voices from far away. A little Christmas glow and even
snow would be good. You are a gift to all of us, especially your Mom
and Joelle. Each day your strength gives others what they need to get
through even their toughest moments. Just a look in your eyes and
others can see what an eternity must look like and what true love and
compassion are a reminder to leave each day to its fullest and to
never lose sight of what tomorrow may bring. Remember dear sweet girl,
there are angels here on Earth too. You are one of them. Rest and
enjoy each day as you always have. You and your fight and family
reflect the true meaning of Christmas. Happy Holiday thoughts from
CT to the Big Apple. Remember no two snow flakes are alike, and there
are no other Laura's like you. Much love, the crazy tutor
We are all thinking of you here at
CCMC! Keep in touch!
Love,
Kevin
12/21/02
Hello Laura,
You are such a beautiful person and
belong to one wonderful family! We are all praying for a miracle and
for God to give you all strength. Joelle, Joanne and Laura we send you
lots and lots of love!
Sushma, Ray and family
12/21/02
Laura, I am Minerva's older sister
and I want to say hello, Minerva loves you very, very much. She wishes
she was there with you right now. We had the great pleasure to meet
you and your mom, when you came out to visit us all in Wyoming, and
you were a cute bundle of joy, and of course we tried turning you into
a cowgirl, with boots, hat and a ride on the horses. I don't think we
ever got your mama on a horse thou. Even thou we personally have
never talked to you since then, Minerva has always kept us updated on
your life. She told us about your cancer, and all of us out here in
Wyoming are sending our love. Laura we all had a special prayer for
you yesterday. God is with you now, and will always be with you, may
our love and prayers be felt, we will keep a eye out for your mama and
sister. Minerva has your pictures all over her home, you were like her
first baby, she loved you, she took care of you, she always says if
she never had gone out there, she would have missed a great part of
her life. Laura save a place for us up in heaven. Love Maria and the
whole Martinez gang. Here's from all of us
Maria, Minerva, Magdalena, Moses,
Eleas, ChaCha, Malva, Adam and Mom and Dad.
12/21/02
Hi Joann from your friend Clara here in Avon, I'm sorry to hear the news
about Laura even though the words I'M SORRY have never ever fixed
anything; my heart and prays go out to you and your family. I will
continue to pray that God will stand near Laura, and hold her hands
through all the pain she's taken. I pray that God will heal Laura, and
bring Laura home. I ask God to please hurry, and get Laura home soon
because a house full of LOVE is waiting. Oh God I pray that You
understand that we all have faith in You, that we would never question
anything You do. We know God that You Love Laura, that You would never
leave her; and Your plans are to keep on blessing her through the
outcome of this. The outcome is in Your hands Dear God, and we sit here
with faith and understanding that only You have the power. We ask You
over and over again Dear GOD to heal Laura; not remembering that we only
need to ask once, and You are on your way. Joann I pray, and I believe
that God listens. I know you believe the same because you have seen
miracles happen. Hold on Joann God is still here sitting beside your
BABY rocking her in His arms. PEACE BE WITH YOU Clara Bennett-Joseph &
Candace Joseph
12/21/02
Laura,
I think about you everyday.
You are so special to me. You have taught me such important things
about life, love and courage that no other has. You are an
extraordinary young woman, never forget that. I wish you peace and
comfort. I love you Laura! *HUGS* Erin
12/21/02
We just wanted to send along the continuing love and prayers of our
family for you. As soooo many friends, family, and even strangers
have said....you and your family have touched us all in such a
powerful way. Knowing you makes us all better people. THANK YOU!!!!
Remember that the LORD loves you beyond anything you can even imagine
and your grandparents are loving you and watching over you! When we
think of you, we think of strength, courage, goodness, beautiful hair
:), and a young lady working in her Mom's office, looking like "she
owns the place!" May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He shine
His Face upon you . . . and may He hold you in the Palm of His Hand,
now and forever.
With love
and prayers and gratitude,
Mary & Ken Bangs
& Kids
12/21/02
Dearest Laura,
Just wanted drop a line and
let you know that I am thinking of you. Athena (the nurse intern from
this summer) is back at CCMC and wants you to know that she is also
thinking of you and praying for you. We all love and miss you very
much. You are a brave and strong individual. You have gone through so
much and look at all of the strength you have shown us all! My prayers
are with you and please know that a day does not go by that you are
not in my thoughts. Love you, Karina
12/21/02
dear laurA,
YOU HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH INSPIRATION AS YOU ARE A HEROIC YOUNG WOMAN. AS
YOU HAD A TOUGH JOURNEY THAT NO ONE KNOWS BETTER THAN YOU. MAY YOU BE
COMFORTABLE AND HAVE SWEET DREAMS. MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU.
WITH WARN AFFECTION,
STACEY SIMMONS
ROBIN SALERNO SISTER IN LA
12/21/02
Hi Laura! Just want to
know that we never stop thinking and praying for you. I am so sorry you
did not get the best of news recently. I know you will find peace and
comfort for yourself and your family. You are a very special young lady
and we admire you so much.
I pray you will have a restful, pain free and very happy Christmas
season. We love you! Send hugs and kisses to you, Joelle and Mom!
Lots of Love, Anne & Michael
12/20/02
Dear Miss Lovely Laura,
Hey I'm so sorry I haven't written to you in a while but you're
been in my thoughts and prayers. Lemme tell ya Laura your an
inspiration to us all, if I could have half the strength and courage you
had I could move mountains, just as you do. Hey I know its gonna be
hard to but try to enjoy the holidays, I wanna see ya smiling with that
holiday cheer and spirit I know you have. I'll try and write back
before the new years, but it not have a merry Christmas! Stay strong
missy!
forever, Emi* Okamoto p.s. sm; )e
12/19/02
Dear Laura, Joanne, and Joelle,
We are praying harder than ever for you. Your friends from 2J
love you. Laura, it was so good to see your beautiful face on the blood
drive posters when we were up at Hole In The Wall Gang Camp last week.
Even though we don't see you at CCMC these days, we are always thinking
about you. God bless you and keep you in his loving care.
With Our Love,
Rob and Alison Burke
12/19/02
hi to all of you in NY... Christine sent me the email that things are
not going as we all hoped. I think of you often and saw your bright
beautiful smile on the blood poster last week.. Paige is getting big,
crawling and smiling all the time, she now at 8 months wants to feed
herself, a very independent girl already (not a bad thing!!) Matthew is
loving his sister and looking forward to Christmas. Remember the
miracle of CHRISTmas and that we will be praying for you.
Lynn Nochisaki and Family (CCMC Teen Group)
12/19/02
You are in my prayers. I
think about you everyday and what you must be going through. You are
the bravest and most special girl I have ever known. Knowing you has
impacted me more than you could know. I can never imagine living the
life that you have lived and to have experienced what you have at such
a young age. Laura, you are a strong person. You have shown us
strength when we thought there was nothing left in you to fight. You
have inspired so many people and have impacted more lives than you
will ever know. God smiles when he looks down upon you and I hope that
you are able to feel his loving arms around you. I know that at times
it might be hard to feel that embrace and that at times you might want
to hate him for allowing you to go through this. But never forget, he
loves you and he feels all of the pain that you feel. You are such a
special girl to me and I must admit that I feel my heart freeze a
little every time I see an email or an update from you...I am so
scared that it will be bad news. I just hope that you will be able to
have a wonderful holiday in spite of the circumstances and know that
y prayers are with you always. I love you and I miss you sun shining
smile that can warm my heart in .2 seconds flat! Much love to Mom and
Joelle too. Please send me some good news soon!!
Love you bunches,
Karina
12/19/02
Laura -
We love you.
Your NH Family
12/19/02
Just wanted to say hello to you and to tell you how beautiful you
are.. I have a granddaughter in Ct with Leukemia she is almost 5 years
old her name is Karlee-Ann.. I found your page thru someone who signed
her guest book.. I just wanted to tell you i will pray for you. I
called to donate blood for you platelets.. but they do not take cross
the state line donations no way to get them to you. however i will go
to the red cross and donate blood in your name ok.. so sorry I can't
do it specifically for you. I will pray for you everyday and hold you
up in prayer at my church.. Take care hope you have a wonderful
Christmas.. hugs to you Love The Grammie
12/19/02
All our love, prayers and hearts
are with all of you....now and always. You are
strong...Joelle and Laura need that strength from you now, as always.
Praying ...praying and begging for peace, no pain and miracles.
Love you,
Wendy , Chuck , Nina and Shosh
12/19/02
Hey kiddo, hear things are not
where you all want them to be. Keep the faith and remember that
there is a plan and regardless of the outcome people can learn a lot.
I know that this is extremely painful and difficult for you and your
family. Find strength in us all and remember you are and will never
be alone. My thoughts and prayers are with you always and
especially during this time. We love you, the crazy tutor.
12/19/02
Hello sweet Santiago girls...
I am so sorry that life is so difficult for you right now. I think of
you often, you are in my prayers. Aaron talks about Laura all the time,
I know he misses her so much and wishes she was better...he just
absolutely adores her. Give her kisses from us, and Joelle too.
Much love to you
12/19/02
I am thinking of you all and
praying for you all the time. You are constantly in my conversations and
on my mind. Laura is fantastic. Please give her a hug for me. Are you
coming back to CCMC? That is what Lucy had mentioned. Let me know.
All my best.
Kevin Rice
12/19/02
Dear Dr. Santiago,
Joelle is where she needs to be now. That is what family is for and all
about. She needs you and Laura and you need her, and of course, Laura
needs all of you. I'm so sorry and nothing I can say will help. Do
know that you are all in my prayers and thoughts every day.
Judy
Garrett
12/19/02
I'm
with you. God bless you all. Donna
12/19/02
HI CUZ, ALWAYS PRAYING.............MUCH LOVE "KEEP THE
FAITH"............
JOEY O
12/19/02
Hi Laura,
I am so sorry that I could not visit you with the rest of the girls on
Saturday. I really, really wanted too! I wish that I could be there with
you. I want you to know that you are a very very special person to me,
and I love you with all my heart. I wish that I could say something
else, and I wish that I could help you. But, I hope this small message
will suffice in getting my message across to you. Keep up the good
spirit. I love you like a sister.
Allie
12/19/02
Hello Joanne, Laura
and Joelle,
It has been a long time since I didn't have direct news from Laura's
health. I feel very sad and touched for your message. I just finished
my last test for school today and sat in here to read my filled e-mail.
I have been under a lot of stress and feeling real tired after being
done with this four courses semester, having to work also in a full time
job. But suddenly, I feel that the pain I have is nothing compared with
the hard time and the real pain that must Laura and all of you being
feeling. Sometimes we don't find the right words to express comfort or
relief. I only know that is Christmas time and that is supposed to be a
special moments for kids. Thinking about which present could be the
best for a kid, we can realize that is nothing else that seeing her
smile, healthy and in comfort. That is my wish for Laura on this
moments. I am sure also that it will be the best gift that Baby Jesus
could bring to Laura. My family and I have never stopped praying for
her. And why not?.. A miracle can happen, specially on Christmas.
With special love, from Flerida, Jorge, Carolina
y Victor
12/19/02
Dear Laura:
We just wanted to let you know that we think of you often and pray for
you every night before bed. You are an amazing person.
Love, Anne and Mara Dauphin from CCMC
12/19/02
Dear Joanne,
It breaks my heart to read your e-mail. I can't imagine your pain as
you watch your beautiful Laura suffer trying to fight this horrific
disease. You've all been so brave and strong. And you've been the most
devoted mother ever. Please feel the love and the prayers being sent to
you. I'll continue to pray for a miracle, yet maybe the miracle is the
beautiful children you've been blessed with and the incredible love you
have for each other. Please yell if there is any way I can help you
through this difficult time. God bless you and Laura and Joelle.
Love,
Donna
12/19/02
please wish her the best of
luck from me. i love her so much and i think about her often. i am
praying for her she's an amazing girl.
~sefira
12/19/02
Joanne;
I just wanted to say that you have been the epitome of strength and
courage. I admire you and hope that I will be half the parent you have
been to Laura and Joelle. With love, Tara
12/19/02
Joanne,
God Bless you, Laura, and Joelle. Thank you for your email.
Everyone cares deeply about Laura, Joelle, and you. We are
all praying for you. It is so hard to understand what Laura is going
through. I have an image in my mind of Laura as a beautiful smiling
little girl.
Please know that you and your precious daughters are in my heart
and prayers always. Call me anytime if you need me.
Love, Pat
12/18/02
Just stopped by to say Hi! Sorry
couldn't find your guest book but wanted you to know I stopped by.
Your in our thoughts & prayers.
Hugs
Angel Craving Wings
www.mychristiansite.com/personal/acw/
12/18/02
Just wanted
to let you know that here at GEEPERS your friends come in all the time
and see your name posted and tell me how they know you and what an
awesome person you are. Your friends are always smiling when they speak
of you and even people who dont know you wish you well. Even had some
of your CCD students come in Joanne and tell me what an awesome time
they had in your class.
Warm loving thoughts and prayers to you, your Mom and Joelle,
Mary Moret
Hi Laura,
My family and I continue to pray for you everyday at dinner time. I
know I pray for you a hundred times a day. I miss you lots and wish
I could give you big hugs like I used to. I miss my hugs with your
mom, too. Laura, my thoughts and prayers of you are so close to my
heart. I am sorry it took me this long to get the hang of it,
Brenden helped me with this technology. I hope you enjoyed the
goodies and wreath with your mom. My screen name got all crazy, so
you can use this email address. I love you lots and you are always
on my mind and in my heart. I love you and hope to hear from you or
your mom. We'll be sending something else with Joelle, soon... I've
told the youth group to continue to pray for you. I'll send their
Christmas card to you at Sloan. You're a wonderful, courageous
young lady. I am so proud of you, Laura. I love you, Bye for now.
Mrs. (Ellen) Gobell
12/13/02
hi I'm
Laura Santiago again maybe you don't remember me but it's ok i
understand you because you've get a lot of mails from everywhere, I just
want you know if I can help you just tell me it I live in Mexico now but
if I can do something just write me back I hope Laura gets well very
soon I'm glad because we have the same name but tell her she is the
number one I'm second well bye
Laura Santiago 2"
12/13/02
Laura,
We miss you and think of you often. We've been keeping apprised of
how you're doing through heme-onc and the website. We are all praying
for you and sending lots of positive energy your way.
Love,
The CCMC NPs
Emily, Kate, & Amanda (who has now developed a very cute pregnant
belly--hopefully you can see her soon)!!
12/5/02
Dear Laura, The red cross sent me some Blood drive posters with your
beautiful smiling face on them! I have one hanging in my office at work
to try to get the teachers to call for regular donation appointments,
so thanks for your help!! Please don't feel the need to
answer this,
as I know you need to save your energy for getting better. Just want
you to know I am always thinking of you, and Love you. Love Aunt Gail
12/5/02
hi you are not going to believe me
my name is Laura Santiago too this is funny cuz i never thought there
could be someone with my same name, I saw you web page I'm sorry I b+
but if you need my help I'll be here, i have anemic but I'm fine I hope
you get well soon. so marry Christmas and happy new year dear Laura.
Laura Santiago from Mexico
12/4/02
Hi Laura, Christine and I wanted to say hello and send our best
thoughts your way. We keep checking in at your web site for updates.
The teen room continues to be very well loved and used every day. It's
been great to have a special place for teens on the 8th floor. We're
getting ready for the snow tomorrow. It seems a little early for it but
it's coming anyway!! Say hi to your mom and Joelle for us. Take
care...Christine and Mary
12/4/02
Laura,
I just wanted to wish you a
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you can all be together for the
holidays. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Love and
Miss you all!
-Karina
12/4/02
Hey Laura!
Today is Thanksgiving and we just wanted to say THANK YOU for being the
incredibly strong young lady that you are - you are an inspiration!!
Thank you for being a blessing in our lives for NINE years - and more to
come! You are always in our thoughts and prayers - we pray for your
continued strength and for your unsinkable spirit.
Love you -
The Wagners
12/3/02
Hey Laura!
Today is Thanksgiving and we just wanted to say THANK YOU for being the
incredibly strong young lady that you are - you are an inspiration!!
Thank you for being a blessing in our lives for NINE years - and more to
come! You are always in our thoughts and prayers - we pray for your
continued strength and for your unsinkable spirit.
Love you -
The Wagners
12/2/02
Hi Laura,
Check out this photo of your sister at Macy's. She looks all grown up.
Kermit seems to think so too. We had a nice time walking around 34th
street amongst the ticker tape from the Macy's Thanksgiving parade.
Thanks for sparing your sister for a few hours. Even though it was cold
out, Joelle seems to emanate enough warmth to keep us comfortable.
You did a great job getting
yourself out of bed last week. I saw the pain that you went through, but
you seemed to muster that last piece of energy to prepare for Physical
therapy and Occupational therapy. I am very impressed by how brave and
strong you are.
Hang in there, I know you can
fight this. Love you and thinking of you. -Jenifer Ngo
12/2/02
Hi Laura!!
Not sure you'll get this
(the address that pops up for you
'value1996@aol.com' looks funny..). Anyway --
I'm thinking about you. Praying for you. Hoping your pain is controlled.
Wanting you to get home. Hey! I guess I haven't poked around your
website enough -- just saw your new car!! A dandy! Heard it was from
your uncle. Cool. Is there a line of your friends wanting to be his
niece? Where does the line start?
Hang in there sweetie. One day at
a time. Say hi to mom. The Lord is with you.
Love You!
Judy Osterby and Mand
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