Guestbook
805 entries.
Thinking of Catie & all her biggest fans at this time of the year (and always). Thanks for sending your love, Catie, and for sharing your incredible family with us. I am so proud to do work that honors you and your wish.
More good news from St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital: they have recently received a grant and have a dedicated person who has stared a mentoring program for the moms and dads. So when a new child comes in, there are others there who can help the parent with all sorts of issues and can give support as they are faced with similar struggles of an extremely ill child. I think Catie is smiling in heaven to know this, since the moms will have someone to closely lean on while they are at St. Jude's. God is good all the time!
I was beyond amazed to see how much money Catie received for her St. Jude pledge. Way to go Catie girl. As hard as this Sunday will be I do wish you a very Happy Mother's Day and may you always see sunshine in all your little one's smiles.
Kevin, Christine, Maggie, Max, Mia, Molly, M.E., and Catie, Thank you for sharing Catie\'s story with us. It was really wonderful to meet your family last night. Luke, Halle and I look forward to seeing you again- and please let us know what else we can do to help fulfill Catie\'s Wish. Love and Prayers, The Boucher
It was so nice to meet you and your beautiful family! I only wish I could have met your little angel! She is so beautiful and seemed so happy right to the end. After a few hours of reading the updates here (and some very large tears) I thought this was a great fundraiser. After meeting your family, I know this is a great fundraiser and something I want to be a part of for years to come! Catie is such an inspiration! It makes our daily troubles seem petty! God bless your family and ALL the children of the world! If I can ever do anything for you, please let me know! Tammy & Don Krasley
Christmas has been a tough time for us this year as it is our first without our daughter, Vivienne, who also passed from AT/RT earlier this year, in February. She too was treated at St. Jude, my wife and I both stayed with her for 6 months. This horrible disease ties us all together somehow, and I just wanted to assure you that our girls are together, somewhere, proud of all of us for how we carry on. You guys are doing some great things, and I wish you the best in the future.
Hello, I stumbled across this site whilst looking at the MS Mary Uni website and I`m so thankful I did. Catie`s story is one of strength and hope. I hope your family has a wonderful Chrismtas and shall keep you in my prayers.
marry cristmas for all of the family ,god bluss you
WOW - that video is just phenomenal! Catie\'s Wish is truly the work of one ***, inspirational, very strong and very brave little girl. Your family remains in our thoughts and prayers all of the time. Hugs to all of you this holiday season, Marisa, To, Michael, Molly,Max and Megan Neeson
Kevin and Christine, I just watched the video...absolutely beautiful. This, and everything else you\'ve done only further clarifies why God mad you two Catie\'s parents. Bless you all.
Hi Catie, You are very sweet girl and our good wishes are with you, please just stay smiling you look so.... cute.
I believe Catie is placing blessings of prayer and peace upon her family and letting them do it in their own time. What a smart girl Catie is. I know Sydney was welcomed with a firm embrace and a beautiful smile.
It is such a blessing that you write straight from the heart. Catie is cheering from heaven for all the work her family is doing to raise money to cure cancer. It was again my pleasure to attend Chili\'s - St. Jude donation day. I communicate through email and facebook a month ahead and keep reminders so no one will forget how important these children and their families are. Thank God he gave Catie such a loving family to keep pressing on for a cure for cancer. Keep looking up, someone very special is smiling upon you.
i had an opportunity to meet Catie at St Jude last august when i was there with Chili\'s, doing a cook out for the patients. i somehow found Catie and started talking to her. i was drawn to her smile and bright eyes. she had such a great attitude. im originally from huntingdon pa and my best fried from high school lives in mechanicsburg so we had sometihng in comon to start our conversation. after that we could have talked forever. she had a great attitude and strength that has stuck with me to this day. tomorrow is our Chilis St Jude golf outing that we have done for the last 4 years and Catie will be in my thoughts throughout the day. I have three children of my own and hope that they would be as brave and positive as Catie. She touched my life just briefly, but has made a lasting impact on my life, and i will forever be grateful. thank you for continuing to share your story. if there is anything i can do please do not hesitate to email me. i would love to help out in some way on April 23rd. The Area Director of our local Chilis and i are great friends, and i also know Matt, the general manager or your chilis in mechanicsburg. again, i would love to help out however i can.
My girls are in bed, and I have sat reading entry after entry, staring at Catie and her beauty. Like others who have posted, today I was selfish, running through the day wishing for peace, wanting quiet and hoping for a break from those \"mom\" duties. I am blessed to be a mother. Blessed to have healthy children and blessed to have met you today. Though our meeting was brief, I am truly touched by Catie\'s Story. Her life is one that is not over for each day she is touching new people. Tonight after speaking with my oldest, she is wishing to donate her $4.00 from her 4 year birthday to her foundation. I will send it on to you. Her story is changing lives, and I hope to somehow be a part of it. Thank you for reminding me how precious God\'s gift of Life is to us. Sincerely, Elizabeth North
:p 8) ;) :roll :) :grin :p Hi O\'Briens!!! Just checking in - wanted to let you know we are thinking about you. We hope you are having a fun summer, too. It is going to be a HOT weekend in Maine, so it must be really hot in PA. Stay cool! -gretchen, phil, finn & neve
To all of the O\'Brien\'s , Your story has continued to impact and strengthen my faith, and my relationship with my family. I even printed out part of one of Kevin\'s blogs and his words of strength and wisdom greet me every morning as I prepare for the day. Thank you all for being real and for sharing the most difficult time in your lives. Catie is indeed still with all of you. Amy Bouton
I want to thank you (Kevin and Christine) for continuing to give us all your gift of writing. You are truly a family of God. If you weren\'t the beautiful family that you are there would never be Catie\'s Wish. Thank you Catie for giving this to all the children and families that are in great need of your love and strength. I know one day when we are all joined we will not have to ask why we will see all the beauty and love and we will just know.
Dear Christine and Kevin, I was led to your story through Mary Coffey\'s website. I have been sitting here, with tears running down my face, reading your last several entries. We, too, have 6 children (molly, 10, Noah, 7, Erin, 6, Emma, 4, Kaleigh, 2 (almost 3) and Joshua, 15 months. Our oldest Molly was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last June. Thankfully, her cancer is gone but I was having a hard time tonight because she is having a lot of pain and has been unable to fall asleep. I told her to try to pray the rosary but she said she couldn\'t concentrate. We talked about praying to the Holy Spirit to help with the pain. Anyway, I prayed to your sweet Catie and asked her to help my sweet Molly tonight. As a mom, I can\'t imagine the suffering you are facing without your precious Catie. I am so inspired and touched by your faith and your openess in sharing the raw pain you are experiencing. I have felt very selfish all day, focusing on things that are not important..cleaning the house, making numerous phone calls and I was frustrated because I was being called away to help with many other requests from my little ones. Anyway, your words were the slap upside the head that I needed tonight. I never cry...I think God wired me that way. Throughtout this whole journey of Molly\'s cancer, I, like you have tried to \"remain strong.\" Sometimes, we need to face that we are dependent on God. So, thank you for touching my heart so the tears could flow. I am praying for you and for a peaceful night\'s rest. Love and God Bless, Ann
What a beautiful sight. Catie dancing on heaven\'s clouds and hugging everyone as she dances past. Always praying for you and for this world to be cancer free.
Dear Christine and Family, I just read your latest entry and my heart ached for you. I wished to be able to give you a hug. You are such an incredible person. Your sharing and Catie\'s journey have helped to make me a better mother, a better wife, a better person. I feel enriched and stronger when I read your story. I feel closer to God and have a stronger faith because of all that you have endured and shared. Thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart! You and your family continue to be in my thoughts and prayers! Love, Cheri Koozer
Dear Christine, I read your last entry and I thought to myself, \"Does life ever get easier?\" I can imagine how the events of the last year came so quickly that you are still having a hard time believing that they actually happened. A full year hasn\'t past even, so every day is an anniversary of something that happened in Catie\'s journey. I can only imagine how difficult it is. I believe that we cry because we never stop loving, we cry because we miss those that have gone before us (especially our own child), and we cry because God gave us hearts that will always continue to long for our child even though we know that their suffering has past and we could never give to them the gifts that they now have. But it is this same love and longing that will make us better people and better children of God. And it is that same love that will make our desire for heaven all the greater because that is our true home where our children wait with great longing for us. When Mary was first born I said to a priest that I knew that God would not give me anything that I couldn\'t handle. He told me also to remember that God would never give Mary anything that she couldn\'t handle either. I take great comfort in that. Catie was, and is, a great example to us all. I thank you for your great example to us. And for Catie, who I know is praying for Mary. Peace and Goodness, Felicia Coffey
Psalm 5:8 \"But I through the greatness of God\'s love have access to His house.\" There are so many other passages that I love, but this one has been sustaining me since Catie\'s passing. In the joy of the Lord, Aunt KC
Dear Christine, Kevin and family, I was so happy to meet you at St. Joseph\'s. Diane MacNamara was so happy to have a picture of you and Kevin. I will send you a copy also. Do hope you have a safe and peaceful Memorial Day. With love and prayers, Myrna and Bill Everly
Is there something I can do in TN to help with Catie\'s Wish Foundation? Christine, I may be totally wrong but it certainly seems to me that God is literally doing a work in you and through you because of Catie. Catie touched and changed so many. Now you, through your sadness and grief are touching others, leading them to Christ. I can really see you one day in the future putting Catie\'s story in a book. The story of how Catie touched others, including you, and how through Christ, you are finding peace in your loss. Well, at least that\'s what I\'m hearing as I read your heart felt, honest words. You are a great mother. I understand your moments of anger, frustration, happy and sad times. I understand that is feels wrong to do new things without Catie but not to...leaves you sad. I pray that God will continue to surround you with His love and peace, as you put one foot in front of the other each day. You are a marvelous and courageous woman. God bless you and your family. Thank you for your words of inspiration.
I continue to keep up with you guys. I am praying for you all. We miss you here at St. Jude. Love, Kathy (E Clinic)
Your garden of love.
I think of you all so often. My heart just breaks for you. How does a family endure such a loss? I would think with God\'s pure love and strong family love. I know you have both. As my cousin told me the other day that sometimes we get to the dark side of things but that is what helps us to see the light of the good. I am always praying for you and your family. I know God has given sweet Catie an eternity of love that we on earth can\'t even imagine. I do believe with Catie, Carl and Mary Kate he has his heaven full with their singing and laughter. PS. I love Sudoku myself.
Dear O\'Brien Family, I wanted you to know that I heard \"I can only imagine\" on the radio today and instantly thought of Catie and Mia singing it on the video you shared with us. I had goose bumps the entire time! You are all in my daily prayers! Marie
Oh my heart hurts for you... and hurts for you all the more b/c we too had a Catie whom we lost to a brain tumor in January 2007... Our Catie had medulloblastoma and fought hard for 3.5 years before going home to walk w/ Jesus and chase butterflies and frogs in a place far more beautiful than I can begin to imagine. I\'m sorry for the ache in your heart... I was just so struck by your story when I saw your daughter was also a \"Catie w/ a C.\" We\'re a bit farther along on the grieving journey and I will tell you that it does not go away, but it does eventually become more manageable... Prayers for you as you continue to learn to find your way... Jenny mom to Catie (forever 4), Izzy (2), and Chip (4.5 months. www.caringbridge.org/ga/catie
