Letters to BSC
Hospitals
Brent’s Place – Aurora, CO
I would like to thank you for your amazing generosity. The instruments at Christmas were an unexpected surprise and a thrill for the kids who received them. Your latest spontaneous gift was even more surprising and made Derek’s week. It is rare to see a 17-year-old boy speechless, but his reaction gave us all goose bumps. I wish that you could have been here to see it.
I know that you are not looking for public recognition, but I wanted you to know that you made a tough stretch for Derek seem a little bit brighter. I would love to have you come to Brent’s Place if you have any interest. It would be a pleasure to show you the impact you are making and introduce you to Derek and his father. I know that they would like to thank you personally.
Thank you again. I hope I have the opportunity to meet you at some point soon.
Regards,
Sean Meyerhoffer, Executive Director
Brent’s Place
The Transitional Learning Center at Lubbock, TX
To say thank you for the outstanding gifts that you bestowed upon our team and our patients is truly minimal and seems inadequate. Imagine the excitement that our patients showed when they saw the instruments that you gave to us. They will definitely be able to express themselves in ways that they have not been able to up to this point in their recovery.
All of our patients have had an injury to their brain. Most of them lead “normal” lives up to the point of their injury. Most come to us after they have been battling for their lives. They are tired, scared and not the same person they were before. Some can’t speak. Some can’t control their emotions. Some can’t express themselves in a way that others can understand. Some are even locked in to themselves. Music is a way for them to express themselves, as it requires no words. It is a way It is a way to let their feelings flow and to heal. I recently watched a gentleman play the guitar and sing when he couldn’t speak. Music is a healing that our patients needed. You have given that to them.
Dell Children’s Medical Center
Thank you does not seem to be enough to tell you how much we appreciate your
generous donation here at Dell Children’s Medical Center. I am positive that the
equipment that was donated will be put to use quite frequently and that many children
and families will benefit from the use of the instruments. We have already set up one
of the keyboards in our teen room for the use of the many teens here at the hospital.
Additionally, I am anticipating the excitement these children will experience when they
are given the ability to play on an electric guitar in their room. I can see the smiles
already!
Children’s Mercy Hospital
I wanted to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to you for the recent donation of musical instruments and equipment to Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics! The equipment has already been quite a help to us, especially for use in checking out to patients and their families for use in their rooms. It is almost as if there was a secret message delivered that said, “more equipment is now available—please just ask”.
Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center Letter
I want to say Thank You again for the generous donation of instruments. The instruments are so satisfying. One young lady was using the bass guitar ( this was a client I didn’t expect to take to bass—seemed more interested in guitar) and immediately began thumping out a bass rhythm after I taught her one note and she just went to town with that note. It was an amazing session!
Children’s Medical Center Dallas Letter
The Blue Star Connection program has been a valuable addition to both our music therapy program at Children’s Medical Center Dallas as well as the patients we serve. So many of the children we serve arrive at the hospital and are immediately stripped of their sense of normalcy as control is taken from them and put in the hands of the medical team. Their ability to choose when to eat, play, and sleep is now gone, a hard transition for such small lives. However, with the help of organizations like The Blue Star Connection, we are able to provide these children with something few others can, that is, the ability to regain some of that lost control and normalcy.
The Children’s Hospital Letter
Seemingly out of the blue, Don Ritter and John Catt contacted The Children’s Hospital in Colorado because they wanted to donate instruments to us to utilize with the kids who are in the hospital for an extended period. They realize the important, healing and restorative role music plays in their own lives and wanted to share that knowledge with our kids. After the initial contact it took some time for them to find their way through the maze of employees and get connected with me. They were so tenacious and driven in their need to give, continually being patient with the process as I decided what instruments we needed and tried to figure out how to manage such a lovely and generous gift.
Parents
Letter from Carren Hutchinson
My youngest son Vincent and I met you yesterday at the end of the festival when you let Vince go on the stage to watch Tommy Castro’s band play. He was in heaven being up there. What a way to cap off a full day (11 hrs) of Vince be-bopping to the music! Nothing else holds his attention quite like the blues. I was really taken a back when you said you wanted Vince to be a Blue Star especially after I had just met some incredible Blue Stars and their parents who inspired me by their courageous stories. I comprehend the heart wrenching pain these parents face as they have to watch their children struggles, although, I can’t fathom the thought of loosing a child. I was so touched, I feel compelled to share some inspirational moments I experienced yesterday.
Read the rest of the letter
Letter from Brenda Bonnichsen
Dear Mr. Catt,
I am Aubrey’s mom, Brenda Bonnichsen. I want to thank you so much for putting a smile on Aubrey’s face!
We went Saturday to the Guitar Store, and Eric helped Aubrey pick out a guitar. Eric was very helpful and was so patient with Aubrey and really desired to fit her into her idea of a “perfect” guitar! He was excellent!!!
Aubrey has a piano background but for the last year has mentioned several times that she wants to play guitar. I used to play but due to some hard financial times, I ended up selling my guitar, and kept telling her that “one of these days” we’d try to get her a guitar. We were so thrilled when Allison at the hospital mentioned the possibility of Aubrey being able to get a guitar!! For her it is a dream come true!
Letter from Sheha Sharma’s father, Maj Shyam Sharma
My brave daughter Sneha made us proud by connecting to Blue Stars and living last phase of her life (yet in late teens) with cheers and smile. She would write to John and share with me the excitement of getting a new guitar from Rudy and Tips, on behalf of Blue Stars. She introduced me to Rudy and Tips and Blue Star Connection and took me along in music concerts by Rudy-Tips. She was very involved and passionate about designing Blue Stars Logo. Thanks John and Blue Star, for adopting the same almost in toto.
Letter from Tess’ father, Doug
I couldn’t begin to tell you how excited & appreciative Tess was to receive both the Keyboard & the Clarinet!!! She is already quite skilled at making music on the keyboard. We have a long road ahead of us for the clarinet…
Thank you so very much from the bottom of our hearts. Hope you are having a very merry Christmas.
Respectfully,
Doug Rittenberg
Letter from Renee & Zachary Charlan
Dear John & the Grand County Blues Society – THANK YOU!! You met us and our son on Wednesday night at Tara & Emily’s fundraiser. What an amazing event that was and such big hearts you have for wonderful people like Tara and her miracle baby Emily. We had a great time and the music was spectacular. It was an evening both my wife and I enjoyed immensely and Zachary absolutely LOVED listening to the music too. John must have found out about Zachary through Tara, because he approached us about what instruments Zachary likes to play. When we told John that Zach loves playing a toy keyboard and will do so for hours, he offered to get Zachary a professional grade keyboard through Guitar Center. We were speechless to say the least. Today, Sat. Oct. 9, we went to Guitar Center and met up with Clint who arranged for Zachary to take home a Yamaha PSR-E423!!
Kids
Blue Star Letter from Sneha Sharma
I am Sneha and am 18 yrs old. I wanted to become an Air Force Pilot; there was never a doubt about this. This was a dream I harbored during the last two years in high school, or rather this was the plan. But as is the case with all such stories, my certainty evaporated when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, STAGE IIB.
The following year I underwent a series of chemotherapies. First ABVD, then MINE, then RICE protocol. But the improvement wasn’t much; I remained mostly at home due to fear of infections. I lost my hair and became weak but I learnt never to be sad and during all this I realized the storehouse of will power my father is. I knew with him as my anchor I would get through.
Letter from Derick
My name is Derick Schubert, I live in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. In October 2007, when I was 18, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a grade 2 pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. I had surgery, and was cancer-free for six months. Then I had two more surgeries in July 2008, and the tumor was reclassified as a grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma. I followed with radiation and a year if chemotherapy. I went away to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in January 2009, but had to drop out because of my treatment after a month, and went to community college locally. My tumor persisted and I entered a chemotherapy trial for Sutent at the National Institute of Health, but the trial failed after a month, and I am now planning a fourth surgery.
Letter from Keegan
My name is Keegan Taylor, I’m 12 years old. I was 11 when I was diagnosed with cancer. I then went through surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. It was tough but I pulled though. I am now off treatment and hopefully cancer free, if not I’ll do whatever it takes to get through it. This gift gives me something to do when I’m bored so thank you.