2009 Easter Celebration Invitation

Hello,

We would like to extend our invite to our annual Easter picnic celebration for this year. We feel it would be a great idea to celebrate this Easter with each and every one of our family and friends and share this special holiday together. This is one of Debra's favorite times of year that we share together will friends and family and we know she would enjoy knowing that we were all together to celebrate this day. As you may know Debra is home now and we are praying that she can join us for this celebration. I know she would like to take this opportunity to see and thank you for your prays and kind thoughts. We are planning to film this day so she can always remember and share this special day with her loved ones. Debra and I have been organizing our Easter picnic for the past 10 years and have had the attendance grown over the years. I would like to still organize this celebration and make it one of our most memorable celebrations for her and everyone. If you are able to attend please RSVP with me the number of attendance. Please feel free to extend this invitation to your friends and family everyone is welcome. We ask that each family attending bring a dish for our potluck buffet table (please do not worry about the number of attendance we always have more than enough), each family will also need to bring the following:
blankets and chairs

EZ up tents if you have one

ice chest with drinks to share

a dozen stuffed eggs per child attending(for an Easter egg hunt)

jackets and sweaters it may get windy

My family will be in charge of tables, paper goods, all Easter games and relays, prizes and Easter treats. We will have our celebration at Grand Avenue Park in Chino Hills, Ca at 12:00pm. I hope you can join us.

Sincerely,

Will & Michelle Fuentes

626-862-7217 cell

909-591-9962 home

To Donate ...

Lisa Wills here ... we are adding a Paypal / Donate button as soon as I have a free moment as well as where to send donations. Keep checking back.

Isn't is wonderful Deb is home!

Love,
Lisa

03/22/09 Good News Deb's Home!!

Yes, you heard correctly Deb is home!! She came home on Tuesday and with getting her situated and making sure we know exactly what we need to do for her we have been very busy. I think we have everything under control now and she is doing great. She goes to dialysis every Mon, Wed and Fri from 10am to 2pm. She feeds through her port every night from about 8pm to 9am the next day, which has been working. She takes some medication throughout the day and she asks for her pain meds seldom, which is wonderful. We love having her home and seeing her improve everyday is a dream come true. The kids love to see their auntie Debbie and I think her being home is helping her get much stronger. She walks around the house for exercises and she even fold my laundry. She sits outside in the patio for fresh air and likes to sit in the living room to watch TV with us all. So, overall Deb is doing great. Her next doctor visit is this Thursday and her next kemo treatment is April 13th. If anyone would like to talk to her please feel free to call her at my home 909-591-9962.

On behalf of my family I would like to say thank you very much for all the kind and generous donations. Everyday we get the envelops and I can't tell you enough how much it truly means to us all. My sisters recovery is a blessing from each and everyone of you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We love you all and thank you.

Love,

Michelle Ferreira-Fuentes

Going back to Denver ....

Well, it has been so fantastic catching up with all of the precious people I adore, but I leave today to go back to my home in Denver. I arrived 2 weeks ago with my 14 yr. old Brandon and my newly adopted daughter Tigist (2) and spend some wonderful time with Deb with several visits. I didn't know she'd want visitors at all when I flew here, but I am so glad to see she is in fact stronger than when I came. Don't let up however, on your prayers and love for her as her body is definitely challenging her from all angles. She is so eager to go home where her spirits will soar even higher, so as slow as the progress seems, the doctors are trying to make sure she is strong enough to do that.

I am really pleased with everyone who is supporting Debbie and has visited her. She is bored stiff and very much wants to get out of the hospital. She has even taken to "sketching" her hairbrush, which we agreed right there in the hospital room proof how bored she really is. I am so proud of our group of High School friends who continue to place a high value on our unique relationships we have had for well over 30 years. Deb has played a crucial role in keeping us all together for many years, but we have all played a vital role and agree that our group of friends is fabulous and after all these years ... still so handsome and gorgeous ... I must say!

I've been staying at Deb's house most of this time where Steve Irigoyen has been living as well. So how special was this to spend time with him and his son, Tristan as well. Tristan and my son Brandon got along very well and sad to leave each other. Staying at Deb's was special to me as it made me feel closer to her in some way during this trying time.

Deb, here are some pics of some of our favorite people. Thank you for letting me and the kids bombard your gorgeous home ...



Shere', Malcom, Lana (her adopted daughter from Vietnam) and my adopted daughter, Tigist



We visit Shere's church in Irvine, Mariners Church, where they were having an International Outreach in the courtyard. This is Tigist with the Kenya girls.



Gina met us there where we caught up with each other.



Steve and Tigist at Deb's house. She fell immediately in love with him and now calls him Uncle Steve.



Brandon is fixed on exotic cars lately, so while in Beverly Hills, we stopped at this dealership where we saw this amazing car ... check out how much they are "offering" it at...



Bugatti ... $2.4 million only



Brandon dreaming



Shelly's brother Craig who is a life time racer of motorbikes and cars, is now coaching his 8 year old son Skyler in



Skylar's quarter track race-car



Reylene and Tigist. Please keep Reylene in your prayers too as she is struggling with kidney failure for the 2nd time in her life. You would never know it seeing her here...







Shelly and Tigist



Gina Johnston, Shelly and Tigist



Amber, (Reylene's daughter) MaryHelen, Lisa, Steve, Shelly, Tigist, Reylene, JoLinda & Gina. We got together at Deb's to kind of "reflect" and think of her ... weird being there having a gathering at her home w/o her???



Our friend Mike Dugan and Tigist met up at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank.



Tigist loves kisses and showing affection






I'll look forward to keeping up with all that is going on with Deb's progress from her family and the fundraising efforts being organized by her family and friends as well. You may not be able to be as near Deb or see her as much as you like due to a busy schedule or living far like me, but you can support her by choosing a fundraiser to get involved with or donating straight from this blog with the Pay Pal button on the right side bar.

Love and hugs,

Lisa (Vopat) Wills

3/12/09 Debra's update

Hello everyone, let me start off with saying that we, our family truly do appreciate all that each and everyone of you have done for Debra. With all the prayers and kind gestures we could not do this alone so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Now for the good news...Debra is doing great. For those of you that have seen her you will also agree that she looks strong and is getting back to her normal self. She still has a battle ahead of her but she is getting strong. She is still under going dialysis pretty much on a daily basis. She informed us today that they will not be placing the feeding tubs since she has been having some fevers and blood pressure has been dropping to avoid any complications or infections.

We are still unsure of the exact plan the doctors have in store for her as far as feeding, but she will be undergoing chemo treatment very soon. I will be keeping you all informed here regularly.

Thank you

Michelle

Welcome Everybody ...

Hello everyone,


Lisa Wills here. For those high school folks, formerly Lisa Vopat. We will be keeping this blog updated for you all on Deb's health as well as the fundraising efforts on behalf of her family and friends. Please comment under any or all whosts and let us know if there is anything we can add or expand on. And Deb will be seeing this and your comments, so please let her know you are thinking of her and praying for her.

To receive automatic updates, enter your email address in the area in the right sidebar to be sent updates via email as they happen.

Love and hugs to all of you,
Lisa