On January 8th, the parking lot was packed with cars, the seats were stuffed with people, and excitement filled the Gutterson ice arena at UVM.  Everyone came to see UVM honor Martin St. Louis and retire his number 8 jersey.  UVM was also taking on Dartmouth on the ice. Although the events on the ice were very exciting because a former UVM hockey player was being honored, the events behind the scenes were even more powerful.  As a lot of people stood in line to meet Martin, I was honored to meet a 17 year old boy named Jack.  Jack is a member of the UVM men's hockey team.  Four years ago, the UVM men's hockey coach, Kevin Sneddon, decided to recruit Jack to be part of the team through Team Impact. Team Impact’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life threatening and chronic illnesses by introducing them to the power of being on a team.  Jack suffers from Catecholominergic Polymorphic Ventricular … [Read more...]

We just had another Boston trip for a re-check of Kayla’s ankle.  However, this time I also scheduled our older daughter, Kelcie, for a follow-up with her orthopedic doctor regarding a torn labrum.  Kayla’s appointment was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. in Waltham, and Kelcie was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Boston.  "Perfect," I thought, a little time to grab some lunch at one of their favorite restaurants, Wasabi. We headed to Boston in the pouring rain on Sunday afternoon, after sitting on the deck of a hot pool and watching 3 hours of Kelcie's swim meet.  Kayla opted not to watch her sister swim because the atmosphere is loud and crowded.  Kayla stood in the hallway of the building, patiently waiting for her sister to finish up.  We made it all the way to Waltham with no stopping!  We checked into the hotel and had a decent dinner.  As I unpacked the bags, I realized that I didn’t pack Kayla’s night time medication . . . big mistake!  She … [Read more...]

If you want to see something amazing, just show up at the Essex Edge on a Saturday afternoon to watch the Star Basketball program.  There you will see about 30 children, ages 4-21, with all types of disabilities, playing basketball with over 30 high school mentors assisting the children.  In the stands, the parents, grandparents, and friends of these children cheer them on.  Chris and Leslie Capano check the children in and graciously started this program 4 years ago.  And Mike Feitelberg, who manages the Edge, helps sponsor the program. You will hear clapping, cheering, and positive comments coming from all 3 courts.  You will see mentors and kids giving each other high fives when they make a basket.  You won’t see parents yelling at the coaches, telling their kids how to play ball, or telling their child what they did wrong.  It is all about perspective when you have a child who has special needs.  It doesn’t matter if your kid … [Read more...]

Gonzo's in South Burlington originally opened as a virtual reality golf place.  I envisioned a bunch of guys drinking beer, playing golf, and watching tv- not too high on my places to visit.  Over the years they have added more virtual sports, and they recently added some sort of skiing machine.  Okay, so skiing in a warm room intrigued me for about 5 seconds, but the idea of virtual games had never interested me.  It reminds me of playing the WII, which I dislike. Over vacation we received an invite from the Westbrook family to go to Gonzo's for two hours. Kelcie, our oldest daughter, was psyched to go play at Gonzo's with her father and the Westbrook clan.  I, on the other hand, decided that there was nothing for Kayla to do there so we would stay home. I did a little research about Gonzo's the day we were suppose to go.  I learned about their games and the general atmosphere of the place.  I also found out that the Westbrooks' … [Read more...]