HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAHON (Click here for a surprise)

Everybody sing.......

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Jahon,

Happy Birthday to you!

Here's wishing you the most wonderful 1st birthday a little boy could ever have. Here are our birthday wishes for you!!

(Please leave your birthday wishes for Jahon here under comments)

Please email pictures of your party for Jahon to amykrystof@entouch.net and cherylh@dejazzd.com.

REUNION

What a wonderful sight to see Lee Ann & Jahon reunited with family! Look at that smile! What a reward!



Lee Ann, may your reunion with family only be the beginning of a happy, bighter tomorrow. It is wonderful to see you reconnected.
Family is forever!
Hugs, Hugs, Hugs, from your "extended family"

CLICK HERE to see pictures of homecoming.

LEE ANN'S TRIP TO SEE HOME IN ALGIERS

Becky posted this on MSN Group, thought I'd pass it on:
Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, but I was exhausted when we got home, and LSU was playing and lost!!! :o(

We made it everywhere we needed to go yesterday. We went to Lee Ann's home in Algiers and boarded it up. Someone had broken in and ransacked her house, so she didn't want to really take anything. Then we drove across the river, into new orleans, and made it to her residence. She just wanted to see it with her own eyes. The destruction we saw was unbelievable, and I am sure that it was much better than it was several weeks ago. I'll post the pictures from our trip on this board. We drove down canal street, bourbon street and past the riverwalk and convention center, and those areas are cleaned up almost back to normal. However, the rest of new orleans looks like a bombed out third world country. The pictures just don't capture it. I think in the past three days I have seen more destruction than most people see in a lifetime. But people were trying to make progress and this area will be back, one day! After driving around, we went back to the shelter, and hugged and said good byes. I was sad because I had to say goodbye to a friend, but I am so happy that she is on her way to a new start! I gave Jahon a big kiss, he is such a trooper! We will make it to N.C. to visit them once things get back to normal here. This is just one of thousands of sad stories that will have a happy ending, and it touches my heart to see the outpouring of love, and people helping people!

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS CLICK HERE TO SEE BROADCAST

NBC Nightly News will be airing a story about Lee Ann & Jahon Weds. Sept. 28th. Tune in and watch. Dawn Fratangelo interviewed her in Baton Rouge and a crew will be in Wilmington to cover her arrival on Tuesday night.

Click on title NBC NIGHTLY NEWS to view video of the broadcast.

LEE ANN & JAHON

A Little About Lee Ann

For those of you who may not know the whole story here is a little about Lee Ann and Jahon's ordeal:

Lee Ann & Jahon live in New Orleans at the time of the hurricane. They were evacuated from the place they were staying to the Superdome. In a search for food, water and medical attention for Jahon, Lee Ann walked through waters to the Convention Center. Things there weren’t any better. Jahon was dehydrated and in need of medical attention. She spent 4-5 days between the Superdome and Convention Center It was during this time she ran into a report who interviewed her and others, trying to get the real story of the horrors going on there out to people who could do something to help. Her story ran on MSNBC and picture was published in papers around the World. From there none of us new what had happened to Lee Ann & Jahon. We have found out now that they were eventually air lifted to the airport and then sent to a hospital in Baton Rouge for medical treatment for Jahon. They are currently staying in a shelter in Addis, LA. During their stay there Lee Ann received the devastating news that the place she was staying at in New Orleans had burnt to the ground with all of her precious possessions. They now have absolutely nothing, except each other and the goodwill of the people who have been following her story and desperately searching for her and Jahon. With the help of Cape Fear Volunteer Center in NC, Lee Ann and Jahon will be flying to Wilmington NC to stay with her Cousin Charlotte for a few weeks. The Center will be helping her find housing and work in the area so she and Jahon can start anew.

For those of you who would like to help please see other sections in this blog that detail what can be done. There is also a section with information for those of you who want to reach out and do more for other victims of Katrina.

On a personal note: The desperation people witnessed during the interview with Lee Ann at the Convention Center struck a cord and prompted many of us to search high and low to find and help her and Jahon. We have banded together in our pursuit and continue on in helping her and Jahon begin a new life. I also believe it has encouraged many of us to help in so many other ways. Volunteering, donating money and goods, etc to various organizations. Lee Ann has been an inspiration for many of us to do more, to that we owe you, Lee Ann, a HUGE thank you!

To read Lee Ann’s whole story click here:
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050925/NEWS/50924014

J IS FOR...JUST ADORABLE!

Jahon

A Baby Asked God
A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I am going to live there being so small and helpless?"
God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
The child further inquired, "but tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."
Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
"Who will protect me?"
God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
"You will simply call her, "Mom."

WALMART WISH LIST

There has been a Wish List created for everyone to access through Walmart. Here is the information on that list.

Walmart® Hurricane Relief Wish List. This list was set up by friends of Lee's who wanted to help. Please feel free to check the list and contribute if you would like to. The list is under Leeann Bemboom, Wilmington, NC.

MONETARY DONATIONS

Here is the information to send monetary donations to Lee Ann & Jahon. As soon as we receive information as to a new account I will post that.

It is best for the time being to send checks/money orders directly to Lee Ann at the NC address:

Lee Ann Bemboom
c/o Charlotte Hackman
1463 Quadrant Circle
Wilmington, NC 28405
Make Payable to Lee Ann Bemboom

As far as Lee's bank account goes, Lee Ann will be setting up a local account later next week. The original account in Brusly will remain open to accommodate checks that are being sent there.

For those interested in helping others below are links to various organizations that also need help.
Cape Fear Volunteer Center
http://www.capefearvolunteercenter.org/
Red Cross
www.redcross.org
Salvation Army
http://katrina.salvationarmy.org/usn/www_usn.nsf
United Way
http://national.unitedway.org/katrina/index.cfm

There are many local organizations all over the US that can use help too.

NON MONETARY DONATIONS

Here is the information to send non monetary donations to Lee Ann & Jahon.

Many of you have offered to send baby items and things to help Lee and Jahon start their new life. Charlotte does not have any baby items and as you may know Lee and Jahon have lost everything. We will attempt to make a more detailed list of needed items after Lee arrives and can help us know exactly what she needs. In the meantime, as promised the address to send items directly to Lee is:

Lee Ann Bemboom
c/o Charlotte Hackman
1463 Quadrant Circle
Wilmington NC 28405

LeeAnn:
Clothing size 18-20
Shoe size 11

Jahon:
Clothing size 18 months
Shoe size 3-4
Diapers size 3 (he prefers name brand/gets rash easily)

Please feel free to send whatever items you feel a young family may need. If we receive duplicate items we will be sharing those with the Cape Fear Volunteer Program. Because this program has been, and will continue to be so helpful to Lee Ann and Jahon, we would like to support their efforts. Their website is: www.capefearvolunteercenter.org

I'm also working on creating a new website to help others like Lee, if you know of any other families who could be helped in the same way we've been helping Lee Ann, please email me at juls336@peoplepc.com for more information. Julie