Visit From Family

Last Thursday, Mason and I got a nice surprise. My mom, aunt Linda, uncle Vern, cousin Josh and his girls stopped in the Chicago area on their way to the visit grandpa Cimino in Maryland.
We were originally trying to meet them for dinner on Wednesday night, but due to some miscalculations, they arrived too late. So, Mason and I got up a little earlier than normal and drove out to their hotel and met them for breakfast. It was nice to see everyone. Not sure why the photo has a bluish tint, oh well.

~ Max & Mason

Viola is Recovering

We've been to the hospital a couple of times to see Viola (Jenny's mom). She is in some pain, but managed to put a little weight on her hip yesterday. She'll probably be in the recovery room a couple more days and then she'll move to a physical therapy room. I haven't spoken to the doctors yet, hopefully I'll be able to today.

She does have a great view of Chicago from her room.



~ Max & Mason

Viola is in the Hospital

Jenny's mom, Viola, went in for surgery today. She had what is called a "Total Hip Arthroplasty". According to her husband, Bob, the surgery went well, but she lost a lot of blood because the procedure took longer than expected. She's at the La Grange Hospital, and doing fine.

Mason and I will be going to visit her tomorrow. I know that Mason is a little worried, but Viola is in good hands. She should be home in a few days.

It's a Whole New Look

Not exactly sure what caused her to make this decision. Mason's always been pretty attached to her hair (pun intended). Her long, red hair is, well, her trademark - her brand. It makes her stand out from the crowd. Literally, it makes it much easier to spot her in a crowd ;-) The color is the same, but today Mason's locks are about 12" shorter.



Mason decided to donate a pony tail to Locks of Love, a well-known charity that makes wigs for kids. Hair donation is a simple way to provide a child with locks of love. Donating it is actually very simple (it's the growing it that takes the time and effort). If you have a ponytail that is 10 inches or longer, you can donate hair so that that a kid whose lost theirs can look more like themselves.

Children undergoing chemotherapy, suffering from alopecia areata, or recuperating from scalp burns face multiple hurdles. In addition to the physical challenges of medical treatment, children also must combat low self-esteem and poor self-image from losing their hair. Oftentimes, bald children believe it necessary to hide their condition under hats and feel they stand out among other kids.

When kids feel better about their appearance, they feel brighter about the outlook for their future. With renewed confidence, these children will go out in public again, without feeling self-conscious. They can look proudly in the mirror. They see themselves again.

A custom human-hair wig can cost more than a thousand dollars to make and is too expensive for many families. But, several non-profit groups are working with volunteers to make wigs for financially disadvantaged kids. To make this happen for a child, all you have to do is donate your ponytail, the next time you get a haircut.



We went to Fantastic Sams in Forest Park and they made the process even simpler. Judy, Mason's hair stylist, took care of everything. She gave me the hair donation form to fill out and then she packaged the hair and shipped it off to Locks of Love.

I think a few of her friends will be surprised on Monday. I think she looks great of course :)

~ Max