Mom’s Reflections on the Playin’ for Aiden Benefit Concerts

Entry taken from Caring Bridge Journal http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/harrisonhudson:

Hello, hello hello!

I know this journal entry is long overdue and I have been aching to write, but time just has not permitted until today.  So here I am!

Ok, first things first…..Thursday was beautiful and amazing!  The Bamboo Room, as always, was spectacular.  WE love being there, we love the venue, the staff, the sound, the drinks, everything.  BOTH bands were AMAZING!  It was so much fun to finally hear Jeff and Susan Snow play. (ps- Harrison Snow is WALKING at 10 months!!!!  Anything IS Possible!!!)  I am Invisible Music’s newest fan!  It was also so great to hear Cypress play.  They were so much fun and I just absolutely LOVED shaking my booty.  You can’t help it when they are playing, it’s like a little boogie bug bit ya!  (Thank you Daryl and the boys!)

The most beautiful thing about the evening was Ashley and Bryan Orozco being there.  I had the cutest text from Ashley before the event saying, “I’m putting make up on!”  I can absolutely remember that feeling while “living” in the hospital.  There was no need nor was there any desire to do anything to make yourself feel better.  We gave Ashley a reason to A) trust the staff at the hospital and go home for the first time in 3 months, B) put on makeup and a dress (Ash, you looked beautiful!) C) create a fun and loving evening for Ashley and Bryan to be together and just be “normal,” D) Ashley spent the night in her bed with her husband!! and D) we created a space for Ashley and Bryan to be loved up by their family and friends, which I am sure was much needed given all they have been through the last 8 months!

To see the joy and happiness on Ashley and Bryan’s faces all night makes everything we have been through somehow worth it.  To create this for them has been such an honor and a gift.  Thank you so very very very very much to all who contributed online, contributed in creating the event and all who came to the event!  Without you none of this would have been what it was!

It was also incredible to be in a room with other mother’s that are part of the “My baby stayed in the hospital way too long club.”  We share a silent code, a silent understanding and a silent love for one another.  It is tough that my experience ended in the loss of Harrison and it was tough on one of the other moms bc thank goodness her story has a happy ending, but none the less, it was amazing to meet and all be together.  We even has a waitress share her story after reading ours.  She lost her son at 6 days old and then had a preemie after that and the “my baby stayed in the hospital way too long” experience.  Thank goodness that child is ok and she bought a Hope From Harrison t-shirt for her baby.

One other beautiful experience I had that night that I would like to share: a couple that we have met through grievance group attended the event.  It was really great to be with them somewhere outside of the “grievence conference room.”  But the part that I want to share is that for the first time since I have known them, over 2 months now, I saw true and pure JOY on their faces.  It was so amazing to see them smile, really and truly smile from their souls.  We did that!  We created that!  I feel honored yet again!

With that said, we are having another event (a bit smaller) this Thursday at Hurricane Bar & Lounge in Delray.  Event begins is from 5-9 pm, it is a happy hour event and the cost will again be $10.  I must thank our friends Holly and Matt Iafeliece for this event.  They are coming to Florida for a visit, they live in Colorado now, and they planned this event for the Foundation and for Aiden.  We had nothing to do with it, I am so grateful to them for doing this for us and for Aiden.  We are truly blessed with amazing friends!

And of course I am grateful to Matt Beck, our tireless warrior!  He is Brotherly Love Productions and he continues to create and support all of these events.  Before we ever made it home Matt and the bands he promotes (Cypress and Ketchy Shuby who is playing this Thursday at our event, to name a few of the bands) have been raising money and spreading our word all over the place.  Thank you for believing in us and what we do and for loving us!  We love you and we love Brotherly Love Productions.

We will continue to accept donations which will go directly to Aiden through this Sunday, September 25.  If you are unable to attend the upcoming event and missed the last one or live far away, please feel free to donate directly.  We love and appreciate all the help we can offer Ashley and Bryan.  As I said before, we can’t make it better for them but we can certainly make things simpler!  Donations can be made at http://hopefromharrisonfoundation.org/donate/ and please type “Aiden” in the description line.  Thank you!!!

We will let you all know what your contributions have done to help the Orozco family when we complete our assistance for them!!!  Thank you, we are so incredibly grateful!  After seeing the joy and support we brought Ashley and Bryan first hand the other night, I know what we are doing is great and it is worth every emotional struggle I go through leading up to these events.  To help someone and truly make a difference in their life is a gift that I love giving and have dedicated myself to doing.  Thank you for being my partners on this journey!

With much love and gratitude for the difference we are all making together,
Melissa