"The Balloons 4 Healing Project" © The Balloon 4 Healing Project was inspired by: Natalie Smith-Blakeslee and Dr.Stephen Hodack "The Balloons 4 Healing Project" is for bereaved Moms and Dads who have lost children. There are situations, such as illness or having moved to another state, that prevent a bereaved parent from visiting his or her child's grave site. "The Balloons 4 Healing Project" would ensure that those parents could count on another parent to help them remember their child's Heaven Date and Birth Date. Moms and Dads from all around the world can be a part of the Balloons 4 Healing Project. Please email Dr. Stephen Hodack at shodie13@yahoo.com or Natalie Smith-Blakeslee at nataliemedium@adelphia.net for details of Moms and Dads in your area who are willing to help make your day easier after the loss of your child. The Balloons 4 Healing Project involves: *Flowers and/or the release of balloons at or near your child's resting place * Digital photos of the event to send off to the bereaved Mom or Dad. * A phone call, if so desired, to the bereaved parent during the event. * On August 17th of each year there will be a worldwide release of one purple balloon by each parent from their desired location, in memory of their child. The first Balloon 4 Healing release is set for August 17th, 2006. "Keeping our child alive through the memories we share and the balloons we release" is the slogan. <

"The Purpose & Guidelines for the Balloons 4 Healing Project" As I was speaking by phone to Denise Platz, the bereaved mom of a precious son named Aaron, I realized that she was now living too far away to visit her son's grave. She had moved from the Fairview-Girard PA area to California. We spoke about the upcoming sixth anniversary of her son's passing. She had just visited home a couple of months earlier and couldn't come back again this soon. I asked myself how I could help her make the day less stressful for her, as she would be missing and grieving her child even more on that day. And so I told Denise, "You can still lay flowers, balloons, gifts, whatever you wish, at your son's grave. I would be more than happy to do it in your place." With her imagination as her only limitation, she was free to get her feelings out, knowing that someone who truly empathized would stand in for her and present her gifts to her son. She called a shop near my home and placed an order for the kinds and colors of flowers and balloons that she wanted, with a yellow rose accompanying her special note. On that Saturday I picked everything up and went to her son's gravesite. With Denise on the phone, Dr. Steve Hodack and I took pictures and made a video recording, as we released the balloons and placed the flowers on his grave. Scissors and markers were left behind the tree for any members of the family that might visit. As it rained, tears flowed. We shared stories of our children and I listened as she told me about Aaron. I had lost my eldest daughter Carrie almost a year earlier. It turned out that we were not only joined in our grief, but that our children had both passed from the same illness, leukemia. Dr. Steve ventured out in the rain one more time to grab a few photos, one of which included the gravestone of Denise's husband, which she hadn't yet seen. Her husband, Aaron's father, had passed just one year prior. We laid balloons at his grave with a note asking him to give Aaron a huge heaven hug for her. As we drove away from the cemetery, Dr. Steve said, "I think you have developed something here that could help bereaved parents all around the world." And this was the start of "Balloons 4 Healing". Although Denise paid for her balloons, I now offer this: * I will pay for a two-balloon bunch for a mom who cannot afford it. One balloon to stay at the grave and one to be released on the birthday or anniversary of your child's heaven date. (I wish I could pay for butterflies as well, but I cannot.) * On the anniversary of your child's passing, you can opt for one balloon release or a butterfly release. I will have a list of places in the U.S. and other countries to purchase the butterfly. Parents all around the world will be doing this, this will be one's own responsibility. * On August 17th 2006 we will release either one purple balloon or a butterfly, it is your choice which one your child would prefer. We will share stories and pictures to see if anything unusual showed up in our pictures. We will do this each year thereafter in memory of all the children lost to all the moms and dads all around the world. * We will create a Yahoo group to share stories and information on the "Balloons 4 Healing Project" and to share pictures of our event. * "Balloons 4 Healing " will help other mothers and fathers who cannot make it to the gravesite on the anniversary of their childrens' passing, birthdays, etc... Phone calls and pictures would be a great idea for both the mom helping and the mom you are helping. Consider this an act of love for your child, and in memory of your child. Moms helping moms through grief. * The purchase cost of the balloons and butterflies will be borne by the parent who cannot be at the grave. The mom in the area helping can provide a local shop to make the purchase. * If a mom cannot afford the balloons, I will get a price from a shop in my area and reimburse the helping mom if she would make sure two balloons are at the resting site for the mom who cannot be there. Pictures of this event would be essential to share with everyone as well. * All purple balloons and/ or butterflies should be released at dusk. 7 pm est. time. Balloons and or butterflies will be going to heaven if this is done all around the world that day. * Please remember to share the stories with other moms who have lost a child as well. If you feel you would like to, light a candle and let it burn for a bit when you return home. * Please REMEMBER to cut the string as close as possible to the balloons so they do not get wrapped up in any wildlife, and to thoroughly extinguish the flames from the candles you light ****** The PURPOSE of BALLOONS 4 HEALING is to help other mothers who cannot be at their child's resting place and to remember all the children all around the world and mothers and fathers who have lost children. WE ARE MOMS HELPING MOMS THROUGH THE GRIEF.... "Keeping our child alive through the memories we share and the balloons and butterflies we release" is our slogan. <

TESTIMONIALS Hi everyone, Natalie and Steve are so wonderful!! That they sent balloons n flowers 4 me. Even though it's raining they were there for me. It meant the world to me and knowing that Aaron wasnt alone that day, it was blessing. Im sure it was very satisfying for Natalie and Steve to do this. Being from the receiving side, I feel blessed to have friends that would do this, Thank you Natalie and Steve, Love Denise Aaron's Mom <