Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Two Gold and One Bronze

 Ok, the end of the story at the beginning of the page! Anna won two gold and one bronze medal for her Team USA today. It was a looooonnnnngggg day. We got back to our room at about 10PM. There was quite a bit of disorganization in the meet that eventually got worked out. It was slow, with delays but finally the swimming happened. And, Anna Modlin always surprises those who have never seen her swim. They say, "She really can swim!" Yeah, that is what we said!

So, the best part of it all is that Anna was so satisfied with her times and her performance. She said it was what she expected of herself. She showed her ability and she came through for the team. Her Gold for 50 butterfly and 50 backstroke were great but the best was truly the bronze.

Anna swam with Diane, Agnes and Holly for the women's free style relay. Anna was the anchor and the last to swim. They swam against 7 other teams. The race was close in the first quarter and then it was clear that the A team of Great Britain was sure to come in first. Next Argentina was just behind the first team pushing forward. Third it seemed that the B team of Great Britain would take third until Anna Modlin was tagged and she entered her race. The British swimmer was a good two lengths ahead of Anna but with that taste of winning in her bones Anna took off. She poured it on and squeaked ahead with the crowd screaming, especially me. She did it, she brought bronze home for the relay team. It was incredible and the Anna that I have known since a little girl at Greenmeadow Pool was doing it again. She has so much guts and drive it is thrilling. Am I biased, am I a proud mom? You bet cha but it is true, Anna pulled it out! Those women were so happy. We hear that it is rare that the USA team of relay women medal but today they did.


So now you know, my daughter's dreams have been coming true, gold, a hot race that ends in victory, and tomorrow, the real show down. We watched Anna's real competiton today. She is another swimmer from Great Britain. I call her "the locomotive". She is big and STRONG and fast. Tomorrow Anna swims against her in the 50 free style. She is psyching herself for this one. So that will be the grand finale for her individual competition and then there will be the next women's medley relay. So more excitement to come...........

The bouquet for all Gold medal winners...

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Tuesday....Yesterday and Today.....

Outside our window is the Indian Ocean. We woke early to watch the sunrise twenty stories up with the windows wide open....such a view from our hotel room.

Reflecting on yesterday, planning for today......

Last night was the Opening Ceremony and it was really inspiring and well done. The entertainment was first class with African drumming and singing and dancing...a joyous event. The countries came out to the floor one at a time announced and applauded....it was striking, a gigantic room filled with people who experience their lives as miracles, from the USA to Romania, to Thailand, to India, to United Arab Emirates, to Nigeria......and to think this medical marvel has been performed successfully in all of these 55 countries.....to think this medical miracle has changed these lives to appreciate life and live it more fully. Touching to be sure, a model for world peace as well.

And, I must say that my emotions got the best of me at the pool yesterday too. Watching Anna in the water, being at the pool edge with Doug, smelling the chlorine air, all strong reminders of 25 years ago in Greenmeadow. Anna was a little girl and one of the team's best swimmers. That year, or rather, the day after Sara was born in 1988 Anna won overall in her age group and the team won league championship. What a weekend that was! Doug and I knew this glory would not last. CF crept up more and more each year until Anna could no longer compete without a lot of difficulty and discomfort. It was a time that passed. And now that time is back as if by a miracle. And not only as if but rather "by a miracle". Quite an emotional time for us. How could this be that we get to experience this once again but mind you we are now watching with greying hair and saggier bodies. In fact we were not much older than as Anna is now...so strange, so wonderful.

And then Tuesday became African Art Day! Dear Ruth Ann picked us up and took us to The BAT Center. It is an art space where artists and crafts people work and some live. Their studios are open and their products available to be purchased.










We spent about three hours here looking at prints, talking to artists, eating African food, meeting a poet, deciding on purchases and drumming.....




As it turns out this drummer was at the opening ceremony last night. Doug showed him a video he took of the drumming.... we had a drumming lesson, we have a lot to learn and practice...Doug loves to drum too so we are considering a drum to take home.

An now, after a team meeting the USA swim team is ready for tomorrow... and the man here in the glasses is attending the Games with a new heart and the mother and sister of his deceased donor. What a perfect donor family he has. They are here with the son she lost in spirit. He loved sports so this venue is the perfect way for her to feel him and the miracle that he became for his recipient.

Swimmers, take your mark, BANG! and they are off.............

Monday, July 29, 2013

My Mermaids

My mermaids are named Anna and Sara. 

In honor of both of them I must say that Anna is not the first of our daughters to represent the USA overseas. When Sara was just 12 years old and an excellent swimmer, winner of a championship, she went on an adventure. Sara was a member of the People to People swim team that competed in Australia. We sent our lovely daughter on her own to the down under. We were so proud of her and that she could use her swimming ability to open her world. The children who go on the People to People trips serve as ambassadors from their country. It was a program started to create goodwill in the world. Sara led the way.......

We did not get to see Sara compete in that far away land and she is not here with us now so I want to invoke her. She is Anna's best sister supporter and friend. Sara is our love and inspiration. CF plays havoc with the whole family, not just the victim of the disease. Siblings suffer along. Sara has done so well learning, growing and loving. She is now in the beginning of one of her dreams coming true. This week she begins her second year as a medical student. CF made its mark and she knows what illness is and what it takes to give comfort. She has a very balanced view of healing from scientific progress and modern medical treatments to the elements of caring and touch. She is going to be an amazing and fantastic physician.

We feel you with us......
Sara, may you too, Let Your Dreams Fly High.......


People With A Taste For Life


 Today Anna is checking something off her bucket list, swimming with sharks......not on my bucket list. She and Casey left at 5AM this morning to drive 1 hour south and then a boat ride as the sun arose in the morning sky. A piece of fish was thrown into the water and she said that immediately the fins arrived at the boat. She swam in a cage and they have a video to show. We have not seen it yet. They are exhausted and sleeping....... meanwhile Doug and I had a wonderful stroll down the beach front after a fantastic breakfast with beautiful fruit. I have been missing my fruit and now I have all that I can wish for and a delicious 'taste for this life".

As we explored the hotel beach front walking in the sand three darling South African young girls asked to have a photo with me. I believe it was my white skin and wild curly hair that they connected to. So sweet, so warm, so friendly and loving. It was like the two women in the grocery store when I first arrived. They wanted to connect with something different than what they have known. There is a desire to grow and reach out....to find a new identity and see that there are other possibilities. It is a quality of hope and "a taste for life."

We stopped for Rooibos tea and Rooibos cappuccino at a local seaside cafe. We certainly had "a taste for tea" after our walk.
While we drank our tea we noticed that next to us were members of the British team. We introduced ourselves and learned a bit about them Two of these 20 somethings had new livers since infancy and the other young man had had two kidney transplants. The last one was over a year ago and it was a donation from his dad. Because they are such a good match this one should last a very long time for him. We sparred a bit about the competition and how you say, "It is not about winning." But really, that is a lie. Everyone wants to win and the British are the usual overall winners and they expect to be so again. It was this "taste for life" that impressed us with these enthusiastic Brits.

On the beach in front of the cafe was a solitary sand artist. He was carving a shoe. Apparently someone had damaged it the night before and he was repairing it. Quite a work of art and "a taste for life" as a sand artist....

Next, time for lunch on the hotel pool deck with some of the French team. We ate with three women who are chaperoning 12 French children for the Games. One had a heart transplant, others had kidneys and livers. The children spoke little to no English but I could see their "taste for life" as they enjoyed each other and being in such a fun place supporting each other and competing in these Games for France.
And,,,,we went to the pool for Anna's practice...


 The practice went well........raring to go! One more day......she can taste it....this "taste for life" is infectious here at the Games...........

And there is that Ruth Ann again.....at the Opening Ceremonies where there was such a display of the Taste For Life!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Back To A Daughter's Dream Comes True

 Can you just imagine.....people from around the world who come together because they share in a miracle of life. They were all saved by someone who gave them a life giving organ. Whether it was a living donor, a family member, friend or someone unknown or a deceased donor whose family gave them the chance to live in the time of their grief have come together from all over the world to meet here in Durban. The energy is palpable. The energy is of love and life and "get on with it." No, what do I want to do with my life? It is I must do with my life now in this moment with the most gusto I can muster.....
 We know someone who happens to be in this category. It is our very own daughter....Anna. And here as people enter the elevator with a smiling face and a lanyard with the telling striped styling you are greeted with, where are you from? Canada, Iceland, France, Ireland, USA, and.....and then the next question is are you a recipient or a supporter?......... and then what organ did you get, kidney, liver, lungs, heart? It is a common question for these people. It is a place where they are the normal ones in this tall hotel by the sea.
So today was settling in and beginning to meet people. First we met Kay and Ray and Ray from Alameda, CA. Ray is a kidney recipient who is also a swimmer, Kay and Ray are his parents....then there was Anna's new friends from Johannesburg, Alice and Chris. Alice has CF and a double lung transplant too. The funny thing is that Anna and Casey and Alice and Chris, that is A&C and A&C look so much alike.....funny.....(they even have those glowing eyes, sorry about that)
The evening included a reception with Zulu dancers and drums and the unveiling of a new South African postage stamp in honor of the Games.


 And then there is tomorrow.....

But for sure these Games give life to the quote of Nelson Mandela...

"Everything looks impossible, until it is done."

At The Elangeni

Last night we were chaufeured once again by our friend, Frederick to meet Anna and Casey as they arrived at the Elangeni Hotel. Both we and they arrived at the reception area at the same time. Great timing.....



 So, we went out to dinner on Florida Street. This is an area that we have learned is relatively safe to go at night. We had a great dinner and then dropped A and C back at the hotel until today when we will meet up again.

We leave Chelsea Villa today for the Durban beach front and the Elangeni and will join the Team USA there.
As for our last days on Safari, the images, the smells, the bumpy roads, the surprises at the turn of the road is still with me and I hope will be for a very long time. We took many photos and it will take time to sort through them. We are not great photographers but we did record our visit there. But for sure the photos can not replace the being there.

If you ever thought of going to Africa to see the animals do it!

Now Onward To The World Transplant Games!