My *GUARDIAN~ANGEL*

December 21, 2009 ... an unfair day when the best woman in the whole wide world was taken away from her family and many friends --- far too soon. 

[Gram & Papa, on their first date. Papa had borrowed that spiffy car from a friend, just to impress Gram! It honestly looks like the perfect snapshot right out of that time-period.]

My grandmother, Ann Marie Sugermeyer: your typical 100% Italian woman. Cooking, baking, sewing, knitting... she could do it ALL! But, even more than those things, she was the most considerate, faithfully devoted, genuine woman anyone could ever hope to know. When she wasn't serving Holy Communion at Our Lady of the Cape Parish, or volunteering every week at the Parish's Thrift-Shop, she was entertaining family and guests alike (once you entered the Sugermeyer house, you were instantly family). 

Every holiday is a little tough... especially Christmas. Yesterday marked the fifth celebration of the birth of Jesus we have celebrated without her. 

As we attended Mass at Our Lady of the Cape, I could feel her with me. I don't know if it was the beauty of the church itself, or the singing mixed with beautiful instrumental accompaniment; either way, I felt Gram: her spirit, her beauty, her faith. It was truly the best Christmas gift I could have hoped for!

Giving, Caring, Sharing!!!

          Mother Teresa once said: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” It’s as if she had been bestowing these bits of advice upon the late Paul Newman, while he was in the process of forming the plan for and building >The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp< , whose main mission is: “dedicated to providing ‘a different kind of healing’ to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge.”

  

          Yesterday, my mom and I had the great pleasure of attending this wonderful camp’s Holiday Party. I had received the invite from the marvelous Mr. Ray Lamontagne, a philanthropist himself, whom I had met my first semester back to school [Fall’11]. He had hosted an Emerging Leaders session, aptly titled “The Purpose and Power of Non-Profits”.  Ray and I have stayed in-touch over the past few years, and I was so flattered to receive that invitation. The even better feeling? Attending this occasion, and being able to witness the genuine joy, love, and gratitude which were so prominent all throughout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were so many superb sights to behold. From the walls wrapped in decorative, holiday paper, to the elves and other North Pole-ians prancing to and fro, it was certainly an enjoyable day!  I even was able to ~craft~, which is, without a doubt, one of my favorite pastimes.

 

 

... talk about feeling as if you were in Santa's work-shop!

 

~MY~ *HAPPY-ZONE*  

 

The gigantic tree was a sight to be seen! Not only was it monstrously tall and wide, but the special ornaments which adorned the many branches, paired with the generous gifts underneath for all of the strong survivors who were present, just made it even more phenomenal!

 

Before our departure, Mom and I had to pose for a picture with a couple of Santa's helpers ~  

 

Without the endless efforts of individuals like Ray and his tremendous work-force, this would not have been possible. 

As quoted by Paul Newman's character, Butch, in the famous Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid film:

"I have vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veteran's Day ~~~ *THANK YOU ALL*

            As all of you are probably aware, today is Veteran’s Day. A day to celebrate the heroism, service, and sacrifice of all the men and women who selflessly served/are serving in our United States’ Armed Forces. 

            What we must not forget on this day of red, white, and blue, stars&stripes, is that for many of our returning veterans, although they are no longer actively serving on the battlefields, the battle is not anywhere close to being “over”. 

            Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is just one of the many long-lasting and invisible wounds of war. Another, which especially resonates with me, is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). There are numerous organizations established to ensure that our bravest are “taken care of” when they return home after their deployment. Most of these programs, such as the Wounded Warrior Project, focus more on the physical wounds, such as missing limbs, loss of eyesight, and many more mobility issues. There is one program, which not only aides these brave warriors’ physical necessities, but also the silent wounds of war. That organization is The Bob Woodruff Foundation. Established by ABC News’ Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee, the foundation’s main mission is “…to ensure injured veterans and their families are thriving long after they return home… find and fund innovative programs in communities where veterans, their families and caregivers live and work” (bobwoodrufffoundation.org). 

            Mr. Woodruff is also a SURVIVOR of TBI, which he sustained back in January 2006 while covering the war in Iraq. At the time, Bob was ABC’s newly appointed news anchor, and the vehicle in which he was traveling was hit by a roadside bomb. His TBI nearly ended his life, yet it inspired him and his family to focus on and pioneer one thing: “Give our injured heroes access to the high level of support and resources they deserve, for as long as they need it.”

             Although I myself am not a veteran, I am so incredibly appreciative of foundations such as this. Not only does it ensure that our bravest are taken care of, but was founded as a result of Bob’s journey through TBI. It also gives me even more motivation to, as Robin Roberts says, “Make my mess my message”. 

            From the bottom of my heart, with the utmost sincerity and gratitude, I would like to give a resounding “THANK-YOU” to every veteran, on this day and every day!

~^~SET SAIL~^~ at Spaulding!

The last time I ever laid my "googly-eye" on Spaulding Rehab Hospital was August 6, 2010, as I was gratefully being brought up to Crotched Mountain Rehab to begin the final phase of in-patient recovery.  

Now, here I was, this past Sunday, returning to Spaulding; different location, brand-new facility, but still the hospital that had claimed the entire summer that should have been marking the completion of my first year of college. 

My mom, sister, and I were all looking forward to this event, as it was bound to be an enjoyable afternoon out; along with the opportunity to see fellow survivors and their families, four years after meeting them, and under much different circumstances. 

[Jason, Jonathan, I, & Jason's fiancée]

[Courtney, Mom, & I... posing with the Bruins' mascot, <^>BLADES<^> !!!]

<3 [Where would we *SURVIVORS* be without our moms?!] <3

[My beautiful big-sister and I, with a great view of Boston in the background!]

Although the whole afternoon was incredible, the highlight of the entire event, for me, was the opportunity to meet WCVB[Boston's ABC-Affiliate]'s very own Kelley Tuthill. 

She graciously acted as the "host" of this event, somewhat as a celebration of all she has overcome as a SURVIVOR of breast cancer. 

The smile of relief I had on my face, helmet resting on my pajama-lap four years ago, was replaced with a humongous, happy grin. Standing tall and grinning proudly, next to a woman whose career-path I will call my own in the near future!!! 

A Little ~>Venture<~ Into BOSTON!

Now, THAT'S how Boston 

(especially the North End)

is supposed to be experienced!

My first venture into Boston's North End since Summer of 2010 was quite a different experience. As you all know, I wasn't exactly in the "best-shape" during that time, and the only way I was getting around was on four wheels, donning the
oh-so-fashionable crash-helmet. 

[with my mom & cousin, Julie]

Well, what a pleasant adventure today was! Rather than almost dying of heat-stroke, getting jostled and cramped while my father was pushing my rear-end up&down the small cobblestone sidewalks, I was comfortable, walking alongside my dad, and perhaps most importantly, FREE!!!

 

It's days like these, when I truly realize just how FAR I've come. When I can see it, feel it, experience it! (... and let me tell you, my back-side is definitely in better shape than after the last
North End "excursion"!)

Experiencing *~>The ABILITIES Expo<~*

Yesterday, with much excitement and anticipation, my mom and I attended~>Boston's Annual Ability Expo<~

We did not know what to expect, but knew it would be an unforgettably inspiring and eye-opening experience. Immediately upon arriving, we were inundated with various pieces of equipment, whether they were for mobility or communication. They included, but definitely were not limited to, the tricycle pictured below. A rush of nostalgia came over me, as that trike was awfully similar to the trike that had been the biggest portion of my
in-patient rehabilitation up at Crotched Mountain Rehab, from August-September 2010. Crotched had been the "final-step" of in-patient rehabilitation before I was finally allowed to return home after five months of hospitalization. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another >EYE-OPENING< experience was when we were able to witness, root for, and enjoy the Boston Renegades Baseball Team. The Renegades, run by the Association of Blind Citizens, is a unique program of competitive baseball for the Blind, allowing visually-impaired athletes to play ball, while also, "Creating Opportunity One Step at a Time"!

^--there I am, up at bat, wearing a blindfold, to fully grasp what it's like to be a member of this team

...you may be wondering how on earth would one be able to tell when the ball was nearing the plate.
Well, the pitcher acts as the batter's eyes, and the batter relies on his or her own ears to listen for when the pitcher counts '1,2...3!" I soon realized that waiting 'til the "3!" would not work for me, and had to adjust my swing accordingly. THAT photo is the snapshot of my BIG-HIT, to which I received encouraging hoots&hollers!!! 

After what felt like a GRAND-SLAM, here I am posing with the a few of the actual members of this terrific team!

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The day had really just begun after I "cleaned-up" the baseball diamond, and it was time to explore what else the Expo had to offer. My mom and I had no trouble locating which show we wanted to experience, as we could hear the " bumpin' " music from the other side of the arena. 'What could it be?' you may be asking. Well, it was the Wheelchair Dancing Demo and Workshop by Auti Angel, Abilities Expo "Dancebassador"!

Night of *HEROES* !!!

An absolutely awe-inspiring evening - a true HONOR! 

The Lowell Spinners, a "farm-team" for the Boston Red Sox, graciously hosted an *Inspiration Night*, where they 

recognized a handful of heroes.

Each hero was individually honored in-between the top&bottom of each inning. 

Being one of the "chosen few" was an emotion unlike any I have ever experienced! To be grouped amongst the likes of Team Hoyt New England, with Rick Hoyt himself leading the charge ~ WOW!!! 

The most surreal moment of the evening was the middle of the 3rd inning, when it was MY "time-to-shine" ! 

A Moment of Honor!

Feeling like a *SUPERSTAR* !!!

Yesterday was the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts annual golf-tournament.

My mom and I have volunteered at this event for the past two years, but this year was quite different. Not only did the "Farrell Volunteer-Team" grow by one (with the addition of my sister Courtney), but my responsibilities expanded, from simply being the 18th-hole photographer's assistant, to presenting a speech at the dinner after the day of golfing had commenced.

 

~Sharing My Story~

 

There is truly no better feeling than being up in front of a group of people (especially those who support organizations like the BIA-MA), to share my story of not just "surviving", but "thriving"! It's one effective way to show appreciation, not only for their generosity, but also their constant support.

 

 

[and speaking of "showing appreciation", would ya look at the beautiful flowers the fabulous folks of the BIA-MA presented me with!!!]

 

 

 

And to cap off an absolutely *SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS* day,
was our special-guest, New England Patriots Guard Logan Mankins, who is a strong supporter of the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts!!!

 

 

I guess this is "Growing-Up" !?

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: 

"Make the most of yourself,
for that is all there is of you." 

On the eve of my college graduation, I sit here, excited and anticipatory, anxious to ~SAUNTER~ across that stage right out on the beautiful green, overlooking the Hudson River. I also sit here, somewhat reminiscent. 

Five years ago, I made a similar, yet much smaller strut while graduating from Hopedale High School. 

I am ^STRONG^; I am ~LOUD~; and, most importantly,
I am >PROUD< ! 

Ryan Farrell, Graduate of Marist College Class of 2014 ...
I love the way that sounds!!! 

A True *HONOR* !!!

Yet another "reminder" of how close I am to finishing my collegiate-career occurred today. 

I, along with about sixty of members of the Class of 2014, were recognized at the "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" Ceremony
earlier this afternoon. 

My awesome academic adviser, Josh Robbins. 

After the ceremony, my Special Services Adviser, Susan, along with the Assistant Dean, Pat, treated me to a lovely lunch down at the Culinary Institute's Apple Pie Bakery!