Nora Maguire

Hi everybody ,

And what a body of people you are! The blessing that all of you have gifted our way has been an incredible gift and insight into the generous and active nature of the human spirit. Our initial thoughts towards this effort were pure love and gratitude, what we underestimated was the awe we would soon experience . From the hour our Angel Friend Sarah Gillies put the wheels in motion, we have been completely floored at not only the generosity but the source of this kindness .Two memories stick out , the first when Sam called the morning after page was actioned and said he had something to tell me, which was the current total of donations. At that stage it was single digits and my reaction was pure disbelief . I spent the morning reading the comments and names that were on the page, tears just flowing . Old friends, distant friends, relatives, strangers (!!), friends of friends, friends of family. The second memory is a week on from this, the number had reached double digits,Mum and I cried over the phone to each other as I read her the names of the people who had donated. It is still a source of great comfort and a burst of energy for me when I read all of your names. That in itself has been a very humbling experience.

I have to single out one group that have stood out in a big way, the VMC community and our old crew from St. Bedes. Not only have our peers donated but the extended community from both our old high schools have given and prayed and sent well wishes en masse and as a dedicated force. It speaks volumes to the friendships and mana of our ties to both of these communities during our time there and beyond.

This fund has financed a few keys things, a great spin bike for myself to build my stamina and associated costs with ongoing rehab and medical costs. We have also planned a few weekends and a trip to ChCh is on the cards for the future.

More than money, you have all gifted us with support and love through this time . It's not for the faint hearted and while my rehab continues ( I can now walk with a walking stick , shower myself and cook meals, yay!!), it remains a daily journey. The feedback is that I'm exceeding the rehab path and I attribute this to the prayers that have been offered up. While a massive amount of support, medically and beyond comes my way, Sam has taken on a large portion of my role with the kids and home with the assistance of my parents . My sister in law Fiona put her life on hold to fill in for a week. We have had visits and hands on support from my mother in law Abina and her sister Christine, my sisters Caroline and Lorraine and brother in law Hans and my brother Shaun and sister in law, Amanda. Two amazing women , Mum friends from the kids school , continue to transport our kids to and from school everyday. And the list goes on, the amazing love and generosity , it would fill a book. Sam keeps it ticking over and when the dust settles, we plan to get away for a bit, thanks to all of you. The kids have also been troopers and we'll boost them up along the way with a few trips and surprises.

For those of you who are curious, my blog hashtagstroke.blogspot.com.au, is an amateur exploration of some of what this experience entails so far.

Today, we raise a glass to all of you and say thank you. You all restored our belief in the kindness of the human spirit and our hearts are so much better for it.

In health and love

Nora xxxx