Monday, October 11, 2010

Beautiful Chanel.

This is Chanel.
Ohmygoodness she's just so dang cute!
And this is her after her operation...

I cant say enough how adorable she is.

She's five years old now, and insanely active! She just runs and jumps and spins, and has an appetite like no one else I've seen! The first time we met, we drove to where she was standing, and before our mothers had even established whether we were the right people, before I could even get out of the car to say hi.. She had run upto the car, jumped into the back, and was hugging me! And spent the rest of the drive playing with my bracelets, tickling me, showing me her injuries and supergirly clothes *silver pumps with hearts all over them..a frilly candycane-striped top.. ah, girls clothes are the best*... Then we raced around the waterfront and played crazy games.. And ended the night with city lights and colourful dessert.
Today's event, a fashion show at Zevenwacht, was wonderful!
The venue was beautiful, great music, incredible clothes, Top Billing presenters (and what is an event without them.. haha) And (wait for it...) over R81 000 was raised!!
 R81 000!!! *whaaaat* Yes, that's atleast 16 surgeries.
16 lives changed forever. 16 people who wont have to hide their faces from the world. 16 people who can smile and laugh with everyone else, and not be ashamed. Oh, above is Braam Malherbe, who did a cool 'nothing is impossible, dream big, i ran the Great Wall of China with David Grier, BOOM' talk and played a video of it.. It was the first time I watched a mission clip after being home. Yeah, I cried more than I've cried during a mission video before. It's so much more real, so much more... I know these kids! I spent a week with his mom! I felt their pain and their joy. Every smile feels so much more magical, every moment bringing back my own experiences.
Flip, when that first dress got sold for R20 000, (the lovely dress that Chanel got to model, that the buyer donated back to her!!!) the tears just started flowing.. I just.. I'm constantly blown away by the generous hearts I've come into contact with. And wow, having been on a mission, seeing the effect of the surgery on peoples' lives, and knowing how deserving each and every one of the patients are (and how deserving Chanel and her mom are of this wonderful weekend away, and their moment in the spotlight) --it just makes it so much more emotional for me. I heard R20 000 and all I could see was those four children's faces lighting up, the moment their parents realize things will be different now, ahh it's like my heart bursts with anticipation! I wonder if the buyers will ever understand the difference they're making..
The food was sooo good :) And so beautiful* I'll go through my pictures and get actual nice ones of the event, but for now, how cool is this headdress?! And gosh this lady is soo beautiful! (Thankyou Muse Model Management *sponsor shoutout haha*)
Anyway, this was a wonderful weekend, filled with many "I'm so so blessed to have Operation Smile in my life. To have met such incredible people. To be inspired by their big dreams. And to have shared these life-changing experiences with them." moments.
To you I say, keep dreaming.
They definitely come true.