WestJet Christmas Miracle: real-time giving

Together with Air NZ, Westjet has to be one of the most innovative airlines..

People without kids don't know..

I can do another version with Baby Jonathan fussing in the shopping mall the other day... !

I really have no idea how reading up on the original paper on the CHADS2-VASc score, jumped to reading the "Inn from the Cold" website. (If you insisted, I do have a rough idea..I finished reading the paper, thought about the weather outside (-11 on my way to work....), then logged onto Calgary Sun's website (as I have already finished reading the Calgary Herald earlier..), and there was this "Adopt-a-family" thing from the Sun, it happens to be run by the "inn from the cold" group.

Must talk to my Mrs about how to get involved.. 

There are just too much suffering in this world, really. I am on-call for the first time after Jonathan was born - the little one is 1 month old now and all of a sudden my perspective on life changed. You see your patient in a different light - the sense of family, the sense that the patient in front of you has/used to have a family too. He once were born as an infant to someone - has gone through adulthood, and now in his 60s-80s. I'm no different from these patients, they just got there (to their age) earlier than me!

Doesn't matter what we do, our job or what hat we're wearing - we should get on with making other people's lives better, if they're having a bad day.

Ian and Larissa, Noel and Hannah

Stuff ran a story on Ian and Larissa's marriage, it was, simply an incredible story. The Herald ran a FrontPage story on Noel and Hannah's struggle with cancer, again, the scale of emotion this couple had to endure is beyond my comprehension.

The press shy away from mentioning that both of them attribute their hope to their Christian Faith. I have a feeling that the press in countries, say, like Canada, will not pussyfoot on such a core part of the stories like these.

The book "This Momentary Marriage" looks interesting.. another book on my reading list..

Twenty reasons to visit Calgary

Destination Calgary made it to the homepage of Stuff today.. what a surprise! We've been to less than half of the recommended top 20 in our few months here.. certainly more places to explore now! I can see my next destination being .....

Hope

Wikipedia defines Hope as ".. the state which promotes the desire of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life or in the world at large " 

It is Dr Noel's hope that in the face of metastatic cancer, he'll get to see his yet-to-be-born daughter. 

The story is a moving one -the couple appear affable, yet the situation is dire and the outlook seemingly hopeless. 

Or is it? There is always a silver lining. The story struck an accord with those who have been there, all the young parents/parents to be. The outcome of the short fundraising has brought some, albeit brief, financial relief to the family.

My reflection of the story is that hope is essential to the human existence. It is with the hope that tomorrow will be a better day, that we have decided to have kids. It is with the hope that our future will be brighter, that we work today. 

Hope underpins almost all the decisions that we make. I'm hopeful that better days are yet to come for the Noels.

Halloween

Later this week, 2.5 weeks old little Jonathan gets to experience Halloween in Canada - not that he'll remember it but that's not the point. The pumpkin most likely will be eaten and not crafted.. nevertheless, "festive" pumpkins of this size are no where to be seen in NZ, another first for us as a family!

photo after first bath at home

Looks like a little bunny outfit.. but it's just a towel over the head!!

Jonathan survived his first bath by mum and dad... now let's improve on my technique..

Jonathan Choi

Jonathan Choi - born at 4am MST, Foothills Medical Centre - Calgary, Canada on the 12th of October.

He is 51cm long and 7'11 lbs. 

A great little boy. 

Jonathan, may you grow up healthy and wise, to love and to serve those around you and be a positive influence in the world.

A cloudy Autumn day in Calgary

Trees turning yellow
Winter tires on
Frost on the ground
No boats on the Bow

Yesterday was a much better day as the skies were blue, but anyway, just wanted to capture the color of the trees outside, today.

Dani's contractions are keeping her from sleep at night, anytime now!