That initial stay at St. Jude was difficult, to say the least. But Ella remembers the fun times with a giggle, like wearing a T-shirt that read, “My chemo ate my homework,” playing little pranks on the nurses, and riding down the hallway on her IV pole until the hospital staff said it was too dangerous.
Celebrities would also often stop by to visit the children at St. Jude, like Justin Bieber and, during Ella’s second stay at the hospital, Taylor Swift.
Ella and her mom were also invited along with four other families to be part of a panel discussion in front of a large audience where they were asked to relate their experiences.
She and Ella decided to dye their hair pink for the panel interview. But Ella woke up the next morning covered in pink hair that had fallen out overnight.
“I was so angry at that point, because I knew my daughter was about to be bald,” JD said. “But I said, ‘OK, let’s go shave our heads together instead.’”
That way, they could both “rock the bald look,” as her mom puts it.
“People would comment, ‘You’re such a good mom, I can’t believe you did that,’” JD said. “I just thought, ‘Who wouldn’t?’”
A rather humorous incident in the middle of the panel discussion served to illustrate the emotional ups and downs for any family dealing with cancer.
During the interview, JD was in tears listening to one of the other mothers tell her child’s story.
“It was just heartwrenching, and I’m crying, and then I look over at the little boy sitting next to me, and he’s turned around with his head stuck in the back of his chair,” JD recalled.
“So I’m trying not to laugh as I’m helping to get him free. … it was just one of those ridiculous moments,” she said.
Ella told that same knock-knock joke during the panel interview, and it had everyone laughing.
JD and Ella were also prominently featured with other St. Jude families in a music video that was recorded by the country band The Grascals, along with Dolly Parton, called “I Am Strong.” The video can be found on YouTube.
“The day our lives changed” came shortly after the video shoot when JD read about another girl at St. Jude about Ella’s age, named Ryan, who was fighting the same type of cancer.
After reading Ryan’s story to her daughter, JD said Ella perked up and said, “Are you kidding me, there’s someone else in the world like me?”
Ella and Ryan ended up becoming best of friends during the remainder of their stay at St. Jude.
Source:
http://justinbieber.firstorfast.com/2012/10/14/a-journey-of-courage-hope-and-coming-home/