thepalmgifts http://www.thepalmgifts.com

Let's Bring Together The Palm Gifts Customers To Help a Family in NEED!

Prayers, cards, donations needed. Please forward to friends and family.

Their Story:

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson (Age 27) was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson (Age 29), and his flight instructor, Doug Kinneard, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinneard passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital.

Christian & Stephanie remain in critical condition at Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie’s body was burned over 80%. They have 4 children: Claire - 6, Jane - 5, Oliver -3, Nicholas - 2. They will likely have millions of dollars in medical bills, and many months of recovery.
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Pick from 3 ways to donate:
1.Donate to the NieNieFund@gmail.com Paypal account
Visit http://www.paypal.com/
Create and/or login to your Paypal account
Click on Send Money and follow through remaning details
Email address is nieniefund@gmail.com

2.Wells Fargo Deposit
Visit any Wells Fargo branch
Write a check payable to "Stephanie Nielson" and ask to deposit in her donation account
If they have a hard time finding it let them know the account was opened in Utah on 8/19/08

3.Bank of America Deposit
Visit any Bank of America Branch
Write a check payable o "Christian & Stephanie Nielson Rehab Fund" and ask to deposit in their donation account
If they have a hard time finding it let them know the account was opened in Arizona
Mail a check to P.O. Box 8850 Mesa, AZ 85214, addressed & payable to "Christian & Stephanie Nielson Rehab Fund"

You can read about their story more:

http://www.nierecovery.com/

http://www.cjanego.com/ Courtney's blog (Stephanie's sister)

Stephanie's blog: Her wonderful life events as seen through her eyes: (http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/)

***Send cards to decorate our patient’s room!(2 separate rooms)

c/o Stephanie and Christian Nielson
Maricopa County Hospital
2601 East Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008(No flowers please!)(Though Nie would love them . . .)

PLEASE email info@thepalmgifts.com and let us know what you have done to help these two wonderful people and their family. I will post all responses. Include your first and last name initial and where you are from.

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(Excerpt from my personal blog)

Today was September 11th. Today was a historical day. Today is a day to start living.

I did not turn on the TV. I did not check the internet news stations. I know what today is.

My thoughts were with Stephanie and Christian Nielson today. They were in a plane crash August 16th 2008. For some reason, and somehow I found her sister's blog. I don't search blogs EVER, but somehow I found hers.I knew immediately from reading the blog, that I was sent there for a purpose.

Not sure exactly how it happened, but I knew immediately.It's weird how certain things happen in your life. How you are drawn to things in your life that you don't understand fully.

I immediately emailed Courtney, Stephanie's sister. Asked how I could help. I did not know the extensive community that surrounded this family. I did not know how much I would admire the support, love and brave hearts that this family possess. I did not know the media attention, I did not know anything but the brief story at the top of the blog. I did not know how this would change my life, but KNEW it would.

The past few days, I can not stop thinking about what LIFE meant to Stephanie! How she lived her life daily. How she dearly loved her family. How she took time to notice the small things: Cheerios in the sink, mosquito bites, writing LOVE notes to her husband updating him on the daily things that happened while he was away on a trip, LIFE!Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, giving herself to LIFE and her family.LIVING LIFE. LOVING LIFE. LOVING FAMILY.

Stephanie laying in a hospital room bed burned over 80% of her body FIGHTING for LIFE! Her husband burned in the hospital intubated, burned on face and arms, and has pneumonia. I felt their LOVE for each other even though words are not spoken.

Somehow, through their LOVE story on her blog, her LOVE lives on. I can feel the love between the two of them, the love for her towards her children, the love for her family. SHE LOVED with everything she had.

I read on her blog that she was honoring her father this past Father's Day. She submitted a writing about him, saying how she looked like him when she was born. She also said she learned lots from him."If I have learned anything from Dad, it is to go all out -the gravy on the potatoes, the frosting on the cake, the cherry on top. "

Stephanie has enriched my life. She taught ME what LIVING life is all about. She taught ME to take the gravy on the potatoes, frosting on the cake, and cherry on top.It's so amazing to me how someone I have never met can have such an impact on my life. As I sit here crying for her and her family, I am so THANKFUL for HER. I am going to sign up for a 5K, I am going to bake MY kids a cake and throw them a special "just because" party. I am going to write my husband a letter, I am going to START LIVING!So "GO ALL OUT- THE GRAVY ON THE POTATOES, THE FROSTING ON THE CAKE, THE CHERRY ON TOP." -Stephanie NielsonSTART LIVING!Thinking of you daily Stephanie and Christian
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It is expected that their medical bills will run into the millions of dollars as they both have multiple surgeries and extended rehabilitation.Right now, the children are with Stephanie’s sisters in Provo, Utah. They will start school without their mom and dad, but they will have their cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. They are well-cared for.

One of Stephanie’s blog entries that particularly stayed with me was her husband coming home:
"Mr. Nielson recently got home from a business trip to San Fransisco.When the car pulled in the garage 4 happy little children ran out to greet the families breadwinner. Daddy was home. I was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Perfect timing.Mr. Nielson bounded through the door with the children practically stuck to his body.In his hands were a dozen deep red roses wrapped in newspaper.It was a sweet welcome home gift.We pondered over the weekend what pulls our time. Work, yoga, airplanes,travel, blogging, and school. It was another vivid reminder that what matters most is what is non of the above, but rather what abides with us in our humble home.Our Marriage + Our Children = Treasure.

Claire, Jane Bronwyn, Oliver and of course our little critter the gigs Nicholas.Our marriage matters most, and our church activity.With the right perspective, life is actually very wonderful. Really it is.I saw a funny bumper sticker yesterday on a beat-up jalopy. It read:“Don’t be fooled by my car, my treasure is really in heaven.”Is my treasure in heaven? I believe it is, and I believe my home is heaven on earth."
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