UPDATE ON HANNAH'S GIFT (The Film)

[Maria Housden, author of HANNAH'S GIFT]

Although it has been awhile since I posted an update on the progress of HANNAH'S GIFT (The Film), a lot has been happening behind the scenes. Christophe and 'the team' have been focusing their efforts to maximum effect, and we've made amazing progress in a relatively short period of time.In some ways, it's like climbing a ladder. Each 'yes' is another rung, and the more support the project receives, the more visibility it has. In a few weeks, Christophe will be at the Cannes Film Festival, where he intends to meet with some of the more elusive movers and shakers. For those who are offering prayers on our behalf, we also have a couple of very important meetings next week which could alter the landscape significantly.While it has been a practice in patience as we wait for things to develop, I am grateful for the enthusiastic and generous support that we've received so far. Marie De Hennezel is one of the many angels who has stepped up on our behalf. Marie, who is French, is considered by many to be the mother of the hospice movement. It was she who translated HANNAH'S GIFT into French and wrote a forward for the French edition, which contributed significantly to its success in that country. Marie read our screenplay and loved our approach to the story, and because of her support, doors have opened to us that might otherwise have remained closed.At some point, I hope to be able to share more details about the inner workings of this process, since it has been exciting and eye-opening for me. It's a bit like being invited to the V.I.P. room backstage at a huge concert and standing in the corner, all eyes and ears. Even the fact that my sweet Missy Hannah Girl's story is being pitched and talked about at the Cannes Film Festival is completely mind-blowing to me.Meanwhile, as the film finds its place in the world, I am finding mine. Regardless of whether this film gets made or not (and I am confident that it will), I must continue to move forward in the direction of my dreams which, for me, means loving, mothering, writing, being. ♥(reposted from the original blog at www.myspace.com/mariahousden

[Greg Schneider]

You and the girls are very welcome...it is so beautiful to see that T-shirt on one of Hannah's sisters!!

[Maria Housden, author of HANNAH'S GIFT]

thank you, greg. the girls loved the shirts. they both wore them to school the next day. :)

[Maria Housden, author of HANNAH'S GIFT]

i'd say the two adult mediums. ;)

[Greg Schneider]

The smallest shirts I have left are one youth small and two adult mediums -- what do you think?

[Maria Housden, author of HANNAH'S GIFT]

oh wow! they will love that. they're probably a small or x-small adult ... but i'm sure they'll proudly wear any size you've got. ;)

[Greg Schneider]

I have some extra t-shirts...not sure if they are the right size. Let me know and I'll send them for margaret and madelaine.

[Maria Housden, author of HANNAH'S GIFT]

thank you, greg. when people ask me why i am willing to risk so much to support this film, i point to stories like this. i know that there is an interconnectedness in all things, because hannah's life and spirit have given me all of the evidence i need.

i received my 'hannah's friends' shirt in the mail the other day. i'm going to let margaret and madelaine (hannah's sisters) wear it. they love feeling like celebrities as much as hannah did. i have no doubt that when it comes to what hannah's story wants, where there's a will, there's a way. ;)

[Greg Schneider]

I think Hannah had something to do with the huge image of the Red Shoes!!! I thought I uploaded a small image. A little Hannah humor -- I know how much she loved those red Mary Jane's!!

[Greg Schneider]

I am so looking forward to the creation of Hannah's Gift (The Film). Today we had the Human Race fundraiser in Santa Rosa, CA. Thousands of people showed up to raise money for the hundreds of non-profits in Sonoma County. Hannah's Friends (HF) were present. I am so very touched by what is happening as HF begins to blossom. We had many people come by our booth...drawn by the Red Shoes on the brochure.

We connected with people who were touched by Hannah's story and wanted to be part of the support of children with a life-threatening illness and their families. This morning as I was walking back to my car -- so many people that I had to walk about a half mile -- I came to a traffic light. As I walked up, a woman was standing there with her young daughter. She immediately pointed to the picture of Hannah on my t-shirt and said "I saw your booth when I was walking around and I wanted to know more about Hannah and who she was." I first explained to her briefly about the Hannah's Gift book that you wrote and she immediately said "Can I find the book here locally?" Then she wanted to know if we had a website because she wanted to get involved and support Hannah's Friends. What surprised me was how drawn she was to what we were doing with so little explanation -- she just seem to know intuitively how important our work was.

As I left her, I was overcome by the emotions of how beautiful life is. How we, at the prodding of Carol Clark, the mother of our first HF family we chose to participate in the Human Race for the first time. The connections we made seemed so synchronistic and symbiotic. I am not surprised by these occurrences as I have come to know the perfection in the way the universe seems to work when something is needed.

One example of this today was when some woman came by our booth and said "You should be talking to the people two booths down (Kathy's Camp). They are doing something similar to what you are doing. I had just arrived from the 3K walk with our supporters and my wife mentioned it to me so I went over to their booth. I began a conversation with Kathy's mother and she began to tell me about how the program got started. In a nut-shell this is why Kathy started the organization:

"Kathy and her husband, Marc, quickly learned that, while there were many support resources for cancer patients and even a few for spouses, there was almost nothing for the children of cancer patients. No place to find simple answers to difficult questions. No place to be with other kids who were going through similar experiences. No community to bring a sense of normalcy to their lives."

Indeed, what they were trying to do is the flip side of supporting a terminally-ill child, instead the parent had the illness and the children and the spouse nneded help. I immediately realized that we could help people in their situation as well. Kathy has stage 4 breast cancer that she has been shallenged with for almost 8 years. Today she felt strong enough to run the 10K race but feels time is not on her side. After we spoke for some time, Kathy & Marc agreed that we could work together to help families in their situation as well.

You and Hannah have affected the lives of so many. It will be so beautiful to see her come alive for all of us to meet. On behalf of so many, we thank you and Hannah with the deepest gratitude.