A four-year old Alberta girl named Serenity died on Sept. 27, 2014. When she arrived in hospital a few days earlier she was suffering from catastrophic injuries, including a fractured skull and starvation. She was hypothermic. There were signs of sexual abuse. A forensic pediatrician determined her injuries were inconsistent with a fall. There were repeated reports of abuse during Serenity’s care.
Beautiful and maddening, hopeful and condemning, simple, yet like a knot that takes a lifetime to untangle. A heartbreaking, rewarding story that still haunts me. That’s how author Jamie Ford describes Up From the Blue, the debut novel by Susan Henderson. Novels aren't usually a genre I do book reviews for but this one is an exception. And I think you would agree once you meet Tillie.
Saju Mathew is an American lawyer working in India to bring about change in the most vulnerable group in the world and end child sexual slavery. I met him at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta - an aptly named venue to begin a journey into reality.
In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, “Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face!” Disappointments truly hurt. You bet they do. They sure don't make you happy. But what does make you happy is the grit to rise strong and press on. Just ask the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions, St Louis Blues and their biggest fan Laila Anderson.
My name is Katelyn and if you can believe it I used to be a normal kid. I’ve always been short for my age but nothing like I am now. I haven’t grown at all because of my chemo treatments over the past two years.
Often people don't believe a woman who says she is a victim of domestic violence if they see no bruises. Emotional wounds leave no visible bruises. My friend understands this completely.
The thing is, being a mom doesn’t stop for anything. Not for blizzards, not for late nights, and not for cancer. It was July 2017, and I had just gone through another round of CT scans. Checking my voicemail, I heard the familiar voice of my oncologist. “Hi, Julie,” she says in her quiet, steady voice. “I have your lab results back and I’d like to discuss them with you.”