I received a phone call on Friday afternoon from Dr. Muhonnen’s office, he is the Neurosurgeon who perforned Cassie’s craniotomy on 6/5/10 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange, Ca. I was asked if our family and Cassie would be intrested in coming to a Guild meeting in Newport Beach on Tuesday 11-16. Of course our answer was yes, Cassie told the doctor after one of her visits, if there was anything she could ever do for him to please ask. He has always wanted to bring a patient to these meetings and thought of Cassie. We went there to share her story of what happened to her that day. I have to say, I have nothing but the upmost respect for him, without him we do not have Cassie here. As he told his story on how he meet Cassie and what she had, how it was a typical day and then our lives were changed forever. I was drawn back to the first moments we met him, and how, this is what had to be done to save her life. I got emmotional. I did not think I would. He explanied the procedure regarding her on how her brain had shifted and the AVM had to be removed, and the pressure on the brain , without this being done it would have been her demise. He explained how he needed the help of another surgeon to hold the brain while he did remove the AVM, I think my family and I just took a deep breath and thank God for wonderful surgeon’s such as him. So, Cassie talked about what happened that day and how her head really hurt after I picked her up from beach sccer practice and it made her feel very out of her normal self, and how half of her body got weak. She talked about me taking her to the ER immediately. She talked about after the surgery and all the great staff at CHOC from the PICU nurses and doctors and all the staff on the 5th floor. He asked me what I took from this? I told everyone in the room, of course me crying, this ER nurse who did not know me, came to visit me in the room while Cassie was having her first surgery of the night, her angiogram, she brought me a teddy bear and gave me the biggest hug and just let me cry on her shoulder. She told me your Cassie is in the best hands possible here, and I know you are worried but God is with her and she will be alright. What a great individual, she knew I was thinking and needing that bear to hug. My husband Jerry and I could not even really say anything to each other I think we were in shock, during all of this. Just tears in our eyes, but yest a complete stranger, she made me feel so much better. My husband told everyone in the room that from the first nurse in the ER to all the staff at St. Joe’s and CHOC we could not have asked for anything better. The reason Cassie shared her story was to show she is a normal girl and this could’ve happened to anybody at anytime, but because of St. Joe’s hospital she will have the normal life. The CHOC Glass Guild Slipper Guild raises money for CHOC hospital, and was so happy our family and Cassie could be there to share her story. The reality is alot of Orange County residents do not have medical insurance, but the hospital will not turn you away if you can not pay. So the Guild does alot for the hospital. Cassie was so flattered Dr. Muhonnen called on her to help out. My daughter has been through so much, but she will be there to help you if she can. She is truly a diamond… She will share her story with Dr. Muhonnen at their Gala next year to help raise money for the hospital. He asked her, are you ready? You are going to have to speak in front of a couple hundred people, she said Absolutely! She is so excited and so are we. She told me when we got the phone call, you know Mom, I am so blessed! All the members of the Guild were so wonderful, thanks everyone. I know there are so many people on this site who get turned away for not having insurance and that breaks my heart. We have insurance, but I am so thankful to know if we did not, we would not have been turned away. I am praying for all of you to get the help you need. God Bless you all. Make each day count! Love to you all~