Dr Gold Thank You Letter

Dr. Stuart Gold wrote a thank you letter to the Culbreth 8th grade class for their fund raising project. I am going to include it here so that you can understand the importance of Karl's books and so that in your reading of this wonderful letter, you can be thanked for your efforts as well.


"Dear Culbreth Middle School 8th Grade Class,

Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our clinic. Karl's Books has become a huge success, providing reading material for many sick children. When our patients come to clinic the first thing they do is go to Karl's book shelf and see what new books have been delivered for them to read. It is an incredible program and your contribution will help immensely in supporting the effort.

Karl was a special young man and your gift is a great tribute to his memory.

Sincerely,

Stuart H. Gold, MD
Professor, Pediatrics
Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
UNC School of Medicine
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

And I thank you as well.
Love, Kathy
The Book Fairy

Culbreth Middle School 8th Grade Class

Two 8th grade English teachers (one our friend Julie Lucier) at southern Chapel Hill's Culbreth Middle School, encouraged their classes to participate in a reading fund raiser for Karl's Books. The Book Fairy made an appearance to their school today to collect the money they had raised. She was VERY surprised to discover that they had raised $970.50!!!!! This was just in 8 short weeks. The kids met today at lunch to give the Book Fairy a huge check. They should be very proud of their service work. I'm sure they also enjoyed the books they read. This will help buy many new books for the children at the clinic.

My love, Kathy

Rahkis Book Drive

Oh the friends I’ve made during these past 4 ½ years! It makes me feel so emotional when I think about it.

I went to Rashkis Elementary School dressed as the Book Fairy yesterday. I talked and read to 4 different groups of 1^st and 3^rd graders. They agreed to host a book drive for Karl’s Books and they had a surprise for me! They had already gotten a jump on the project and collected over 700 books! All 4 groups were full of wonderfully behaved and attentive children. Some asked hard questions like how did Karl die and why and one little girl really understood and said to me, “How sad” and I agreed.

But they also asked me kid questions like if my wings were real and as I showed them photos of Karl and what he loved to do and continued doing right up to the end, none of them could imagine a boy wearing lip stick and makeup to be an actor in a play. I also told them he had to wear red tights in a 5^th grade Shakespeare play and that brought out laughs.

I read the 1^st graders Slinky Malinki, Open the Door by Lynley Dodd and The Wonderful Life of a Fly Who Couldn’t Fly by Bo Lozoff. And I read the 3^rd graders Lost in the Outdoors A True Story by Birdman Dave Gulick. I picked these books because of the message and the animals involved. I was told by the class that Birdman Dave lives in Carrboro and had been to their school with his green-winged macaw named Belle, who the story is about. I was pleased to hear this and the children enjoyed all of the books.

I want to thank them for their help with Karl’s Books.

Peace to you all.

My love, Kathy

The Book Fairy

PS There was a photographer following me at the school from The Chapel Hill Magazine taking pictures of me. My inner self was wondering how in the world I got myself into this. My good friend Angie Sloan is a writer for this magazine. I’ll let you know if the story makes it to print.

Book Drive

Gabrielle is a 6th grade student at Phillips and co-ordinated a successful book drive to win her Girl Scout Bronze Award. Lots of books were donated and I took them to the hospital this past week. I gave one little bald headed boy two books---a Scooby-Do and a Cars book and when I told him he could keep them and take them home he was surprised. He had been there all day receiving his chemo treatment and his face looked old beyond his years, but as I left and went to tell him good bye, he had his nose in one of the books. It made me feel good. These books are really appreciated by the families that find themselves in very stressful circumstances.

Love,
Kathy
The Book Fairy

Special Thanks

We've had a good summer collecting books from different groups and individuals. Some just appear at my door from special friends. Others are donated by the hospital families themselves. There was a major shuffle of office space at the hospital and we were given part of a storage room for our books. So with the help of Craig, Ben and Peter, three of Karl's friends, we were able to clear out Karl's bedroom where I have been storing them.

By email I received this note from Dr. Gold, "thanks for all the books, they are being enjoyed greatly". Donna Lucier has continued to go with me every two weeks and we know first hand the kids are enjoying them.

So, thanks again for your support. See if your school or church will host a book drive this coming year.

Love, Kathy

Vacation Bible School

My new friend, Julie Wilson, a teacher at the preschool where I worked this spring, asked me to participate in the vacation bible school at her church in Hillsborough. Hillsborough United Methodist Church. One of their missions this week was Karl’s Books. Just this week, the children brought in almost 400 books and they plan to keep a bin set up all summer.

I arrived in full costume and asked Al, their pastor, to help me put on my wings. He greeted me warmly in the parking lot. He was expecting me as the children were. The looks on their faces when they first saw me was so wonderful. One little boy leaned toward me and whispered, “Are you a real fairy?” And I told him, “No, it is just a costume. You know, like you wear on Halloween.”

They were divided into age groups and with each one I showed my photos of our animals, the hospital staff and photos of Karl enjoying his life during the time he was being treated at the hospital. Kristi Geib, Dr. Gold’s nurse is a member of the church and she was there with her two children. I had a photo of her at work and her son said, “That’s my mom”. I also read a book to most of them about a black cat and a bird similar to our love birds. They were entertained by it and I said this is what the books you are donating will do for the children in the clinic.

The books continue to be a special gift for the children at the clinic. Thank you for you interest and support.

My love, Kathy, The Book Fairy

Terrific High School Collection

THANKS CLASS of 2010!

At the suggestion of Hannah Osborne, the sophmore class at East Chapel Hill High School hosted a bookdrive for Karl’s Books and it was a huge success. Donna Lucier and I met them Friday to pick up the books. I dressed as the Book Fairy and the Chapel Hill News joined us.

Their book drive filled the back of Donna's truck and Hannah handled it all very smoothly. She is just beautiful inside and out. The entrance to the high school takes you right into the cafeteria. All the other doors are locked since the student gun incident. Lunch was in full swing and we had to weave in and out between the huge students and the funny thing was hardly anyone noticed me. I was SO surprised. There was one black man. I don't know his job there. He passed me in the hall and said, "Beautiful, just beautiful". At least somebody noticed this wierd woman in a fairy costume! The photographer was carefully writing down everyone's name. She was fun. A lot of you will get the paper, but Dave Hart says its also online, so I'll add that here.

I just wish our beautiful son Karl was going to that school in the fall. Oh, well. I made the personal decision that his death was not going to make me a bitter person. What an awful life that would be for me, my family and all my friends. Oh, we are all ugly when we cry, but in the morning we certainly do feel a bit better. Karl would want us to survive with some happiness in our lives. This book project does that for me and I thank you all for your help.

I have also adopted a new kitten from the Chapel Hill Animal Shelter. Now our dog Rusty has some one to take care of. He follows her everywhere, as he did Karl.

Love, Kathy, The Book Fairy