Ella's Bear

It was bought after Ella's passing, a SuperHero teddy bear, from the BCCH Foundation fundraising campaign. I had gone for a walk late that afternoon and came across a stand that the bank had outside. There were two young ladies, selling Superhero bears and other items to raise funds for the BC Children's Hospital. I asked how much the bear was, and how long the stand would be there for. I'd quickly realised that their day was about to end as they'd started to pack up. I then asked them if they'd wait 10 minutes for me, that I wanted to buy a bear in memory of my daughter who just passed away at BCCH and after one of the young ladies agreed, I made my way to my bank to retrieve some cash to buy a SuperHero Bear. When I came back a few minutes later, I was greeted by surprise. It seemed the young lady thought I'd not return.

On the spot, I decided to buy not one SuperHero Bear, but three. One for Ella, that I would keep for her at home, to remind myself of what an amazing hero she was and still is.

One for Renaud, son of my dear sister Marie-Claude and Ella's big and loving cousin.

One for Samia, daughter of my dear brother Jacques-Andre and Ella's not as big but just as loving cousin who also happens to be my God Daughter.

For months, the three SuperHero Bears, all "male" bears, were in my home as a reminder of what we'd been through but also carrying a sense of hope that they'd help Renaud and Samia move on as well as help little kids get better.

When I finally had the strength to prepare my family's Christmas presents that had been lying around the house for so, so many months - digital keychains that I loaded with pictures of Ella - I knew two of the SuperHero Bears had to go. I packed them up as diligently as I could and sent them on their way to Montreal for Renaud and Samia have and to hold.

And then, a week before Ella's birthday, I decided to add a silent auction to her birthday party as a mean to raise funds in her memory. Upon making that decision, I asked the BCCH Foundation if they still had SuperHero Bears from that spring campaign, and if I could have a few for Ella's auction. I asked the Foundation for a couple - a male and a female.

Once at the Foundation to pick up the Bears, it dawned on me that Ella deserved a female Bear. So, I quickly picked up two female Bears, and decided to use Ella's own male Bear for the auction. Afterall, it was brand new, with the tag on and had been sitting in my living room all along. And so Ella's Bear was promised to the auction.

On the night of the auction, on Ella's one year birthday, there was a fierce battle for the male SuperHero Bear, a.k.a Ella's Bear. My friend engaged in an ongoing battle with another person for Ella's Bear - not knowing anything about this being Ella's Bear. He ended up winning the bidding war and as he paid me for Ella's Bear he said: "You have no idea what this means."

On the following day, I told my friend about the fact that the bear he purchased was Ella's Bear. I wanted him to know because he said the Bear was going to his dear friend who now lives in the U.K. The bear seemed so special, I thought it would make it even more special for his friend to know where it came from. Little did I know! Turns out that my friend's friend is named Ella... This was a SuperHero Bear, purchased for Ella, in memory of Ella and now being given to an Ella... I just started to cry! I could not believe the coincidences! And yet, it seemed so completely normal, as if Ella, my Ella, had planned this all along.

So, why write about Ella's Bear tonight? Because tonight as I saw my friend, he proceeded to tell me the story about why he wanted the male SuperHero Bear for his friend Ella. They'd been at the bank together and in a moment of childhood giggles, his friend Ella had picked up a SuperHero Bear, a male, and was flying him like a SuperHero flies in the sky. And today, as I listened to him tell me that story, I saw my little Ella, much older, healthier and happy, flying her SuperHero Bear, in complete giggles...