Lauren's Story

So I have an update to tell you about. A couple at my church, Lisa and Rick Gray, are raising money to get a new wheelchair for their daughter Lauren. Lauren has a twin sister Hannah. The girls are such a joy to be around.

Lauren was born with Arthrogryposis, a neuromuscular disease. Despite her disease, she wants to walk and she's outgrowing her wheelchair. In order to do that she's going to need a new wheelchair-one that insurance doesn't cover. Mt. Carmel Elementary School did a fundraiser for Lauren Friday (4/18), then national radio and television host Sean Hannity donated $5,000 to Miss Lauren.

Since NewsChannel 19 ran the story Friday (4/25) Lauren has received almost $500 more in donations.

Now, the The Beauty Market in Stadium Place Shopping Center has decided to do a cut-a-thon to raise money for Lauren on May 5th.

Haircuts will be $10 for men, women and children. No appointments are necessary. The cut-a-thon is from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Plus, proceeds from the sale of products that day will go towards Lauren's new wheelchair.

Now there is more to this story. Lauren's father Rick has stage four cancer. So any money that doesn't go towards the wheelchair will go into a trustfund for Lauren. So that she will have money for her growing needs.

Let me tell you on a personal level. This family is the sweetest family. Lauren and her twin sister Hannah are just precious and smart girls. This is a worthy cause! There is a link on the left side of this page to take you to Lauren's page.

A Father's Heart

After weeks of hard work and praying it's paying off. People are responding saying they got the message about God in our special series about Rick Burgess' "A Father's Heart." What a blessing.
I'm providing links here to the four part series below.

Text versions:
Part 1-Rick Learns About the News of Bronner Passing.
Part 2-Rick Says Goodbye To Bronner
Part 3-How the Family is Doing Now
Part 4- The Eulogy

Video versions:
*Note: These files are Windows-Media based. If you cannot access Windows Media videos, please click on the story links and view the flash-version of the videos, which work on more browsers/platforms.

Part 1-
Part 2-
Part 3-
Part 4-

A Father's Heart

Tune in to NewsChannel 19 tomorrow for my special series, A Father's Heart, on Rick Burgess and his family's journey since losing their son, William Bronner Burgess.

The pieces start to air on NewsChannel 19 This Morning at 6:15, April 24th, then at 6 p.m., then the big piece airs at 10 p.m.

Then tune in Friday morning for the final piece.

Rick Burgess will be a part of a webchat on our website http://www.whnt.com/ Friday morning from 10:30-11:30. Just log on to our home page to be a part of that and he'll answer your questions.

Don't miss his incredible story.

New Kids Concert 6th Grade/1990

We got a printer/scanner this weekend so I got to dig out some oldie but goodie pictures. These are pictures of my buddies and me before we went to the News Kids on the Block concert in the sixth grade. It was Saturday December 1, 1990 at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center (I still have the ticket stub). I have all my concert ticket stubs. I'm just that big of a dork.
I'm not going to name all these girls, I'm just going to tell you I'm in the bottom picture with the big poofy hair. Yikes! I guess that was supposed to be an attention getter. That was not what I was wearing in the photo in the newspaper. I wonder when I put on the hat. I think I was wearing a hat. I'm going to find that picture at my mom's house hopefully later this weekend. It has escaped my hands for some reason. Maybe....it's in my N.K.O.T.B. box of stuff! Oh, I'm really a dork. I reserve the right for everyone to call me that in this case. Not in those days though because I thought they had hung the moon.



















I mean look at these outfits. We all thought we had it going on. Everyone is going to kick my butt for putting this on here. Sorry, girls. Must I say we all had great hairstylists at the time. Get it, get it, get it Girl!
We must have been Cover Girls.
We for sure had the Right Stuff.
hahahaha. I'm getting a good laugh out of this.
I'm so glad my scanner is working.
There is more to come.

I Demand A Recount

I demand a recount! Michael Johns did not deserve the boot from American Idol last night. What was America thinking?

I know he was always first on my list of voting. I voted for him every week. So Michael it wasn't my fault, and all you ladies who are crying it wasn't my fault-I voted!!! And you should have voted too!

Actually, I almost cried when Ryan Seacrest said "Michael Johns you're going home tonight." I couldn't believe it. I screamed. No way is Michael Johns not going to be singing in my living room next week. This is an atrocity. How could the rest of the American Idol groupies let Michael Johns down like this?

O.K. so Michael Johns is the Chris Daughtry of this American Idol season. He has a huge music career ahead of him. At least that's what I'm predicting. I see big things in his future.

Now here is something I noticed, that was very smart on Johns part, he ended his singing last night talking with Paula, Randy and Simon. Talking about his future I'm sure. Hopefully, getting a jump start on things to come.

Hey, he'll still be on the American Idol tour this summer. Though, I really expected to see him in the top three.

More on my predictions on the winner later...I'll have to see next week's performances now without Michael Johns.

N.K.O.T.B. on Tour

O.K. it's official New Kids on the Block have announced some tour dates. Some meaning THREE. One in New York, New Jersey, and Boston.

Hey guys what about us Southern girls? We still love you! Did you forget about me throwing myself on the stage at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center when I was in the sixth grade? How could you have Joey McIntyre, the bodyguards lifted me up to touch you!

I'm making a plea for all the women in this newsroom and my buddies from middle school- Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Danny and Jon come to the South! We want to go to a concert. You know we would love it, if you would just come to the Von Braun Civic Center. That would be the most central location for us all to meet up. It's time to camp out again for tickets-well this time we won't make our moms camp out we'll do the camping! Hey I might even bring my N.K.O.T.B. dolls to pass the time, and my Big Bopper magazines! Oh, the memories. This time it won't be a bunch of tweens, it will be twenty somethings and thirty somethings (I'm not telling my age).

So, Bean town boys don't leave Bama off the list! We want to see if you still have the Right Stuff and if you are Hangin' Tough.