One in a Million
I'm certain Christi would have wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for sending her off with style yesterday. Please accept this instead!I didn't realize it until Eric's Eulogy yesterday morning, but yesterday was the 4th anniversary of the creation of her website and yesterday her website received it's one millionth hit. Late last night when I couldn't sleep, I checked my email and saw a sweet Christi fan emailed and said, "How appropriate Christi should receive her one millionth hit on the day she is buried. She was definitely ONE IN A MILLION." I couldn't agree more! We'll probably never know how many hits her blog had, but about a week before she died, Shayne put a counter on her blog. Within 48 hours the blog had received over 58,000 hits. (That's a lot of love and concerned people checking in to see how she was coping.)
Last night, WTOL aired a 2 and a half minute video about the funeral. It was very sweet and touching. If you'd like to see it go to http://www.wtol.com then click on the video section "Saying Goodbye to Christi Thomas" and it'll come right up. I'll admit I was hesitant when the funeral director told us WTOL had contacted them and would be coming down, but it was very well done. (THANKS, WTOL for helping us to celebrate the Angel who graced us with her life and who will continue to bless us from Heaven.)
Funeral Funny: After Rich and Andrea Traunero left last night our home was filled with lovely flowers. Shayne said to me, "Don't think of it as sleeping in a funeral home, think of it as living at the Plaza!!" (An outrageously expensive hotel in NYC where we once splurged and treated the girls to High Tea following their "prom" at the hospital. Great Memories!)
Funeral Funny: Because of the radiation, Christi would have again been bald if she had lived just one more day. Her hair was really starting to fall out. As we said our final family goodbye to sweet Christi Shayne said, "OK, Shayla, you can pet her hair all you want to now," so she did! I really thought I heard Christi yell, "SHAYLA!!!!" (And in a very special keepsake box, I put a lock of hair Shayla collected yesterday and wanted to keep.)
This morning we'll head out to Mass and then spend time with my family before they head out tonight. God bless you all!
posted by the Thomas team @ 7:10 AM
12 Comments:
I stayed up last night and had it on Channel 11 at 11. It was a truly beautiful tribute, Angela and Shayne. And, on a more personal note, for those of us who have only been able to "meet" you via this virtual world, even though I only live in Findlay, OH, it was good to "hear" you two. I cannot thank you two enough for sharing your lives with us. Your family is one in a million.
Meredith Pitt
dear angela and shayne, im so sorry i couldn't attend christi's celebration of life. how lovely it is to read that the whole town gave her a special send-off, and the video piece was touching and special. i still cry every time i think about christi and find it hard to accept that she is gone. i am glad, though, that she is no longer in pain, and i am certain she was looking down at you, amazed and touched by the love that was so openly shown by all who attended her celebration of life.
wishing you peace...
Thank you sweet Thomas Family for allowing the reporters to come to the funeral so those of us who could not attend could see parts of it.
One in a million that's for sure! That was your Christi,who truly did become "everyone's Christi" because you shared her so generously.
I love you all, praying for you always as you begin your new life without Christi in your arms.
Lots of love and prayers,
Heather
If the Thomas family are reading this, i would like to send my deepest sympathy for Christi, im so sorry.
I live in the UK, and have been following Christi's story for some time, and although i didnt know her or her family personally, she has touched mine and my familys heart, and i will never forget her courage or her bravery.
I wish you and your family he very best in the future. and im certain, christi will be having fun in heaven and watching down on you.
Take care x
(starlight.sky@hotmail.com)
Thank you so much for Sharing that video with us. That was wonderful. I loved how you and Shayne got to talk to the news people. Hopefully you guys have a way to say that video for the rest of your life.
That's very precious that Shayla wanted to keep that lock of Christi's hair. That is awesome something you can look back on in 20years and be very happy to collected it..
God Bless you all, I hope u have a good time at mass and spending time with the family.
I hope you have a good first week without the love of your lives. I pray that it will not be to hard on you all...God Bless...(again:))
Krystal
Shayne, Angela, and Shayla,
Let me start off by saying how very sorry I am to hear of the loss of your sweet princess, Christi. I also want to thank you for sharing her most courageous and special time on earth with all of us. You daughter was one of a kind and the most giving child I've ever "seen". I'm sure she is helping everyone possible in her new place in heaven.
The Celebration of her life looked absolutely beautiful. Thank you for keep everyone updated even in this time of great sadness and grief.
I also wanted to let you know that I just recently (in the past 2-3 weeks) learned of Christi and her site. I have read every blog and every journal entry from the beginning. Your daughter and family has given me a whole new outlook on life. I will remember her story for the rest of my life.
Ironically as I was nearing the end of the journal and blog, I found that Christi was near the end of her journey as well. I became totally numb when reading of her passing but relieved at the same time that she is free from pain and that she slipped into heaven so peacefully.
Thank you once again for sharing your special daughter with all of us. Everyone who has read about Christi will forever be changed for the better because of your princess.
I wish you comfort in your time of grief and rememberance of the love and laughter Christi brought to your family.
Lee-Ann
Dundalk, Ontario, Canada
Good Afternoon Thomas Team,
I just watched the news from WTOL - how wonderful they were able to share Christi's legacy with even more people. I am blessed to have been able to follow Christi's life for the 1+ past years I've known about her site. God bless and enjoy the rest of the evening with your loving family.
Love, Erin Austin from Babylon, NY
Angela ~ Shayne ~ Shayla ... thank you SO much for sharing SO much of this bittersweet day in Christi's Life ... the story written about her was so lovely and the video shot of the service yesterday was breathtaking and moved me to tears ... it was so lovely to see and hear the voice of the Amazing Saint Christi and to hear her parent's as well ... One Million huh? Oh to truly know how many hearts your daughter has touched would be mind-boggling ... she has made me a better person and has touched my life in a way I can not even begin to express here in words ... Please know I was with you in spirit as well the last month of Christi's journey ... though I have followed her only since December I was instanly taken by her grace, dignity and unlifting attitude towards her life ... May God continue to bless you and hold you tight as the journey without her here on earth begins ... I remain a steadfast Prayer Warrior ...
Rebekah Clark
Prior Lake, MN
I wish we could have made the trip to say goodbye to Christi. Although we havent met you guys, Christi has touched my so very much. Reading your updates every day on her, really made me aprichiate every day I have my with miricle Anthony....My prayers and thoughts are with your family....I know Christi is smiling down on all of us...and one more thing//I know she is probably reading this...our dog is sick and we are going to have to send her to get her wings...in heaven I want Christi to have her...so Christi if you can here me her name is Little she is very full of engery and loves to cuddle you will know her when you see her she has a pink colar with a heart hanging from it...
xoxo
Stefanie
"My own consolation lies in knowing that it was not the will of God that Alex die; that when the waves closed over the sinking car, God's heart was the first of all our hearts to break."
- Rev. William Sloane Coffin
This quote has brought me such comfort over the years. Trusting that God's heart broke that Thanksgiving morning when my Noah stopped breathing soothes my broken heart a bit. Since Christi's death, I have uncovered the sermon that this quote was pulled from in its entirety ~ given just ten days after Rev. Coffin's son's death. http://www.pbs.org/now/society/eulogy.html
I have done alot of reading since Noah died and have stumbled on many things that I found healing...maybe some of them will be helpful to you, too.
You remain in my prayers.
With deepest, deepest sympathy,
Weedie Stowers
Atlanta, Georgia
A child shall lead them.....
thank YOU Christi.
(I'm just imagining your walk across your rainbow bridge.) xoxo
I've been reading your website for years in Texas & I was heartbroken to see that Christi had passed last week. I am so sorry for the loss to your family. She was absolutely amazing; she had so much strength: physical and emotional to endure what she did for four years. Thank you for sharing your story. You will definitely be in my prayers, DeAnn
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