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We lost Blue Star Sneha Sharma on May 5th.
Always a Blue Star, with Brandon now.
Blue Star Connection is part of our
Blues In The School agenda.
This new program is designed to bring comfort to children with cancer or life threatening issues. It is our goal to offer music into their lives ... with musical instruments, and performances that they and their families can attend as guests.
The Grand County Blues Society will be doing anything we can to fund this program so no child waits for the relief that music might be able to bring them.
Thanks to Colin Connors for being the Shining Blue Star he is. Also, thanks to the Shining Stars Foundation for their tireless work and inspiration for this program.
The Grand County Blues Society's new partner
promoting the power of music to
bring relief to those who suffer.
Visit their site to learn about Category 5' s commitment to charity.
Stephanie Miller - "Hiking towards a cure"
Brandon lost his battle April 1st.  Forever a Blue Star.
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Well, what I have is called Fibromatosis. Its a rare tumor that is located in my hip. Like I said, I just finished doing a year of weekly chemotherapy (I only had one week off for Thanksgiving). I actually decided on my own that I was done with the chemo three weeks ago. I decided that making myself sick every week was no longer going to be on my to-do list. So today actually, I was in Miami and we decided that surgery was going to be my next move. My surgery is scheduled for April 9th in Miami. The recurrence rate in this type of tumor is 15-75% within the first two years after surgery (great odds right?? They might as well just say 1-100%)...I will be recovering for about 4-8 weeks but the docs are very hopeful for a speedy recovery since the tumor is only located in my muscle and not in the bone. And since I'm young and healthy otherwise we are hoping that the surgery isn't too hard on me. After surgery they will be monitoring me very closely with an MRI every three months to make sure that the tumor is not returning.
This has been the hardest thing that I have ever had to go through, but honestly in a lot of ways it has made me such a stronger person. It is a humbling experience to say the least. I have met so many amazing young people who have/are going through the same thing and they are doing amazing things to change the world around them.
~Kendra~
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Hi I'm 18 years old and live in Colorado springs
born in December in Colorado Springs I like to skateboard, snowboard
listen to music and all the normal teen stuff but I cant do it as much
since I got cancer my sophomore year. I've been through treatment twice
but I kept relapsing so I'm scheduled for a bone marrow transplant this
year sometime in April so in a couple months  here I'll be leaving the
Springs and staying up in Denver for about half a year. I've always
been interested in playing the guitar and I would love to learn to play
acoustic songs cause thats the music I find most relaxing plus I don't
get out as much and I have a lot more free time so I think it would be
a good time to start learning. :) Well thanks for your time reading all
this and trying to hook cancer kids up with guitars I think its a great
idea also Colin said you were trying to get the word out and I know one
of the teachers for the tv program at our school and he knows the local
news people so if I can get his email or number I could send it to you
alright well thanks again.
...
Thank you so much for
the guitar! :) It really means a lot to me and I think what you guys are
doing is amazing Thank you! so much again! Also, heres a picture its
about the best one I have haha and I just checked the site and its awesome I've even talked to a couple of those kids before!
More pictures to come ...
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To Our Christmas Angels (Dave, John and Colin):
Two of the three boys still weren't up at 1 p.m. so Shane and I woke them up!!! Devon and Mason were half awake during the opening of the usual gifts...deodorant, shampoo, snacks, gum, drink mixes, gift cards, etc. He wanted to dig into the cinnamon rolls that were just baked and I said 'I think there may be one present left'. I handed him the envelope and he asked 'what is this?' When he saw it was for guitar lessons he said 'Thanks - I really wanted these'. I kept waiting for him to ask where he was going to get the guitar for the lessons and he never did!!! Finally Shane and I brought it out and David was ready with the camera. He was so shocked and humbled. I could tell he was very overwhelmed. When I told him the story that he was this year's recipient I think he felt bad that some other needy person could've gotten it. I assured him that their choice was the right one and that he'll be able to play as much as he wanted.
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Look out world --- here comes Devon I'll have to forewarn all the neighbors!! Thank you so very much for making our Christmas so wonderful,
The Currie Family from Georgia |
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 I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy.I love my guitar...it's
sooooooooo beautiful.Sir thank you so so so so so so much.I made like 7
calls after getting my guitar to my friends.My father thanks you and
praises your foundation for doing such a lovely job for cancer
patients.He will be getting in contact with you soon because he wants
to help too.From 2 days i have been getting fever in evenings but today
i was so happy that i didn't:) I have been playing my rocking guitar
for like 4 hours and the cool part is i even got to spent quality time
with beautiful people like Rudy sir and Tips. They ROCK!! The amplifier
is really cool and my black guitar strap has white butterflies on them. I looooooooove it. Thankyou so much
again!! I am sending you four pictures sir,you can
pick anyone you like. Sneha
luv-a very happy sneha
"Medication gives relief, blue star
connection gives happiness; the
combination gives health"
"It is a connection formed by angels which
makes us feel like twinkling blue stars"
"Blue star connection makes me feel so
good about myself that i can stand up
and say'ya! i know i am a great gal!"
"When in dark,this connection is like a
group of stars which shows one light" Sneha with her guitar, and friends
...Quotes from Sneha
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| Awesome!!!
The guitar is sooooo cool! I can already play a couple of easy songs!!!!
Thank you thank you thank you!!
CAitlin
I have cancer but now I'm living life to it's fullest
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The blue star connection has changed my life by giving me the gift of music it has opened me to listen to so much more then what I already listened to. I love my guitar and I hate to put it down. also helping people like Sneha, Katlin, Devon get the gift of music. Gives me the feeling that we are going to change the world with this organization I cant wait to get some more guitars and hopefully get other instrument's like drums, piano's, and maybe one day get any instrument that the person might want.
Thanks,
Colin
 
Colin with his guitar Colin backstage with The Fray
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Kyle tells of a recent all-star concert he attended...
Here is a list of artists that performed.
Jim Peterik of Ides of March & Survivor
Don Barnes of 38 Special
Jimi Jamison of Survivor
Joe Lynn Turner of Deep Purple of Rainbow
Nick Colionne
Lisa McClowry
Anthony Gomes
Lobster Newberg
Here's the story, my mom, dad and I were met at the ticket window about 1 hour before the show started by Tom Soares (38 Special publicity) and he had backstage passes for all of us. We put them on and were escorted backstage.
^^Kyle onstage^^
We were able to go to the commissary and eat with the performing artists, which was great. We walked around for a bit and ran into Don Barnes who remembered me from seeing him last May in Rockford. We talked with him and took a couple of pictures. Anthony Gomes had arrived and we went to his dressing room and talked with him and took some pictures.
 It was now getting close to the start of the concert and we had to go sit down. Our seats were on stage, awesome. We sat down and enjoyed the concert. Chuck from Ides of March then came up to me at the start of one of their songs and asked if I wanted to play tamborine on stage with him, I said YES. I did that and it was really cool.
During intermission I hung out with Anthony in his dressing room. Anthony also asked the professional photographer to take a picture of the both of us together, which he did. I then got his business card so I could contact him and get a copy for myself It was fantastic. When I was with Anthony, my mom and dad talked to Tom Soares and he mentioned
^^Kyle backstage w/ Anthony Gomes^^ whenever 38 Special was playing in our area to contact him and he will get us backstage. After intermission we went back to our seats and listened to the concert. It was fabulous. When the concert was over, Chuck came up to me again and gave me a set list for all the artists to sign afterwards. Which I did, I got everybody's signature and my mom is framing it.
During the autograph session I was introduced to Nick's manager and him and he signed a poster for me. I also was introduced to Anthony Gomes manager and he gave me a guitar pic. A woman that was in front of us purchased a Anthony Gomes cd for me and I had him sign that too.
The whole night was awesome. I will never forget all the nice people we met and how much of a good time the whole evening was.
Thanks to Blue Star Connection for making this happen.
Kyle and Dina
 
Kyle backstage with 38 Special Kyle recieves his new guitar at Blues from the Top V ... with Michael of Michael's
Audio and Video & The Blues Vassal,
Kai Turner
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 I was diagnosed back in Deceber 2006 with a Desmoplastic small round
blue cell tumor. I already like to play the violin in the Orchestra at
my school, when I had the abillity to do it in school. I am not able to
go to school beacause of all the different contradictions cancer
causes. Anyway yes I have been interested in playing the Guitar. I
would rather go for an electric guitar, I think they sound cool. I've
never played a guitar before so I need practice. My favorite music type
is Christian Rock and Christian Rap. My favorie bands are Pillar, POD,
Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Hawk Nelson, The Cross Movement and
Swithchfoot. I'm christian so that guides most of the kind of music I
listen too. Anyway thanks a lot for spending the time to get me
involved in all of this, I can't wait to hear back from you.
Brandon
"...left
the hospital today at 10 after the No.9 Chemotherapy Cycle.We have to
go for No.10 ... and we are sceduled to be in John's Hopkins Hospital
here in Baltimore for one month stay for the Stem-Cell Transplant. It's
been very difficult for Brandon and for the three of us, I stop going
 to work and I stay with him everyday anywhere. We hope and pray this
will be over soon. He will continue his Home School again soon. I am
very Thankful for you and for all the people involved in this
foundation, and to Colin who told Brandon about this, It really means a
lot and put a smile on his face all the time. Thank you very much and God Bless"
...from Brandon's Mom
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Thursday, July 03, 2008
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