Pictured below is Matt from Childrens Cancer Center. Steve and I met him at a Golf Tour, the director Steve Manuel took us on. In speaking to him he mentioned he had never been to a baseball game.. So we wanted to give him the most incredible base ball game ever! As of November of last year this boy was totally normal playing soccer , this is a very aggressive firm of cancer they were not able to operate on.
Thank you to the Vinoy, the Rays, and Ambassador limo service for there incredible support of Hands Across the Bay !!
Recently, Hands Across the Bay was able to help fill a need for Steve, Sue, and Baby Xavier Coller through many generous gifts. Below are some pictures they sent over of Baby Xavier and all of his new things.Thanks to everyone who helped us help Baby Xavier! Check back for more updates soon!
Hands Across the Bay has dedicated our services and resources to assisting the Coller family with Baby Xavier’s Needs.
Below is Baby Xavier’s story written by his family:
Xavier Coller was born at Tampa General Hospital five weeks premature by emergency C~Section and during that procedure His heart stopped for a short while but the Doctors got His heart going again and Mom & Xavier were fine. This was a scare since Xavier had been diagnosed at approx. four months prior to birth with ‘Tetralogy of Fallot’ of the heart. Xavier weighed 4 lbs. 11 oz. at birth and was then diagnosed after birth with ‘Congenital Heart Defects’, ‘Tetralogy of Fallot’, ‘IUGR’, ‘IDM’, ‘Holosystolic Murmur’ & ‘Hypospadias’(they say numerous surgeries to follow). Xavier’s Mother was very sick all during the pregnancy so it was hard for her to take good care of Herself and Xavier. She had to take many medications during this time.
The authorities would not let Xavier be discharged from the hospital unless Xavier’s GrandMom (Sue Coller: age 55) and GrandDad (Steve Coller: age 60) agreed to take ‘Legal Custody’ (and plan to adopt) of Xavier which they did without hesitation since Xavier’s Mom could not care for Him. Xavier was discharged on 10/26/2010 at ‘4 lbs. 6 oz’. We are very grateful that this was able to take place quickly.
On 12/10/2010 Xavier had to be taken by ambulance to ‘All Children’s Hospital’ in St Petersburg, FL to have ‘Open Heart Surgery’ right away which they performed on 12/16/2010 after everyone agreed on what all they would do during the surgery. The surgery went very well but later that night Xavier went into ‘Acute Cardiac Arrest’ and his lungs had collapsed so tight nothing would work except ‘mouth to mouth’ which was performed for over ’11 min.’ before Xavier ( and a few of us ) started breathing again.
All Children’s Hospital allowed Xavier’s GrandMom & GrandDad to stay at his bedside 24/7 for the entire month that Xavier was there, which we did. That did put a little hardship on us since bills, etc. at home could not be kept up and we had to wait until Xavier was discharged on 01/07/2011 in order to file for the few benefits that Xavier is entitled to. It was also a little hardship for the past year of going to doctor’s appt. at least twice a week with GrandDad being disabled and gas & all, but this ‘Lil Xavier’ sure is worth it all. We are so Blessed to have the Honor of being able to raise up this little guy, Xavier is such a Blessing to us and we hope we may be a Blessing to Xavier.
Xavier is at home with GrandMom & GrandDad now and we sure did forget how much it took in order to raise a child again since we never thought that we would be doing this but we are very happy we are. There is so much joy a child brings to the home but along with that also comes a whole lot of needs that we never dreamed we would have to worry about supplying at our age and our government programs are little if any help at all.
We are asking for anything that would help us on this journey by any means anyone may have and we pray they may be Blessed as much as we are in being able to raise up Xavier.
We Thank You For Your Time & Consideration From Our Hearts.
From: Steve, Sue & Xavier Coller
The following photos were posted here on our website a few months ago (Baby Xavier is now 7 months old):
Picured below, little Xavier a couple days after open heart surgery on 12/18/2010:
click thumbnails to enlarge photos
Pictured below, baby Xavier a couple days ago:
click thumbnails to enlarge photos
If you would like to help make a difference in this little guy’s life by donating needed items or by making a financial contribution, please visit our homepage here for the most up-to-date list of current needs. Thank you so much for your support! Every little bit helps tremendously!
“Thanks to Scott Fink, of Hyundai of New Port Richey who helped Julie Weintraub’s ‘Hand Across the Bay’ provide Audrey Mabrey transportation with a brand new 2010 Hyundai! …Watch Fox 13 or 10 Connects and see Audrey’s reaction…and of course ‘Good Life Tampa Bay’ will have a video soon.”-Julie Weintraub
“One of the best parts of yesterday was seeing Scott F’s employees (machanics to sales staff) watch so proudly this unfold. Ur employee’s will remember as they work for u what kind of company they work for!:)” Julie Weintraub
News Story:
New Port Richey, Florida – This is the first glimpse of Audrey Mabrey a year and a half after her husband changed her face forever.
It was back in November of 2009, when Audrey and her husband Chris were inside their Apollo Beach home. Deputies say they had a fight and Chris hit Audrey in the head with a hammer, then set her on fire.
Somehow, Audrey managed to escape through the garage and she ran into the neighborhood for help.
Chris Hanney was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
As for Audrey, she fought to stay alive. Now, the community is helping her family to survive.
“It took me a year to get disability, which I haven’t even gotten my first check yet. I haven’t gotten any child support for my two children. If it hadn’t been for the community, I don’t know where we would have stood financially,” said Mabrey.
Julie Weintraub with the non-profit Hands Across the Bay says Mabrey’s story compelled her to help. “She was in a coma and she had two little kids she was trying to care for and it just broke my heart and I thought we have got to do soemthing to help her,” said Weintraub of the famed Gold & Diamond Store.
On Friday, Hands Across the Bay partnered with New Port Richey Hyundai to get Audrey out of a rental car.
Scott Fink, the owner of the dealership, handed Audrey the keys to her brand new Hyudai Elantra, along with a check to cover insurance costs.
“When I handed her the keys and I looked in her eyes, I didn’t see the burns. I didn’t. I saw an intelligent, vibrant, very pretty woman,” said Fink.
Emotional, with tears streaming down her face, Audrey said, “I never ever thought this would happen to me but more than that, I never thought that eveybody would back me and support they way that they have.”
In addition to the car, Hands Across the Bay has also helped Audrey get a new home recently. Her house in Apollo Beach was condemned after the fire.
“Faith and determination! Thank you Tom, Gary Conners, and Scott Fink you made such a difference in many lives yesterday! Never give up..I was about to quit and take my husband up on his offer to just get a car as I was having no luck with many car dealerships…then this! If we all do our parts to lift up families like this its not to much for anyone!” -Julie Weintraub
“Thank you so much for DONATING my brand new 2010 Hyuandai Elantra! The generosity of this community (Tampa Bay) is unforgettable! Thank you for the $2500 check to pay my insurance for 1 and a half yrs.” -Audrey Mabrey
“Watch this touching video about Chi CHi Rodriguez Academy…I spent a day there..yes me…many years ago when caught skipping school…that day changed my life…” -Julie Weintraub
The Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy’s mission is to educate and assist at risk children by improving their self-esteem, character, work ethic, social adjustment, and academic performance using the golf course as a living classroom.
Ok Tampa Bay! I have Audrey Mabrey coming back to Tampa Bay Thursday! We are looking for an Apt for her and a car if any of you know anyone willing to help! We also need 2 twin mattresses for her boys! Thank you so much for any help you can give!!
Audrey is back and now has a place to live and a brand new car! Thanks to everyone in our community who is willing to make a difference. Please click here to read the latest update on Audrey and watch her get her new car!
