| God granted us a blessing so wonderful... ...Several hours before he passed,... ... a little more about how "Chasing Butterflies" came about... |
Allow me to give you a brief look into my life with a short version of how I created the idea for this jewelry, the idea of helping
out somewhere, some how, and this website.
In Sept. 1993, a beautiful "little" boy was born to us after nearly 10 years of trying for a child. God granted us a blessing so
wonderful that it was hard to believe at times. Ian Kyndale Cooper was born after many hours of fear, pain and problems.
He was born 6 weeks premature and still at the time of his birth, weighed a whopping 7 pounds, 4 ounces. (The doctor
estimated that had he been full term, he may have reached 13 lbs!!!) Yousa!
Ian contracted RSV virus while in the hospital and we had to go home without him for almost 3 days. That was a lesson in
how little patience I had! I believe they let us take him home just to keep me from tying up the phone lines any more! haha
For the next 11 months, he was monitored for S.I.D.S., with a 24 hour monitor that went everywhere we went. It was trying
but we made it through with no problems. I firmly believe now, that God was preparing us for what was yet to come, by
teaching us patience and strength!
Ok, now the short version.....
On the 17th of Sept., 2000, only 12 days past his 7th birthday, he and his big sister, Kendra were traveling home from one of
my dearest friends homes to meet me at church. Just a mere 2.1 miles from our home, they careened across 2 lanes of
traffic, hit a light pole, bounced back into the highway, rolled over, hit a truck, and came to a stop upside down in the middle
of the road. They were in a Chevy Tracker. I am not saying anything bad about the little car because it was a lot of fun and
we enjoyed it very much, however, the hard tops had given way during the impact with the pole and the rear portion had
come off and Ian who was sitting in the front passenger seat with his seatbelt on but in a reclined position, was thrown out of
the back of the vehicle and into the road prior to the rollovers which landed on top of him.
I am not trying to frighten anyone but to share as vividly as possible how things happen in the blink of an eye that can change
the course of history for a family or for many families. This is what happened to us.
After many hours of torment, pain, tears and suffering on our parts, Ian went home to be with Jesus at 2:02p.m., on the 18th
of September, 2000. During the time of hospitalization, we were approached by LIFE GIFT , who began talking to us about
organ/tissue donation. We were in denial that it would come to that so we continually told them to come back later and we
would think about it more. They did. They came back and shared more with us about how it worked and we began to listen
to them more and more in between the visits to the conference room the doctors would call the immediate family in to brief us
more on the progress or lack thereof. It became evident that Ian would not recover and that it was just a matter of time before
his body gave up and quit fighting. We didn't want to think about that but we knew deep down that it would happen. Several
hours before he passed, I was allowed to hold him and say goodbye and it was then that the realization of everything hit me
at once.
1. He was really heavy.
2. He was beautiful and had no bruises, no scratches, no marks that showed he had been hurt.
3. He was a most treasured gift from God and I had only the amount of time that God intended me to have him.
4. He lived a full and extremely happy life.
5. He was loved wholeheartedly by all who knew him.
6. His soul had gone to heaven the day before at the time of the accident or shortly after and God allowed us to see him
and say our goodbyes before his body gave in to God's will.
7. He was no longer mine.
8. How could we help someone else?
9. How could we survive this?
10. How could God let this happen to our beautiful little boy that loved Him as much as he loved life?
11. I knew that God had been preparing us for this and I believe that Ian knew his time was limited.
Many tests were run and after the final one was returned, it was decided that he would donate, his corneas, and all four heart
valves. They were harvested almost immediately and were given to the recipients that were next in line for those much needed
"replacement parts".
To let you in to some of the things we went through afterwards, that brought me to this place in time, I will share just a bit more.
At his time of death, Ian was 5',1" and weighed 97 pounds. He was a very big boy for his age and he lived life large!
We survived and though the heartache is still there, the time that has passed has been used to the best of my ability to share, to
listen and to counsel with those who have and are going through the same trying times. God gives us strength when we need it the
most through our love for Him and our faith in Him. He carried me many times when I wanted to just lay down and die. He danced
with me on the good days and he held me on the bad ones when I could do nothing but cry. He placed Paul and I in the most
wonderful families that bound themselves to us and comforted us, prayed with and for us and held us when necessary. He put the
most awesome friends in our lives that helped us through the worst of times and allowed us to share about Ian when we needed.
God is sooooo good!!!
I have wanted to do something for so long and with the genetics I was born with having some areas of concern in my spinal
column, I have been unable to work a regular job for some time. I am still in recovery from a surgery that takes 2 full years to
completely heal. I needed something to do and I needed it quickly before I became so depressed that I shut down completely. I can
put on a good show when necessary but it was becoming more and more difficult to hide how unhappy I was becoming.
During a trip to my sister in laws home, we were playing with beads and such and I remembered that at one time I had done this
type of thing before. Many years earlier. It is comforting, it soothes me and it gives me time to be creative which is something I
needed to remember. It very quickly became a sort of passion and I could not contain it. I needed something, some reason, some
since of understanding. I needed to do this for something good! I needed to make it something good.
LIFE GIFT, though a government funded organization, can always use volunteers and they need people with loving, kind hearts to
share how people are needed to allow others to live longer, better lives by being organ/tissue donors. These volunteers need to be
trained and educated on how the organization works and how organ/tissue donation works. I may not be able to go around the
world telling people about how to become donors but I can share the information with my friends and family and my community
and hope and pray that they will spread the information further and so on and so on. Every piece of jewelry that I sell permits me to
travel and go out to share with those who are unaware of the need for donors. They also allow me to pick up the items needed to
hand out and, give a gift, as a donor mother, a portion of each and every sale, to the organization. This is from my heart not my
pocket book. I try to carry donor cards, fliers, and pamphlets to hand out and a small amount of knowledge of how things work on
the donor end. I plan to learn more in the future and know how to better answer the questions most frequently asked. Some day if
time permits and I am able, I too, would like to be a volunteer for LifeGift in my community as well as the surrounding counties.
A butterfly became a treasured memory of Ian and as I've found out over the past several years, others have also chosen the
butterfly to symbolise the life of someone special that they have lost.
When we create each piece of jewelry, we include a butterfly to symbolize the freedom and hope and new life each recipient has as
they begin a new chapter in their lives. I lost a loved one and have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be filled, however, 6
people were given the chance to live new lives with the gifts Ian gave them. They have a chance now to spread their wings and fly!
Ergo......."Chasing Butterflies"!
I love creating the jewelry and have just expanded my line to carry Sterling Silver, natural stone, semi-precious gemstone and
Swarovski crystal. It is a bit more expensive but the look is dazzling and beautiful.
If you have any questions or comments, please see the contact us page, we'd love to hear from you!
May God smile upon each of you that may read this, and may he bless you each and every day and I pray that you will love and live
like there is no tomorrow. I will also pray that you will talk sincerely with your families about becoming a donor when you reach the
day of "no tomorrows"!
Colleen Cooper
Copywrite 2006
Copying of this site is forbidden without express written consent from the author.
Illegal use of this written material is punishable by law.
out somewhere, some how, and this website.
In Sept. 1993, a beautiful "little" boy was born to us after nearly 10 years of trying for a child. God granted us a blessing so
wonderful that it was hard to believe at times. Ian Kyndale Cooper was born after many hours of fear, pain and problems.
He was born 6 weeks premature and still at the time of his birth, weighed a whopping 7 pounds, 4 ounces. (The doctor
estimated that had he been full term, he may have reached 13 lbs!!!) Yousa!
Ian contracted RSV virus while in the hospital and we had to go home without him for almost 3 days. That was a lesson in
how little patience I had! I believe they let us take him home just to keep me from tying up the phone lines any more! haha
For the next 11 months, he was monitored for S.I.D.S., with a 24 hour monitor that went everywhere we went. It was trying
but we made it through with no problems. I firmly believe now, that God was preparing us for what was yet to come, by
teaching us patience and strength!
Ok, now the short version.....
On the 17th of Sept., 2000, only 12 days past his 7th birthday, he and his big sister, Kendra were traveling home from one of
my dearest friends homes to meet me at church. Just a mere 2.1 miles from our home, they careened across 2 lanes of
traffic, hit a light pole, bounced back into the highway, rolled over, hit a truck, and came to a stop upside down in the middle
of the road. They were in a Chevy Tracker. I am not saying anything bad about the little car because it was a lot of fun and
we enjoyed it very much, however, the hard tops had given way during the impact with the pole and the rear portion had
come off and Ian who was sitting in the front passenger seat with his seatbelt on but in a reclined position, was thrown out of
the back of the vehicle and into the road prior to the rollovers which landed on top of him.
I am not trying to frighten anyone but to share as vividly as possible how things happen in the blink of an eye that can change
the course of history for a family or for many families. This is what happened to us.
After many hours of torment, pain, tears and suffering on our parts, Ian went home to be with Jesus at 2:02p.m., on the 18th
of September, 2000. During the time of hospitalization, we were approached by LIFE GIFT , who began talking to us about
organ/tissue donation. We were in denial that it would come to that so we continually told them to come back later and we
would think about it more. They did. They came back and shared more with us about how it worked and we began to listen
to them more and more in between the visits to the conference room the doctors would call the immediate family in to brief us
more on the progress or lack thereof. It became evident that Ian would not recover and that it was just a matter of time before
his body gave up and quit fighting. We didn't want to think about that but we knew deep down that it would happen. Several
hours before he passed, I was allowed to hold him and say goodbye and it was then that the realization of everything hit me
at once.
1. He was really heavy.
2. He was beautiful and had no bruises, no scratches, no marks that showed he had been hurt.
3. He was a most treasured gift from God and I had only the amount of time that God intended me to have him.
4. He lived a full and extremely happy life.
5. He was loved wholeheartedly by all who knew him.
6. His soul had gone to heaven the day before at the time of the accident or shortly after and God allowed us to see him
and say our goodbyes before his body gave in to God's will.
7. He was no longer mine.
8. How could we help someone else?
9. How could we survive this?
10. How could God let this happen to our beautiful little boy that loved Him as much as he loved life?
11. I knew that God had been preparing us for this and I believe that Ian knew his time was limited.
Many tests were run and after the final one was returned, it was decided that he would donate, his corneas, and all four heart
valves. They were harvested almost immediately and were given to the recipients that were next in line for those much needed
"replacement parts".
To let you in to some of the things we went through afterwards, that brought me to this place in time, I will share just a bit more.
At his time of death, Ian was 5',1" and weighed 97 pounds. He was a very big boy for his age and he lived life large!
We survived and though the heartache is still there, the time that has passed has been used to the best of my ability to share, to
listen and to counsel with those who have and are going through the same trying times. God gives us strength when we need it the
most through our love for Him and our faith in Him. He carried me many times when I wanted to just lay down and die. He danced
with me on the good days and he held me on the bad ones when I could do nothing but cry. He placed Paul and I in the most
wonderful families that bound themselves to us and comforted us, prayed with and for us and held us when necessary. He put the
most awesome friends in our lives that helped us through the worst of times and allowed us to share about Ian when we needed.
God is sooooo good!!!
I have wanted to do something for so long and with the genetics I was born with having some areas of concern in my spinal
column, I have been unable to work a regular job for some time. I am still in recovery from a surgery that takes 2 full years to
completely heal. I needed something to do and I needed it quickly before I became so depressed that I shut down completely. I can
put on a good show when necessary but it was becoming more and more difficult to hide how unhappy I was becoming.
During a trip to my sister in laws home, we were playing with beads and such and I remembered that at one time I had done this
type of thing before. Many years earlier. It is comforting, it soothes me and it gives me time to be creative which is something I
needed to remember. It very quickly became a sort of passion and I could not contain it. I needed something, some reason, some
since of understanding. I needed to do this for something good! I needed to make it something good.
LIFE GIFT, though a government funded organization, can always use volunteers and they need people with loving, kind hearts to
share how people are needed to allow others to live longer, better lives by being organ/tissue donors. These volunteers need to be
trained and educated on how the organization works and how organ/tissue donation works. I may not be able to go around the
world telling people about how to become donors but I can share the information with my friends and family and my community
and hope and pray that they will spread the information further and so on and so on. Every piece of jewelry that I sell permits me to
travel and go out to share with those who are unaware of the need for donors. They also allow me to pick up the items needed to
hand out and, give a gift, as a donor mother, a portion of each and every sale, to the organization. This is from my heart not my
pocket book. I try to carry donor cards, fliers, and pamphlets to hand out and a small amount of knowledge of how things work on
the donor end. I plan to learn more in the future and know how to better answer the questions most frequently asked. Some day if
time permits and I am able, I too, would like to be a volunteer for LifeGift in my community as well as the surrounding counties.
A butterfly became a treasured memory of Ian and as I've found out over the past several years, others have also chosen the
butterfly to symbolise the life of someone special that they have lost.
When we create each piece of jewelry, we include a butterfly to symbolize the freedom and hope and new life each recipient has as
they begin a new chapter in their lives. I lost a loved one and have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be filled, however, 6
people were given the chance to live new lives with the gifts Ian gave them. They have a chance now to spread their wings and fly!
Ergo......."Chasing Butterflies"!
I love creating the jewelry and have just expanded my line to carry Sterling Silver, natural stone, semi-precious gemstone and
Swarovski crystal. It is a bit more expensive but the look is dazzling and beautiful.
If you have any questions or comments, please see the contact us page, we'd love to hear from you!
May God smile upon each of you that may read this, and may he bless you each and every day and I pray that you will love and live
like there is no tomorrow. I will also pray that you will talk sincerely with your families about becoming a donor when you reach the
day of "no tomorrows"!
Colleen Cooper
Copywrite 2006
Copying of this site is forbidden without express written consent from the author.
Illegal use of this written material is punishable by law.
| It's All Personal Just a bit about us! |
| About Chasing Butterflies At Chasing Butterflies, we strive to achieve a beautiful look for a lot less than you'd pay if you purchased the same at a local discount store. We use glass, semi-precious & precious gem stones, and Swarovski crystal for the majority of our work. Occasionally, we use acrylic beads for accents or spacers. Each piece will contain a butterfly somewhere within its design. The butterfly symbolizes the "spreading of wings", just as a recipient will do when given the chance of an organ or tissue donation. They are given a new chance to live life! We would love to know you visited. Please send an email to let us know what you think. I still have much to do to finish this web site so please bare with me as I work through the process. Thank you, Colleen Cooper |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |