La Mesa’s Christmas at the Village was more than I ever expected. As much as I love walking the village, this event turns stunning into the phenomenal and by far is my favorite annual La Mesa event. Though jam-packed with parades, performances and thousands on the streets, it still retains that small town feeling, even amidst all of the activity.
La Mesa’s Christmas at the Village was more than I ever expected. As much as I love walking the village, this event turns stunning into the phenomenal and by far is my favorite annual La Mesa event. Though jam-packed with parades, performances and thousands on the streets, it still retains that small town feeling, even amidst all of the activity.
The hostess and performer of the evening, La Mesa’s Snow Queen Zoe Solnantzin, mesmerized me. Her costume, she made herself and although she was a wonderful host for the holiday parade, in speaking with her she is a woman of many talents including a beautiful voice, stilts and fire performances. Not only that, but in watching her, she made everyone she met feel special that evening.
The La Mesa Village Merchant Association along with all of its sponsors outdid themselves another year. I am already looking to next year’s event.
But I met one young lady that inspired me more than anything that night and I have not been able to get her out of my mind. Her family, friends and her were nothing short of miraculous in the short time I got to speak with them.
Walking by, I saw a small booth and immediately noticed buckets lined in garland with a photo of a young lady. I had to stop and see what this was all about and did not pay attention to the large van parked beside it. In stopping, I heard a remarkable story of courage and determination.
Three years ago, at the age of 18, Ondrea Teal Hamlett was struck by a car at a very busy intersection by a driver on a suspended license and no insurance. This accident left her unable to walk, talk or feed herself and she is completely dependent on her family and friends to make it through each day. After 21 months at Rady Children’s Hospital, she came home and since then has been in the care of her mother, who learned everything needed to tend to her needs at home. They depend mainly on public transportation, and when not, they lift her in and out of a truck, which takes a heavy toll on Ondrea.
As sad as this all sounds, it was the joy of Ondrea and the family there that evening that touched me more than anything. They were happy and jubilant, but they were there for a reason. They are desperately trying, one dollar at a time, to provide the family with a fully-assessable van that not only does the family and Ondrea need, but would make their lives a little bit easier each day as they continue to work with her and help her live a better life even with all of the doctors, surgeries and everything else that comes with traumatic brain injuries.
They knew very little about the several social media outlets for fundraising (as they are using giveforward.com right now and have made very little progress in their goal) and have relied so far on Facebook and public appearances such as this one. For those that are still looking for a way to give back this holiday season, here is a chance to change a young woman’s life forever for the better. This is not the first time I have seen a story like this and I can tell you first-hand that for families like this, a fully assessable van will go a long way in making daily life that much richer. So perhaps, with a little help from East County, Ondrea can look forward to a much more gratifying 2015.
Donations can be made to “God’s Van Project for Ondrea.” For more information you can call Fred Campbell at 619-981-2486 or email him at fred99c@aol.com. Donations can also be made at www.giveforward.com/ondrea.
