Do you think this will go to her head?

News > Valley
‘Glitz & Glam’ show to aid Valley child

Thursday, November 6, 2008 5:53 AM EST
By Patricia Villers, Register Staff
SEYMOUR — The red carpet treatment. That’s what all who attend a fundraising hair fashion show this month at the Strand Theater can expect.Proceeds will benefit Mia Zito, 5, a Bungay School kindergartner who is undergoing treatment for advanced melanoma.Kellie Steeves, administrator and owner of the Oxford Academy of Hair Design in Seymour, said she, her staff and students are planning a “Glitz & Glam” benefit at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the movie theater, 165 Bank St.She wants people to feel they are going to a special event. Photographer Val McCormick will be on hand to photograph the models and guests as they arrive on the red carpet in front of the theater.

The photos will be posted online, Steeves said, and proceeds from sales of the photos will be donated to the benefit.“I’ve never met Mia, but I wanted to do something to help someone in the community,” Steeves said. “People have really come together for this.”One of her hairdressing students, Samantha Allard, has created a 20-minute slide show that tells Mia’s story and describes hair fashions. It will be shown before the fashion show. Steeves said Carousel Gardens Restaurant of Seymour will donate catering services.Mia, whom Steeves called “the star of the show,” will model with other girls in the age 5-8 category.This is the third annual “Glitz & Glam” benefit that Steeves has organized. The first benefited the Children’s Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, she said, and the second one was a benefit for Sydney Bartone of Derby, who died last November at age 7 after a battle with neuroblastoma.Mia’s mother, Christine Zito, said Mia “is doing fabulous” and is enjoying school.“It’s very kind and very generous” of Steeves to stage the show, she said.Louis Vayas will serve as DJ, and a special guest is expected, Steeves said.Donations of $20 are requested, but any amount will be welcomed.For information, call the Oxford Academy of Hair Design, 888-9075.Patricia Villers can be reached at pvillers@nhregister.com

To clear up some confusion

http://www.skincancer.org/Skin-Cancer/Melanoma/Stages-of-Melanoma.html and http://www.skincancer.org/About-Us/About-Us.html

Please Check out the website above. It explains in dept about the staging and how it varies from other forms of cancer.

Mia has been doing fabulous, and her first Halloween parade at school was a hit! Treatments are moving right along. And I am also happy to report my mother is progressing very well since being home. With my father away for hunting, I have had a good time spending girl time with my mom. Thank you all for the well wishes for my mom. We are all blessed to have all of you in our lives and we thank you for you encouragement

An update that is not so peachy...

Don't worry, Mia is fine! She has been progressing very well. The main concern right now is her nutrition and weight loss. The doctors have been trying to find every niche they can to get my little beaner to eat. She eats in spurts and picks like a little bird. We live day to day hoping that she will pig out and magically gain the 8lbs that she has shed since may. It doesn't seem like a lot to most but a little girl like this does raise some concerns. Mia is also very ready to end her weekly injections, she has had about as much as she can take at this point and honestly so have I.

I have many emails begging for an updated blog and I promised that I would get it done Friday. Unfortunately, Friday mom had her (hopefully) last reconstructive surgery on her breast. After her last bought with Breast Cancer she has undergone many reconstructions to to correct the many medical errors done to her chest. The 6 hour surgery went very well and we were totally relieved. She had one of the best surgeons helping to bring my mom back to her true form. Yes, you guessed it, she had Mia's surgeon!! Once in recovery we all felt that she made it through just fine. That sense of security went right out the window when mom went into cardiac arrest just shy of one hour after surgery. Once the doctors tracked down my dad, she was back into the operation room to have a catheder implanted. I thank god that she was at Yale that day so I knew she was in best of hands. When my phone rang my dad seemed shakey and distant and when he had said that mom had a heart attack my heart sank. That wasn't the great news I was waiting for. It was only 2pm at this point and I had 3 very long hours before George came home to relieve me of the girls. I headed straight to the hospital to be by my mothers side.

Walking through the doors of 5-1 Cardiac ICU scared the bejesus out of me. I was ushered right in to be by her side, doctors and nurses tried to explain why my mother need ventilators and breathing tubes and sedation. It was all sureal. Seeing my mother, my saving grace, laying there helpless made me realize how precious she is to me.

Shortly after my arrival they asked me to wait in the family lounge while they put in her main line. I saw my dad pale and frazzled as he paced the length of the hallway. He hadn't seen her at all, so I told him to wait just a few more minutes then we will both go in. In the back of my mind I didn't want him to see her, it would kill him to see her like that. Eventually, we went in. My dad caressed and twirled her hair and said he will be right by her side. And he was, all weekend. Through out the weekend we took turns at her beside just waiting for signs of improvement and it happened today. She was taken off the breathing tubes and had the balloon pump was removed. In this instance, I was relieved when my dad had said "She asked for Coffee, her first words were I want a coffee" As I stood by the back door at work, hearing those words made me chuckle. I knew my mom couldn't survive without a coffee. Finally, I can feel the breath of fresh air for the first time this weekend. She is still not in the clear but progress was made. It's these speed bumps in this thing I call life really takes a toll on a person. Because of this, I have grown stronger as a mother, a wife and a daughter. I still ask you to pray for my mothers recovery. There can never be enough prayers. I hope the next post is a brighter one.

XOXOXOX

Chrissie

One of our most favorite times of the year!

Hello all! I know its been a while but life has thrown us a few curve balls these past few weeks. George and I have been trying to juggle everything in our lives and then some. Last week Mia had a biopsy done and was such a big girl about it. Rachel started Brownies again and CCD. Ashley has been so good with her potty training but lately we have seen a regression.Also George and I have been looking for a house because we need to be closer to his job. We took the girls pumpkin picking at Jones Tree Farm in Shelton on Sunday and had such a good time. We made sure we bought like a million pumpkins and apples. We are still trying to schedule in the fun things even though things are so hectic. I think it gives us the balance that we need. Everyone, despite the choas, has been so good lately. I keep reminding myself that if he brings you to it, it is he who will bring you through it. Words to live by. I have also been in contact with Kelly from Oxford Academy of hair design and things are starting to come together for the fashion show for Mia. So mark your calenders for November 16th 2008 at 7PM. It will be held at the Strand Theater in Seymour. I must end here, I have papers to complete! Just a few short weeks and my semester is over and internship begins. Many hugs!

XOXOXOXO

Chrissie

Welcome Fall

As Fall leaves crumble to the ground we are preparing ourselves to jump and play. I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our friends, family and community for a wonderful night at Danny O's. I can say it was an awesome time all around and I am humbled by all of your encouragement.

We just returned home from a fabulous weekend in Newport, RI with our longtime friends. It was such an amazing thing to see everyone together. The girls really enjoyed themselves at the hotel pool. We then ventured up to Providence to go to the children's museum but they were closed. So thanks to my handy dandy Blackberry we found ourselves the Providence Place Mall!!! What a ginormous and magnificent shopping facility. We had lunch at Dave&Busters and played video games until it was time to drop! Sadly, we only had the weekend to play but we look forward to seeing everyone again real soon!

Project Mia!! This Saturday

Thank you to Melissa, who organized this exciting event! We are looking forward to a fun filled evening of music and good times. Even WPLR has been helping promote this event which is going to be HUGE! I hope to see everyone there!

XOXOXOX
Chrissie

A dream is a wish your heart makes

Alright, so I have been following along with a message board group at disboards.com and I have had such a magical time there. If you are as Disney obsessed as we are, you will love it!

It has many different boards that take in many different directions but it's a wonderfully helpful place and the people are just amazing. I came across the boards shortly after we started planning our August trip. You can read along with families trips through "trip reports" and I decided to do one. Since it would take up about 30 pages here I decided I will do the TR with pictures over there and you all can follow along. You do not have to be a member to view the trip report but if you want to leave comments and such you would have to become a member.

♥Follow us along as we tell the tale of Mia's Dream come true trip♥

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1951552