osk: Happy Takksgiving!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Takksgiving!

Good morning from Selfoss. We are just getting up at the crack of dawn (10:30 am). We had planned on getting up earlier, but after an hour of hitting the snooze button, I just handed the phone to Kevin. And he promptly shut it off! But we needed sleep.

Today it is Thanksgiving in the US, and we are all missing it for the first time in our lives! We are so thankful for all of you. If it wasn't for you, I would have seen this when I got up this morning.

2 comments:

TamaraNovember 27, 2014 at 1:32 PM
Is that a U.S. flag on the pole? How fun to state who is in residence, if so. :)
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MeganNovember 27, 2014 at 1:48 PM
Yes, Þorey always put up the flag of whatever country her guests are from!
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Why We Are Here

Pippa was born with a Grade III brain bleed caused by a lack of oxygen. This brain injury led to her being diagnosed with cerebral palsy just before her second birthday and shortly after turning 4, she was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a rare and severe form of intractable epilepsy.

She had a wish to go to Iceland because of her love of Sigur Rós. Pippa's grandpa Barton wrote a referral to a certain large wish-granting organization and was very specific about her unusual wish from the start. This organization deemed her medically eligible and told us that her wish would be granted. We were very disappointed when a rep from our state's chapter of this organization said that her wish could not be granted because they don't send children to Iceland (and I won't even get into the details of her callous, condescending attitude).

An outraged friend channeled her upset into an online fundraiser that raised all of the money for Pippa's trip — and then some. About halfway into the fundraiser, the larger organization told us that we had been misinformed and that they could actually send Pippa to Iceland after all. (Insert exasperated sigh.) At nearly the same time, thanks to a flurry of donations, including from Sigur Rós themselves, we made the majority of our goal in one insanely wild weekend. Once the fundraiser was all done, we were able to tell them to give the money to another child as we wouldn't be needing it.

Although the whole experience started with frustration and heartache, we all believe that this is the way things were meant to be. We have gained friends in Iceland before even setting foot there, and we have been showered with so much love and generosity that has humbled us and made us beyond grateful. This blog will cover our trip in photos and in words. This is the story of how a wish came true.