2008 Woodie Awards
Record-breaking birthday wishes
Miami University students join to help one little boy reach his dream
Cassidy Pazyniak and Chelsey Telliard
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Features
Shane Bernier's wish list for his eighth birthday isn't comprised of toys or games - he simply wants cards.
But not just four or five birthday cards - Shane wants 350 million.
The 7-year-old from Ottawa is undergoing leukemia treatments, and Miami University students are joining millions of people hoping to make his day a bit brighter by simply sending him a birthday card.
With his eighth birthday approaching May 30, Shane wants to break a world record of the most cards received.
Marie Belanger, public relations officer at the Children Hospital in Eastern Ontario, said Shane was diagnosed with leukemia five years ago and is nearing the end of his protocol.
"He still receives (chemotherapy) and he's holding up fairly well," Belanger said. "I met Shane this past Christmas and he had already been admitted at that stage, he is a wonderful little boy and actually quite shy."
Belanger said he has always loved opening cards and told his mom that he wishes he could get more cards on a regular basis.
Shane's mother, Natalie Bernier, began asking people in the community to start sending cards. As people in the hospital starting hearing about it the story was passed to local radio station KISS FM, and the publicity has only continued.
As an education major, junior Meg Fitzgerald heard about Shane's story in class.
"Because of his condition it was brought to our attention by one of our professors and some of our classmates," Fitzgerald said. "My professor highly encouraged it and so I brought it up to the (executive) board of my sorority. We made cards last Sunday for the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at Virginia Tech, but we are bringing supplies to mail Shane cards this Sunday."
Miami University junior Evan Cobb saw a group on Facebook.com organized to spread Shane's wish and thought it was a great cause. As the Gamma Phi Beta sorority philanthropy chair, she presented the idea and the chapter mail Shane cards.
"It seemed so easy to help out," Cobb said. "It was such a simple wish."
Michael Adams; co-founder of the The Ti-Loup and La Poule Foundation (TLP), a charitable organization designed to help families going through cancer treatment; helped start Shane's wish campaign. He was the first recipient in the organizations mini-wish program when he received his mini-motorcycle Aug. 4, 2006.
"The particular campaign for his birthday is extra that we are participating in because his mother asked us if it would it was one of those extra things," Adams said.
Shane's spreading story has brought the TLP organization surprising amounts of publicity.
"Our foundation is local so this was started up to be a small thing to get him a couple hundred cards and I think that once he started to see how many cards were coming in the idea grew," Adams said. "There was no mention of the record-breaking idea when Shane's mom first came to us."
Bernier said that technology has helped spread the campaign to various parts of the globe.
"With technology helping in travel so fast most of our hits are from Europe, France and the United States, and even Australia and Afghanistan - places you wouldn't think of," Bernier said.
Sophomore Allison Begezda made a card for Shane at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life held at Cook Field April 13 to 14.
"One of the tents had materials for you to make a card for a dollar and they sent all the cards to Shane," Begezda said.
The simplicity of Shane's wish is what drew her to the cause.
"There are so many other things he could have asked for, like materials things or a trip somewhere and he chose something so simple, which I think is cute," Begezda said.
Begezda joined one of the many Facebook.com supporting Shane after noticing the group on one of her friend's profiles.
Facebook is now the most popular Web site leading to the TLP Web site foundation, according to Adams. Shane currently has more than 100 groups and 500 events currently listed on Facebook encouraging people to mail him cards.
Many of these groups have Miami students as members.
Cobb also followed a link to a well-circulated YouTube.com video featuring Shane's story.
"He is such a cute kid, and seeing him smile really makes you want to help," Cobb said.
Contrary to his bright smile in the YouTube video telling his story and showing him inundated with cards, Belanger said he tends to be shy.
"He wasn't ready for all this media attention and it wasn't his goal," Belanger said. "He clams up a bit in front of the camera, he's not into that."
Shane's story grabs attention all on its own.
Fitzgerald said when she presented the idea of making cards for Shane most of her chapter had already heard something about the cause. Fitzgerald plans to work with terminally ill children in the future.
"His story really touched me a lot - that's what drew me to the cause," she said.
According to Belanger, the up to date status on the cards is that he has received 230,000 cards, and that number is expected to increase as it gets closer to his birthday May 30.
"When we heard it had gone public, we asked them not to send them to the hospital because we couldn't accommodate that flow and because Shane is not here all the time," Belanger said. "He has been receiving (cards) at home and his mom brings them into him."
Shane says the cards can be handmade or store bought, Belanger said.
"His official goal was never to make the Guinness Book Of World Records, people decided that for him," Belanger said. "His real intention was just to receive cards it made him feel special, people took it upon themselves; it's not what he was chasing. The people at Guinness wouldn't consider it a world record because they don't do that with cards anymore."
All about Shane
Age: 7
Birthday: May 30
Likes: fishing with his grandfather, all sports, building objects, video games
Dislikes: being in the hospital for long periods of time
Favorite thing in the whole world: Legos
Interesting Fact: Shane speaks both French and English
*According to the The Ti-Loup and La Poule Foundation (TLP) Web site
Send cards to:
Shane Bernier
P.O. Box 484
Lancaster, Ontario
KOC 1NO
Canada
But not just four or five birthday cards - Shane wants 350 million.
The 7-year-old from Ottawa is undergoing leukemia treatments, and Miami University students are joining millions of people hoping to make his day a bit brighter by simply sending him a birthday card.
With his eighth birthday approaching May 30, Shane wants to break a world record of the most cards received.
Marie Belanger, public relations officer at the Children Hospital in Eastern Ontario, said Shane was diagnosed with leukemia five years ago and is nearing the end of his protocol.
"He still receives (chemotherapy) and he's holding up fairly well," Belanger said. "I met Shane this past Christmas and he had already been admitted at that stage, he is a wonderful little boy and actually quite shy."
Belanger said he has always loved opening cards and told his mom that he wishes he could get more cards on a regular basis.
Shane's mother, Natalie Bernier, began asking people in the community to start sending cards. As people in the hospital starting hearing about it the story was passed to local radio station KISS FM, and the publicity has only continued.
As an education major, junior Meg Fitzgerald heard about Shane's story in class.
"Because of his condition it was brought to our attention by one of our professors and some of our classmates," Fitzgerald said. "My professor highly encouraged it and so I brought it up to the (executive) board of my sorority. We made cards last Sunday for the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at Virginia Tech, but we are bringing supplies to mail Shane cards this Sunday."
Miami University junior Evan Cobb saw a group on Facebook.com organized to spread Shane's wish and thought it was a great cause. As the Gamma Phi Beta sorority philanthropy chair, she presented the idea and the chapter mail Shane cards.
"It seemed so easy to help out," Cobb said. "It was such a simple wish."
Michael Adams; co-founder of the The Ti-Loup and La Poule Foundation (TLP), a charitable organization designed to help families going through cancer treatment; helped start Shane's wish campaign. He was the first recipient in the organizations mini-wish program when he received his mini-motorcycle Aug. 4, 2006.
"The particular campaign for his birthday is extra that we are participating in because his mother asked us if it would it was one of those extra things," Adams said.
Shane's spreading story has brought the TLP organization surprising amounts of publicity.
"Our foundation is local so this was started up to be a small thing to get him a couple hundred cards and I think that once he started to see how many cards were coming in the idea grew," Adams said. "There was no mention of the record-breaking idea when Shane's mom first came to us."
Bernier said that technology has helped spread the campaign to various parts of the globe.
"With technology helping in travel so fast most of our hits are from Europe, France and the United States, and even Australia and Afghanistan - places you wouldn't think of," Bernier said.
Sophomore Allison Begezda made a card for Shane at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life held at Cook Field April 13 to 14.
"One of the tents had materials for you to make a card for a dollar and they sent all the cards to Shane," Begezda said.
The simplicity of Shane's wish is what drew her to the cause.
"There are so many other things he could have asked for, like materials things or a trip somewhere and he chose something so simple, which I think is cute," Begezda said.
Begezda joined one of the many Facebook.com supporting Shane after noticing the group on one of her friend's profiles.
Facebook is now the most popular Web site leading to the TLP Web site foundation, according to Adams. Shane currently has more than 100 groups and 500 events currently listed on Facebook encouraging people to mail him cards.
Many of these groups have Miami students as members.
Cobb also followed a link to a well-circulated YouTube.com video featuring Shane's story.
"He is such a cute kid, and seeing him smile really makes you want to help," Cobb said.
Contrary to his bright smile in the YouTube video telling his story and showing him inundated with cards, Belanger said he tends to be shy.
"He wasn't ready for all this media attention and it wasn't his goal," Belanger said. "He clams up a bit in front of the camera, he's not into that."
Shane's story grabs attention all on its own.
Fitzgerald said when she presented the idea of making cards for Shane most of her chapter had already heard something about the cause. Fitzgerald plans to work with terminally ill children in the future.
"His story really touched me a lot - that's what drew me to the cause," she said.
According to Belanger, the up to date status on the cards is that he has received 230,000 cards, and that number is expected to increase as it gets closer to his birthday May 30.
"When we heard it had gone public, we asked them not to send them to the hospital because we couldn't accommodate that flow and because Shane is not here all the time," Belanger said. "He has been receiving (cards) at home and his mom brings them into him."
Shane says the cards can be handmade or store bought, Belanger said.
"His official goal was never to make the Guinness Book Of World Records, people decided that for him," Belanger said. "His real intention was just to receive cards it made him feel special, people took it upon themselves; it's not what he was chasing. The people at Guinness wouldn't consider it a world record because they don't do that with cards anymore."
All about Shane
Age: 7
Birthday: May 30
Likes: fishing with his grandfather, all sports, building objects, video games
Dislikes: being in the hospital for long periods of time
Favorite thing in the whole world: Legos
Interesting Fact: Shane speaks both French and English
*According to the The Ti-Loup and La Poule Foundation (TLP) Web site
Send cards to:
Shane Bernier
P.O. Box 484
Lancaster, Ontario
KOC 1NO
Canada
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Carol Klumb
posted 4/27/07 @ 7:35 AM EST
Good morning. I am so pleased to get this article. What a wonderful idea. As the mother of a chronically ill child, I know how much it means to have people send caring thoughts. (Continued…)
ike
posted 5/03/07 @ 5:30 PM EST
hey shane i hope that you get well .and dont worry everything will be alright. just believe in god and i will pray for you ok.
Adriana
posted 5/25/07 @ 8:57 AM EST
hiii!
This is a happy almost birthday to shane, get better soon hunny!! ill be praying for you!! & sending you cards :-)
Sumja
posted 5/29/07 @ 10:41 AM EST
We hope your 8th birthday is a good one. Hang in there, you're in our prayers.
Rendeep
posted 5/30/07 @ 1:01 AM EST
Happy 8th Birthday Shane. Hope your birthday is everything that u wish for. You will get better soon, I will pray for u..
Hayley
posted 6/06/07 @ 10:05 AM EST
hey shaneeeee happy birthday :] xxxxx get well soon xxxxx
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