Said Abd El Gawad

My Mom passed away earlier this month. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about two and a half years ago, and had surgery at that time to remove part of her pancreas. She was back on her feet soon after the operation and fortunately was able to lead a full and busy life since. I was amazed at the number of people she had talked to and visited within the two weeks prior to her passing. All noted that she was upbeat and appeared strong. She had started feeling a little worse than usual on a weekend, and entered the hospital the following Wednesday afternoon on her doctor's recommendation due to a bit of dehydration. By 9:30 that evening she had died. Despite her condition, everyone including her doctor and the hospital nurses was shocked at her sudden demise. I'm thankful that her pain was short-lived, but so sad that I wasn't able to say good bye. Our last conversation revolved around my previous post, a television appearance by her two grand kids. She loved s...

My kids had a fun experience this week -- they modeled clothes from Sears on one of our local television station's morning news programs. Above: My 2 kids (left side) in the dressing room. Above: On-camera for the formal wear segment. Posing at one of the unoccupied interview stations in the studio. Above: On-camera for the informal wear segment. Group shot of the show's host (in pink) along with the two families participating. I'm very proud of both kids, especially my son who is very nervous with strangers and in crowds. He did quite well in the spotlight! Of course, I did have a secret agenda -- to get them familiar with the cameras as initial prep for their roles on the LOST reboot premiering circa 2025 on ABC!