Feb 10, 2008

"Forever Michaela" goes National !

This Channel Eight News clip  is about  eleven year old Elizabeth Ollero of Cheshire Connecticut and a website tribute she created for her best friend Michaela Rose Petit, who was tragically killed in a home invasion that occurred on July 23rd of this year.

Michaela's father,  Dr.William Petit was severely injured in the attack, but managed to break partially free of his binds and escaped through a basement door rolling to a neighbors house calling for help. Noone including the police imagined the intruders had set the home afire mere seconds after his escape.  He sustained serious head and brain injuries and lost dangerous amount of blood.

When I read the "Forever Michaela" website  in December, I was so moved by this little girl's efforts, I was immediately compelled to write about it ( See December 07 archives )

 Earlier today, I saw that a story about the website had made it's way to the national news media:  I was thrilled to see what started as a humble little website written with such innocence goodness and love,  now getting national media attention

.Not only will the Forever Michaela Website carry a  message about violent crime and predators and the huge ripple effect that the trauma creates...  that  message is incidental to the websites existence, The websites main purpose, as it's young creator tells us, is to carry on the positive memories of who Michaela Petit was in life her kindness her compassion her altruism, these she wants to be Michaela's legacy, rather than focusing upon the nature of her violent death.

Michaela Petit was an unusually thoughtful eleven year old child, as was evidenced on her Face book page, where a quote by Mahatma Gandhi she cited as her favorite quote.

"You must be the change that you wish to see in this world"

This quote and it's message has become the mission statement for the Petit family foundation http://www.petitfamilyfoundation.org/   the non profit charity formed by Mr Petit in the wake of the crimes.

Eleven year old Elizabeth Bolero manged no small feat: she helped restore her friend Michaela Rose Petit back to who she was in life, and she thus will always be. Now, she circles arcs around us, inspiring us, aloft on angel's wings...



Note : If you haven't already done so, please visit the Forever Michaela website.
If you have, please remember to check back in from time to time as the website and the events and charities are fluid and ever changing.

There is a guest memorial, where people from literally all over the world, leave messages of sorrow and hope, comfort and love.


Please lend your support to at least one of the causes carried on in Michaela's name. There is no finer way to honor the life of this child and her family, than to help people in need, in her name.

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