Extra, Extra

 "Extra, Extra"

Below is the comment that I put on John O'Leary's website this morning.  John O'Leary is a St. Louis native that in 1987 at age 9, burned 100% of his body and had a 0% chance of survival.  That was 36 years ago.   He has written two books (On Fire and In Awe) and is an international motivational speaker.   I remember having had the book On Fire on my bookshelf for the longest time.  I had gotten it when I was spending a lot of time working with out Global War on Terrorism vets and it was highly recommended to me by a number of them.  Life got in the way and I never read it.  In the process of downsizing, I donated it to the local library. 

On Thursday (11/30), I got an email from the talent agency handling the background extras for the movie, On Fire, currently being filmed in St Louis, MO.  I was surprised because I had originally got the proverbial thank you, but due to the overwhelming response, we will not be utilizing you but will keep your information on file.  I was on cloud nine until I got home on Saturday after spending 13+ hours on the set.  Just an FYI, I will be dropping a podcast episode about my day in the near future, but I read Mr. O'Leary's Monday Motivational today and responded to it.  Below is the text of it prior to moderation and if you have not read this book or listened to, you really, really need to.

As always, my hope for this is that someone out there will smile, feel included, feel a spark that motivates positive change, that something being felt or experienced is validated, and that there is some insight into their personal journey.  Until next time, what inspires you?

"On Saturday (12/2), I had the opportunity to be called in to be a background extra. There were probably 30-35 people there to be extras. By 6 pm, I was the only one not to get called to be in a scene (I think it was because I followed the instructions and was sitting in my mother’s 1980s robe…lol). When I got the email Thursday night, I started to listen to the book “On Fire.” I began to realize that on that day, I was not meant to make it in front of a camera, but what I was meant to do was to serve and be curious. I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people (extras plus the behind-the-scenes crew). I am a pediatric cancer survivor from 1980. I was an experiment for radiation and chemo and I was not to make it longer than 5 years after my diagnosis statistically. Today, I am 56, and I know that I am blessed to be here and serve each day. I never got to thank the nurses and techs who got me through the radiation, the chemo, the extras, the surgery, the blood draws, and the stays in the hospital because my counts were too low. But what I did get to do on Saturday was to thank two of Mr. O’Leary’s nurses (Nurse Sue and Nurse Mary). I told them my story and said “Thank You for what you did then and because I never got to thank mine, I am thanking you. When my parents were not able to be there with me, they loved me like I was their own and knew that it was scary for a twelve-year-old girl, in a hospital 75 miles away from my home. I know now that it was their selflessness that made me the person that I am today.” I got the opportunity to talk to three of the producers of the film (Amy, J. Todd, and Linda). I thanked them for supporting and making this film because what I had realized that day was that I was not just seeing Mr. O’Leary’s story play out, but my story and all the other kids that have experienced medical traumas play out. Through On Fire, all our stories are being told and people need to hear them.

Your comment is awaiting moderation.