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Ciana
Cervantes
 Sebastian’s
Sail Away Winner!
Ciana
Cervantes was the first winner of “Sebastian’s Sail Away”. On Aug. 12,
2001 our family was whisked away from our hectic lives and taken on a
dreamy 3-hour sail aboard a 36’ Catalina sailboat called the Kalimba,
which is owned by Bernard & Antonia Hicks. We were welcomed aboard
with open arms on what turned out to be a perfect day.
As we pulled away from the marina, we felt as
if we were leaving behind all of the pressures, worries and stress of our
everyday lives. Those problems became a distant memory as the wind hit our
sails and took us into a peace and calm we hadn’t felt in years. Out on
the ocean, it was a completely different world.
Our Captain (Bernard) and
first mate (Antonia) did all of the work and let us sit back and enjoy the
ride (which was good since none of us had ever sailed before and we didn’t
have a clue as to what we were supposed to do other than stay out of the
way). We sat back and munched on yummy snacks. We watched the pelicans fly
over the water and we waved at passing boats.
Each of the kids had a turn to
be the “Captain” as they piloted the boat (the real Captain stood close
by just in case). We climbed out on the bow and got to feel what it
was like to be “The King of the World”. Ciana squealed with delight as a
wave crashed up and got her feet wet.
No one wanted the day to end,
but when it did, we were refreshed, renewed and ready to face whatever
came our way. For the rest of the evening, we kept talking about was a
wonderful day we had and how grateful we were.
I hope many more families get
a chance to meet the Hicks and experience what we did. They are trying to
make a difference in the lives of children with cancer. I feel they have
touched our family and filled it with love. I think we have made friends
for life.
When Ciana was 6 years old,
she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She was treated at
Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, California. She completed almost
2 ½ years of chemo in October of 2000. She is in remission and will
celebrate her 10th birthday on September 24th.
Antonia and Bernard
Hicks established Sebastian’s Baby Cancer Foundation after they lost their
19-month-old son, Sebastian to cancer in August of 2000. The foundation is
dedicated to raise awareness of baby cancer, to help fund research, and to
provide aid and education for families with babies with cancer. For more
information, log onto their website at
www.babycancer.com.
Gilbert, Antonia, Albert, Ciana & Daddy
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