Talk of the Bay: Fundraiser for Dana Novak and family

On Saturday, December 11 our community gathered together in support of the Dana Novak family.  Facing the holidays with the tragedy of loss that they have experienced can only be heartbreaking at best. The League City Lions Club and the Firedup Cookers pooled their resources and hosted a fundraiser for the Novak family.  Live music, a visit from Santa, live and silent auction items and some great BBQ provided entertainment and a source of funds for the family.

A Message from the Novak Family:
Our names are Greg and Patricia Wilson we are the parents of Dana Novak and the grand parents of the precious angels Kaitlyn, Christian and Nathaniel Novak that left our world Nov. 11th and 12th 2010.

This was the worst shock anyone could have gone through in life and we were numb for weeks and still trying to make sense of life. I never knew our family had so many tears but through the tears our hearts were touched in so many ways by human kindness everywhere.

Clothes came to our home by the piles and what Dana and Nicholas couldn't use we, ''' paid it forward'' to the Bridge ( The Women's Center) Dana and Nicholas have plenty of clothes, shoes and body stuff. Nicholas has a new start on his toys thanks to many. Nicholas would say.... Is that for me? and he would smile.

The food came through our home until Thanksgiving, what a wonderful gift for our family because of our weak bodies from the emotional crush in our hearts. There is no way we could have cooked but do to the love of everyone you kept our bodies nourished.

The furniture people donated is still coming and is welcomed, What Dana doesn't use we will give to a family starting over through a free organization to help needy families.

The donations from families and business's at First National Bank of Alvin with the Novak Memory Fund is going to help Dana one day to move and start over but I don't think she will ever want to be in an apt. again.

We thank the business's that gave the donations to the benefit and the people that has donated to the Website 

We would like to Thank the Red Cross, they came to our home and immediately helped Dana. What wonderful people, they were even at the service. Thank you.

Dana was from Alvin most of her life and when she moved to the Clear Lake Area it was a new start for her family, They love the area and the people, The children were finally making an adjustment and making friends when this fire happened, they had so many plans. Kaitlyn's dream was having a two story. They met so many wonderful families from Skylar Point that the children and Dana started to become friends with.

The one thing that really touched our hearts...Was the children and all the cards and all the things the children did. Dana received hundreds of cards. When we started reading the cards we took notice of just how many children, our children were making friends with and that touched us in so many ways. It said our Angels were happy before they died. We want to thank all the children for all their loving kind words and thoughts and everything they did. Thank you for being kind to the new kids on the block. It matters in life, how we all treat people and we feel that all the children are really wonderful people. So keep paying that forward in your young lives and you will go far, kindness goes a long way.

We want to Thank the schools for the principals and teachers and counselors and Daycare's that came to the service and delivered each card, each message and for attending the service and some being a part of the service. My whole heart went into that funeral and people asked me how did you do it. God held me up!

We want to thank everyone for all the plants and flowers, with the plants it inspired us to build a garden and put 3 angels in the garden where the children played in my yard. That is my next focus.

I want to Thank the companies our Families works for. And the people My Husband and I work with everyday

The Benefit for Dana was Saturday Dec. 11th at the Civic Center in League City is the one month of the anniversary, we had to say goodbye to Kaitlyn, Christian and Nathaniel, we will be attending not sure about Nicholas yet... to keep out of the media eye. But the people that has came together and put this together and has volunteered there are no words for us, it is so overwhelming from the support of this group of people and organizations.

When the family heard about this we wanted to have Shriners, Tab for Kids be out there, we don't know if that became possible where it worked out. We heard through the grapevine about people bring gifts some were ok but that could get overwhelming too, so the family had a family representative speak in our behalf to say if people wanted to bring gifts, Bring them because we would give them to Shriners Children at the burn unit and if there was enough Pay it Forward to Texas Children Cancer kids.

We love children, throughout our life my husband and I have had 5 children and we opened our home to other children for free and lots of love, We have always wanted to make a difference in a child's life and when this happened all the children that have been in our home and our hearts and some point. They came through our door in a minute when this happened. Telling us how thankful they were we were there for them as they grew up, how beautiful is that. This has brought back old friends of ours and old friends of Dana's she has longed for and missed very much.

So if we can take this tradegy and turn Kaitlyn, Christian's and Nathaniel's death into meaning and touching others, that is what we want. That's why we decided to donate Nathaniel's organs. I know one day Dana wants to tell her story when she is strong enough and let parents and people know, how she felt upstairs when she woke up and the events that happened. Dana says, she wants to teach people no matter what you have in your home, you can't prepare enough for that. Because her children died in a fire, we see Dana doing great things later on for children that survived at Shirners  and doing things for families concerning fires.

This has affected our family and touched many other families. We have a lot of down days and a few up days during this process, I have contacted to Compassionate Friends an organization that helps parents with a loss of a child. I have also went to certain people that are well connected to start a weekly support group for parents that lost their children to start up right here in Alvin. I feel we build it, they will come. Due to Dana losing 3 children she needs to be able to connect weekly and get close to the ones that have walked her shoes. I have had counselors tell us, this is above them due to the greatness of the loss. We will be looking for guest speakers for this and if anyone is interested in being a guest speaker to help these parents please email me at Nowwellness4life@aol.com

People has asked us how is Dana and Nicholas? Well, Dana is having her moments about all the what if's and she is struggling at times but as this process of kindness and love from others supporting her loss has helped her through by swinging Dana's attention to what people have been doing. Dana has to grieve and this is going to take a long time, She has to find the right counselor she feels comfortable with. Dana has to walk this walk on her time and how she see's fit because this is her life and her feelings, she has Nicholas, her family, friends and support groups that will never leave her side. She misses her children.

Dana spends some of her time decorating the graves we have put 3 Christmas tree's out there and 3 angels and a bench, Dana puts little presents under the tree's and buys different ornaments to decorate the tree's it helps make her feel like they aren't left behind. Dana lost all her ornaments in the fire, so we will rebuild that there on the 3 tree's.

Dana is searching for any memory any photo of her children andDana plays with Nicholas in the evening after he comes home and they hold each other late at night.One day at a time and Dana will have to figured out why God brought her back and Dana will have to find her road again.

Nicholas talks on his time but most of the time he stays busy. We had a wonderful gift from a loving woman that owns Ms. Susan's Christian Day Care in Alvin and she offer for Nicholas to come free as long as Dana needed. That was a wonderful gift for him because it is helping Nicholas to get back to normal routines. At first he didn't want to go but now he gets dressed in his new clothes and shoes and looks forward to going.

We have other children we help raise right now in our home that has been in our home the last year and half, so Nicholas has them to play with everyday. We are looking into taking him to Bo's place after we get some of our strength back probably after the holidays and this is a program for siblings that has lost siblings in the Houston area, he is also attending counseling right after the benefit. It will be different for Nicholas and Dana when they move because they won't have the loud playful house they have always had but as we all take baby steps into the new ventures that God is guiding them it might make that move easier.

Dana loved her children, we all did, their lives revolved around ours, we lived life for them through them, The 4 kept us so busy. Its life changing and we our Thankful God shared them with us and we are thankful for every everyday, every hour, every minute of the memories we shared with them. I know they are with us and the love we had for them is Forever!  We send our love, blessings and our Thanks to everyone. Please keep us in your prayers.

I want to Thank my Son Robert Kennedy and his girlfriend Ruth, and Andy Cummings for being there. They saved Dana and Nicholas's life that night and Ruth's job was getting Nicholas out of the house and knocking on doors to get people up. Thank you and I know you all are suffering emotionally from what you saw and heard. We will be here for you too! 

I want to thank Bob MaGee and his people for all the videos and the time they spent and Oak Park Funeral Home how they took such good care of our sweet angels and United Methodist Church and Light Christian Center and all the people that helped with that and all the donations of food from around our community and the papers and and news media for being thoughtful and gentle to our hearts at this time.

I want to Thank Amanda Skains for the Beautiful Ribbons she made and numerous others of Dana's family and friends that helped, or came in from out of State or town..... the list can go on and on.

I want to thank Tawni Slaughter and all the support she brought forward from Friendswood area and my brother Bob for helping us through the hardest days of our lives. I love you all.

We Thank ''all'' Emergency Response from all Area's and animal rescue shelter that had her pets, that got them home.
Please excuse me if we forgot anyone.....If we did Thank you.

Sincerely,
The Family of Dana, Kaitlyn, Christian, Nathaniel and Nicholas Novak... God Bless You All!

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