The history of the "Healing Heart" is truly a story of love. It began in 1991 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. My son David was in a skiing accident and was taken to the emergency room of the local hospital. He was nervous and scared. To ease his fears, I gave him a silver and turquoise heart that I had just purchased. I told him that the heart had magical powers and that as long as he wore it and concentrated on getting well, it would give him strength and courage. Luckily, his injuries were minor and the heart became a special symbol in our family. After that incident, anytime someone had the flu, a sprained ankle, or was just feeling down, they wore the "Healing Heart" and received a dose of its magical powers.

In October 1996, David was diagnosed with AML Leukemia. He had to be hospitalized for some time. One of David's first requests from home was the "Healing Heart". We brought it to him and he wore it throughout his entire battle with cancer. He had to take it off for various procedures, when I would wear it. As David would say, I was recharging the heart.

On February 13, 1997, David received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Rachel. The following year, David wanted to get Rachel a special gift in honor of their anniversary. He bought her a "Healing Heart" so that she would always have his love and spirit within her. The next day, Valentine's Day, my husband Steve bought me a matching "Healing Heart". When David became critically ill and went into the Intensive Care Unit in July 1998, his child life therapist made Steve a clay "Healing Heart" that he keeps in his pocket. We each had our own heart now, helping our family to share strength, courage and spirit.

In May 1998, David's grandmother had a minor stroke and was hospitalized for about a week. David visited her everyday and decided that she needed the "Healing Heart" more than he did, so he relinquished his heart for the first time and gave it to her to wear until she was well. Once again, the "Healing Heart" served us well as David's grandmother has fully recovered.

If love alone could have healed David, the power of the heart would have prevailed. David's fight ended August 6, 1998, but the light that comes from his heart continues to shine within each of us through our "Healing Hearts".

Lisa Nehmer

Founder