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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 3:51 am
This is from my local paper this morning, figured hey, what a way to have an excuse for chocolate cake and celebrate your/all children's lives! London Free Press Article Day takes the cake celebrating boy's life Tue, October 23, 2007 By JOHN MINER, SUN MEDIA A couple of months before his fourth birthday, Andrew Lennon told his mother he wanted to celebrate the event with chocolate cake. The London tot never lived to enjoy the treat. After spending a day running around, playing mini-golf and doing crafts at a company picnic, Andrew came home and went to bed. On Sept. 11, 2000, he was found dead. "He just didn't wake up the next morning. It didn't make sense at all," said his mother Karen, who described her son as happy and healthy. Toxicology tests and an autopsy failed to find a cause. When Andrew's birthday came along on Oct. 25, Karen decided to bake a chocolate cake anyway. "It was something I needed to do. It was something he wanted to do," she said. She included family and a few friends in the celebration of Andrew's life. It was the beginning of Chocolate Cake Day. Every year the event grew until last year when 1,000 people took part by eating something chocolate and giving thanks for the children in their lives. Earlier this year, Karen joined the social networking website Facebook and invited others to celebrate Chocolate Cake Day on Thursday. She didn't anticipate the response. "It's insane. Over 14,000 people have been invited. There are people in Norway taking part, in Australia, all over the world." Karen still celebrates Chocolate Cake Day at home with her three sons. The oldest was only 16-months-old and Karen was pregnant with the other two when Andrew died. "I thought it would be a fun way to talk about their brother and something they would look forward to over the years. And sure enough they do," she said. Last year, she made cupcakes for them to take to a teacher. This year, she is making cupcakes for all three of their classes. "I am going to be busy on Wednesday making chocolate cupcakes, but that is all right. For me it is celebrating his life rather than focusing on his death." ON THE WEB Karen Lennon's Chocolate Cake Day website is http://chocolatecake day.ca
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Egbok
Member
07-13-2000
| Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 7:21 am
Skootz, thanks for sharing this article. Bittersweet story. I'm in for Chocolate Cake Day.
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Meme9
Member
07-30-2001
| Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 12:06 pm
I'm in!!! DH will love it too! What a great idea!
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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 4:01 pm
I don't need an excuse to have chocolate cake, but it is nice to have a reason to bake it..yum yum yum
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Sunshyne4u
Member
06-17-2003
| Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 3:12 pm
Toxicology tests and an autopsy failed to find a cause what was the cause of death then>? I find it deeply sad that because the mom was not given a solid reason for Death she cannot let her son's birthday just BE her son's birthday. Am I the only one who finds it sad that it is not being celebrated as her son's birthday but as Chocolate Cake Day?? it is like the unresolved feelings as to his death are causing her grief to stay and will it ever be resolved without an answer? I think the Pathologist must have missed something and she will not let him rest in peace until she gets an answer. JUST MY OPINION based on the small amount of info given this is a very very sad story and the only woman I know who celebrates her dead child's existance suffers from deep depression and cant let it go. every Christmas she would hang up a little sock for the baby who died before being born. and it wasnt mentally healthy for her OR her whole family.
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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 3:20 pm
I agree, it must be terribly sad not to know the cause of deal of your infant. I think the reason it is chocolate cake day is that is the type of cake this boy liked and it is a day to celebrate the children that we have in our lives today...an appreciation for our own kids day.
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