This site is Dedicated 2 Deja!
So the world can meet a special girl who won't have a chance to meet the world!
2Deja.Com
Diagnosed with a incurable Brain Stem Tumor on 09/28/06.
7/25/2007
One Year!
Thank you everyone for your love and support throughout the last year. This has been very tough for me. There has been much emotion building up to today, but it is all your love, thoughts, and prayers that will carry me through it. As most of you know, I am very bad at Thank You's, but today, I would like to thank those of you closest to me. Thank you Patti, my sister, for listening to me even when I have bad timing. Thank you Mike for dealing with my emotional highs and lows this last year, and for helping out so much with the girls. Thank you April, Brandy, and Alayna for reminding me what true friends are. Past..Present.. and Future, Thank You! Thank you to all of you at US Airways, you too have had your share of emotional days from me. The compasion and understanding you show makes you the greatest employer in the world! Now, for the big one.. THANK YOU TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER! There will never be enough thank you's for everything you've done. Except, maybe, if I let you get out of house! :) Nobody knows patience more then you two.. yes even you Dad. I wish I could share with the world how much you both mean to me. You are truely amazing poeple. I hope one day I could give my children everything you have given me.
Today will be a day for the family, doing the things that remind us of Deja. We will send her up some baloons, write down our favorite memories, watch her videos, sing her favorite songs, go ride her favorite carousel, and finish the night at her favorite restaurant, The Rain Forest Cafe! Today, I will remember all of you to. All of you who made a difference in my life, and Deja's life. All of you. Thank you!
UPDATE 4/24/2008
WE ARE INCHING CLOSER TO THE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DEJA'S PASSING. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN VERY TRYING FOR ME. THERE HAS BEEN MANY ANNIVERSARIES; SPECIAL TIMES, MAKE A WISH, DEJA DAY. AND GETTING THROUGH ALL THE HOLIDAY'S (FROM CHRISTMAS TO EASTER) WITHOUT HER HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT. I HAVE TRIED TO TURN THOSE ANNIVERSARIES INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL. I VISITED HER OLD FLOOR AT PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, I VISITED THE STAFF AT GOOD SAM WHO DID HER RADIATION. MANY OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS SAY THIS IS MY WAY OF HIDING MY GRIEF. MAYBE? I THINK I EXPECTED THINGS TO GET EASIER, BUT INSTEAD THEY HAVE GOTTEN MUCH HARDER. I AM STARTING TO REALIZE THAT "EASIER" MIGHT BE A LONG WAY INTO THE FUTURE. MANY OF MY SUPPORTERS AND MY DOCTOR HAVE ALL SUGGESTED I TAKE A TIME OUT AND ALLOW MY SOUL TO GRIEVE. I AM NOW REALIZING THAT MEANS MORE CRYING, MORE SADNESS, BUT MY DOCTOR INSURES ME THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO BEGIN TO HEAL.
I KNOW I HAVE NOT BEEN VERY GOOD AT THANK YOU'S AND UPDATES. AND TO THE THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD I AM SORRY.
I WILL TRY TO DO MY BEST NOW.
THANK YOU TO THE DONATIONS AT THE END OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR.
MADISON AVENUE OF CHANDLER'S STAFF AND CLIENTS CAME TOGETHER AND CREATED A COOKBOOK WHICH THEY SOLD FOR DONATIONS THAT WERE DONATED TO OUR FOUNDATION. OTHER DONATIONS CAME IN FROM THE MOMS CLUB OF NORTHEAST PHOENIX, THE SCOTTSDALE TENNIS TEAM, AND RYLAND HOMES. A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO LINDA, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, FOR HER UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT. I AM TRYING TO TAKE YOUR ADVISE!! :)
SO WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING. WELL, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE MADE A DEJA BOX FOR A LITTLE BOY IN FLORIDA WHO WAS VERY ILL. THE DAY BEFORE WE SHIPPED THE BOX WE GOT WORD THAT HE HAD PASSED. THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR ME. WE REGROUPED THE BEST WE COULD AND MADE A VERY SPECIAL BOX FOR THE FAMILY. WE HAD A PROFESSIONAL BLANKET MADE WITH A POEM, HIS NAME AND DATES STITCHED INTO IT. WE INCLUDED GIFTS FOR THE OTHER CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY, GIFT CARDS FOR DINNER, AND MUCH MORE. WE ALSO DECIDED TO ADOPT A FAMILY THROUGH THE FOUNDATION WITH THE HELP OF SCHALLER ANDERSON OF ARIZONA AND PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOR CHRISTMAS. THEY REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART. IT WAS A SINGLE MOM WITH 2 CHILDREN. THE SICK CHILD WAS ALSO AUTISTIC. WE HAD A LOT OF FUN SHOPPING FOR THE PERFECT GIFTS FOR THEM, JUST LIKE MADISON AVENUE DID FOR US THE YEAR BEFORE.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A BOX FOR A 3 YEAR OLD GIRL IN ILLINOIS WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LEULEMIA. SHE IS ONLY 1 MONTH INTO HER CHEMOTHERAPY AND HAS BEEN BACK IN THE HOSPITAL SEVERAL TIMES. I AM WORKING ON DELIVERING THIS ONE PERSONALLY.
THE DONATIONS HAVE SUBSIDED FOR NOW. WE HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOME SAVING AND HAVE A DEJA DAY REUNION. HOWEVER, WE WANT TO MOVE IT TO AUGUST. AS CLOSE TO HER BIRTHDAY AS WE CAN GET IT. BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU, WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT START. THIS DEJA DAY WILL BE DEDICATED TO HER, AND OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A DAY THAT THE COMMUNITY SMILES FOR HER.
I PROMISE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED MORE OFTEN. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO DO. I AM EVEN TRYING TO FREE UP SOME TIME TO DO SOME VOLUNTEERING. I HAVE GONE BACK TO WORK AFTER RECENTLY TAKING SOME MORE TIME OFF, AND I REALLY AM STARTING TO FEEL A BIT BETTER.
WE FINALLY GOT THE DVD OF THE FUNERAL FOR MY FAMILY BACK HOME. I WILL HAVE IT UPLOADED WITHIN THE WEEK. SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE WESTOVER FAMILY WHO PUT ALOT OF TIME AND MONEY INTO HELPING ME KEEP MORE MEMORIES.
Deja on Fox 10 News..Click Here
Deja has joined Our Heavenly Father in Heaven.
(Letter from Mom below)
Happy 5th Birthday Baby!
August 20th, 2007
Deja Jaleen Cleveland
August 20, 2002
to
July 25, 2007
Deja passed away July 25th at 6:10pm. She went quickly and peacefully and was not in any pain. She was with her Mom, Angela, and Grandparents, Nana and Papa Coppock, and her Aunt Patti. Thank you to the special hospice workers who got us through the final days, and thank you to the community for all your support and prayers.
Services were held on August 3rd at Broadway Christian Church. The services were very beautiful. We want to personally thank our Church Family, Epic Christian Church, as well as Broadway Christian Church for lending us their beautiful Church for Deja's services. Thank you to all the volunteers. A very special thank you to the Bubik Family for their continued support, and to Justin and Margaret for their beautiful words during the service. Thank you to Deja's Godparents, Brandy and Rob and Rob's amazing reading of a precious poem written just for Deja by Stephanie Fortuna of NJ who has followed Deja's story from the beginning. A very special thank you to April, a true friend for life, for her beautiful video. Thank you to Pastor's Jeff and Mike from Epic, and a BIG THANK YOU to my mom and dad (Nana and Papa) and my sister and brother, Paul and Patti Stubberfield. Thank you to Target, Integrity Scaffolding, and Schaller Anderson for being such great employers and for being so understanding and supportive of your employees. I wish I could say the same for mine. Thank you to the community! I am so very proud to be a part of it! You all showed me that their are still good people in this world, and amazing things can happen when we help each other.
I will repay this community with Deja's foundation. We are commited to helping sick kids with terminal illnesses smile. No matter the illness, each one of them deserves a smile. There are many projects to come. Read more about our non-profit foundation, Deja's Crown, by visiting our website..
www.DejasCrown.com
To help us get started, please send your donation to:
Deja's Crown
PO Box 1524
Queen Creek, AZ 85242
** To receive a receipt for a tax deductible donation, please include your address **
Letter from Mom:
I battle everyday with the reason I have been chosen for such a difficult journey. Maybe I volunteered for this before my life here started. Maybe the Lord just thinks I am strong enough. Maybe the Lord knew I would be a voice for these children. What ever the reason, all I know is that I do not want it to end forever. I do not want this to be for nothing. I have accepted the path that the Lord has chosen for me, whether it is difficult or easy because I trust him. I would never trade this time he has given me to know my daughter. This foundation is for you Deja! I am very determined and it will be successful. Thank you to everyone, strangers and all, who have been unbelievably supportive. Your support has given me even more strength and motivation which has helped pull me through difficult days. I am proud to have you all in my life. I am proud of this community. I hope that on your difficult days, you remember my sweet Deja. Remember that all the way through to the end, she never complained. NEVER! And even when speaking became very difficult, she still insisted on saying "please" and "thank you". Live every day happily. Make someone else smile. Enjoy what you have, even if it is not what you expect. Embrace it!
Angela Cleveland
AKA Deja's Mommy
"There's a picture on my desk of a little girl in a blue dress, holding a white flower. I keep it there to remind me to stop counting the days until the temperature drops. Or the hours until the weekend. Or the weeks until school begins. This little girl and her family aren't counting. To them, every day is precious just as it comes,"
Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic.
Click Here for Deja's Crown Website
and info on Deja Boxes.
Thank you for viewing our site! Please take some time and look at our beautiful pictures
and send us your comments and thoughts.
Deja Jaleen Cleveland Born August 20th, 2002 @ 1:01 am,
4 lbs & 3/4 oz and 17 & 3/4 inches long.
Died July 25th, 2007 @ 6:10 pm.
How many people have come to meet Deja?
