On March 18, I invite those of you who live in the Toronto area to attend an exclusive screening of "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey". Buy purchasing tickets, you will be supporting a very special cause called Zack's Dream Room. 

In March of 2011, Heather Hamilton had to say goodbye to her precious son Zack who had suffered from a rare genetic disorder and a heart defect since birth. 

"Why did it have to be Zack?"

He spent many days in and out of the hospital fighting the odds but sadly did not make it to see his fourth birthday. 

"Why couldn't Zack enjoy a long, healthy life?"

My own son will be turning four soon and the thought of having to deal with all of the health complications that little Zack experienced is heartbreaking. I have been reading Heather's painful story as she recaps the events from a year ago and you can follow along, too, by visiting Telling My Story. (Be warned, you may need a box of tissue. Or two.)

From within the four walls of York Central Hospital was born Zack's Dream Room, a mission to raise funds in honour of Zack, who had a particular fondness of everything Elmo. With construction on the first room currently underway, they are now looking towards building a second room in collaboration with Zack’s brothers Ty and Jayden. Their vision for the second room is "a wall featuring the favourite animals of our family: elephant, lion, hippo, cheetah and Zack’s favourite, the giraffe. The five animals will represent our family and allow us to all be together again on the walls at York Central." Funds from Zack’s Dream Room events will also be used to provide the children and parents with the comforts of home; magazines, toys, toiletries, as well as arts and crafts supplies.