Motherhood comes with its ups and downs. For Jamie Cooney Heard, Gamma Alpha-Tennessee, this has been true. Jamie lost her son William in a tragic accident over a year ago. While many would let this heartbreak defeat them, Jamie and her husband, Daniel, have continued to grow and support the community by giving back. Jamie runs a Facebook page honoring the life of William, Always #WillyWednesday. She continues to celebrate his life and ensure his time with us is never forgotten.

Jamie Cooney Heard, Gamma Alpha-Tennessee, with son William before his passing.

On December 11, 2015, while both parents were away at work, William choked on a bite of chicken noodle soup. William and their daughter, Madeline, were being cared for by a nanny. She attempted to give him the Heimlich maneuver, but was unable to dislodge the food. When the paramedics arrived, they also attempted to dislodge the food with no success. They rushed William to the hospital. On arrival, his heart had already stopped. William’s heart began to beat again after 11 rounds of medicine, though there was no brain activity.

William remained stable and unresponsive. Jamie and Daniel were left with a difficult decision. He was then transported to the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. In her recount of the difficult time, Jamie mentioned turning to God and prayer to find the answers. She continuously prayed and repeated for “God’s will to be done.” The hospital approached the family with an option: for William to become an organ donor. They knew this was the best decision for their family and son. Both William’s kidneys and heart were used in successful transplants.

Soon after, a friend of Jamie’s spoke of a story about a young girl in Chicago named Ava Martin. Ava had just received a heart transplant. With a little bit of research, it seemed like Ava might just be the recipient of William’s heart. Jamie found a Facebook group for Ava and reached out. Ava’s mother soon responded and together they determined William was Ava’s donor. It was a sign of light in such a dark time. The Heard and Martin families have continued to support each other and visit on occasion. Jamie is looking forward to an upcoming visit from the Martins Mother’s Day weekend. It will be the first time their entire family has come to Nashville, where the Heards live.

Jamie Cooney Heard with Ava Martin. 

Many of Jamie’s Delta Gamma sisters attended the viewing and memorial or sent cream colored roses. The Heard family requested donations be made to Vanderbilt Child Services, as they helped the family greatly with William and Madeline. Today, an estimated $15,000 has been donated in William’s name. Roughly $4,000 came from Delta Gamma sisters.

Since the loss of her only son, Jamie has been involved with Donate Life Tennessee, which encourages individuals to become organ donors. She is speaking this month at the Vanderbilt Flag Raising Ceremony for National Donate Life Month. 

From Left: Daniel Heard, Madeline Heard, William Heard, and Jamie Cooney Heard.

The Heard family has managed to find hope in a time of grief. Their community rallied around them, providing food and support for months after. Jamie’s advice to other mothers who have lost a child is “Accept the love others are willing to give and trust in God’s faithfulness.” She feels that immediately visiting a counselor with Daniel has helped significantly in the healing process. Many marriages end in divorce after the loss of a child. They worked hard to keep their marriage thriving and are now looking forward to welcoming a baby girl. Jamie is due June 2^nd.

This National Donate Life Month, consider registering to be an organ donor in your state. For information on how to register, click here.

By: Jayme Crowell, Alpha Pi-Arizona

Tracy Tyndall Pabst is on the left, Laura Coker Blandford is on the right. 

In 1994, Tracy Tyndall Pabst, Alpha Tau-Butler and Laura Coker Blandford, Delta Omega-William Woods, both received their bid cards to Delta Gamma and learned it was founded as a club of “mutual helpfulness.” 

   Twenty-some years later, Tracy was more than mutually helpful. She did more than the phrase “Do Good” could ever have meant to them on that 1994 Bid Day. In 2017, she went into surgery to donate her left kidney and save the life of her sister in need.

   Laura Coker Blandford, a Butler University transfer student, and known as “Laurie” or “Coker” among her Butler chapter sisters, was suffering from failing kidneys due to complications related to Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments. In late August 2016, she posted an urgent message on Facebook asking a friend to step forward and save her life.

   Laura’s post read, “I want to see my son graduate from high school, college. I truly feel I have so much life left in me that I want to live … my kidney soulmate, my needle in a haystack is out there. I just need to find them.”

   Immediately after reading the post, Tracy was in tears. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the next two weeks. It was eating me up,” Tracy said. 

   Tracy and Laura admit they were never “super close” when they were collegiate members. However, Butler University is a small, tight-knit campus community and their new member class had about 25 women, which created a solid foundation to build upon their future life-saving friendship.

   Reflecting on those days in the mid-1990s, Tracy remembers Laura as always smiling around the house and immediately clicking with the women when she moved in after transferring from William Woods. “I can remember many good times with Laurie ... lots of laughing and dancing,” Tracy said.

   Laura remembers Tracy as the always effervescent, level-headed pharmacy major. Laura said she always admired Tracy for how incredibly nice she was and how hard she studied.

   “Little did I know when we were doing secret handshakes and learning the importance of our motto to ‘Do Good,’ that 20 years later it would be so significant and powerful,” Laura said.

   In mid-September 2016, Laura posted again mentioning that she was still looking for a donor and her blood type was O-positive.

   “That was my first sign,” Tracy said. 

   Tracy talked with medical professionals. She talked with her husband and gained his support. Then, Tracy called Laura and gave her the news she had been praying for.

   “I broke out into tears. There’s a lot of meaning behind the bond we share. ‘I’ll give you my kidney,’ means ‘I will take care of you.’ And honestly, I’d also do anything for her or the other girls in my chapter,” Laura said.

   They began the process to make sure they were a match. On December 6, 2016, they found out they were. Their geographical locations would make the donation process easier also; Tracy living in Indianapolis and Laura living in Louisville.

   On January 19, 2017, Laura received Tracy’s left kidney successfully at a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, about an hour from Laura’s home.

   Laura faced some minor complications related to her other ailments, but is home now and recovering well.

   Tracy was cleared to go back to work after three weeks of recovery. She returned home to her loving and supportive husband, whom she referred to as her ‘rock’ through all of this. His support nursing her back to health as well as the love and many cards and balloons from her DG sisters, friends and family made her recovery easier, she said.

   Laura still can’t put her appreciation into words. “I will never be able to express my gratitude to her,” Laura said. “This was an amazing gift to our family.”

   Tracy believes this was meant to be from the day she received her bid card. “I am so glad that I listened to my heart. Being a Delta Gamma brought us together. The motto of ‘Do Good’ has never meant more to me than it did on January 19 when I got to save the life of not only my sister and friend, but a wife, mother, daughter and friend to so many.”

   Her hope is that when people hear her story, they will be inspired to “Do Good” for someone in need. “This world needs more of that,” Tracy said.

   Laura put it simply and said, “Tracy gave me life. She gave me life back.”

To learn more, check out the Butler University Newsroom story at news.butler.edu.

What is/was your favorite social event of the year? We asked both a 1958 initiate and a 2014 initiate:

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Beta Gamma-Utah, 1958 initiate 

My favorite social event was an exchange – costumes required – with a fraternity, one that my future husband was thinking about pledging. He remembered me because I was being daring by dressing as a bohemian – a little too much for those days in Utah, Oh, yes! A beret and a long cigarette holder that had been used by my aunt in a dance she performed to the tune "Frankie and Johnny."

I didn't smoke so I had to borrow a Salem. I put it in my very French-looking black bone holder and struck a convincing pose. When one of the fraternity brothers offered to light it, I got embarrassed and didn't own up! Needless to say it was a disaster with me coughing and mascara from my too-mascaraed eyelashes running down my cheeks. It was a sight my husband didn't forget. Embarrassment turned to one of the best things in my life. 

Emma Sedoris, Delta Beta-Kentucky affiliate (Beta Psi-Alabama initiate), 2014 initiate

My favorite social event would have to be Anchor Ball. Anchor Ball is a date party that happens every year at the end of the spring semester, usually in April. Last year’s Anchor Ball was very special because, being a sophomore, you usually live in the chapter house with your member class. Meaning your best friends live five (5) feet away from each other and are together every minute of every day. So Anchor Ball is the last event for us to all be together at the end of the year.

The day of Anchor Ball, we spent the day doing each other’s hair and makeup, putting on our dresses and then going out to eat before the event. Anchor Ball is special because it is the event everyone looks forward to every year. I can’t believe that next year I will be a senior and it will be my last Anchor Ball, but all good things must come to an end and I couldn’t imagine spending it with anyone else but my sisters.

Remember when you got dressed to the nines in a sister’s closet? Alumnae, you can keep the magic of Delta Gamma alive for sisters for years to come! Your $27 per capita annual dues will help ensure our sisterhood endures: www.bit.ly/DGdues1617

The Collegiate Advisory Board is a new standing focus group of collegians that will provide the Fraternity with a collegiate perspective on issues of evaluating externally-driven programming and topics facing college campuses today, including mental health, sexual assault awareness and drug and alcohol use. After an application process, 24 women were chosen to serve on the board. Three women were chosen from each region. To create a diverse group, we selected collegians of all ages, both officers and non-officers, students from semester and quarter schools, members from varying size campuses, students at both private and public schools, members of varying size Delta Gamma chapters and members actively involved outside of Delta Gamma.

The following are the 24 selected members of the 2017 Collegiate Advisory Board.

Abigail (Abby) Coulter, Eta Kappa-North Carolina State, is a junior studying environmental science and landscape architecture. Abby enjoys spending much of her time outside of the classroom playing sports and staying active. Her favorite sports to play are volleyball and soccer. She spends many weekends in North Carolina and Virginia going hiking. When she isn’t outside, Abby enjoys volunteering with the local animal shelter, sustainability initiatives on campus and Dance Marathon.

Alexandra (Alex) Brooks, Alpha Chi-Penn State, is a junior studying marketing. She is currently studying abroad in London and has been enjoying traveling throughout Europe until her return in May. At Penn State, she is involved in Delta Sigma Pi (a professional business fraternity) and giving back to the fraternity in many ways. In her spare time, Alex enjoys yoga, reading and spending time with sisters.

Alexandra (Ali) Epstein, Beta Epsilon-American, is a junior studying public health. Ali spends much of her time outside of the classroom working on Capitol Hill for Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., on his healthcare legislation team. She enjoys going to brunch, eating sushi and spending time with friends.

Alexandra (Alex) Whitten, Gamma Phi-Arizona State, is a junior studying journalism and mass communications with a minor in criminology. She currently serves as vice president: risk management on her university’s Panhellenic executive board. Her position manages all the socials, formals and events for Panhellenic sororities on campus. Alex is a dedicated volunteer for the Foundation for Blind Children and a local animal shelter.

Alexis Jones, Xi-Michigan, is a junior studying biochemistry. Alexis is a varsity athlete and serves as the vice president: programming for Michigan’s Panhellenic executive board, keeping her plenty busy outside of class and Delta Gamma.

Allison Snare, Zeta Epsilon-Santa Clara, is a sophomore studying accounting and information systems. She is actively involved in the Accelerated Cooperative Educational (ACE) Leadership Program at Santa Clara University and Shadow SCU Host program. In her spare time, she enjoys working out and is a math department grader.

Emily Gearhart, Alpha Psi-Mississippi, is a freshman studying business. She enjoys working as a life guard and donating her time to the Student Activities Association.

Emily Seuferer, Alpha Lambda-Drake, is a sophomore studying biochemistry, cell and microbiology. In her spare time, Emily enjoys exploring Des Moines, spending time with friends and watching any movie she can get her hands on!

Erin Woll, Gamma Eta-San Jose State, is a junior studying public relations. Erin fills her time outside of school working 24 hours a week at an internship.

Fiona Simons, Alpha Phi-British Columbia, is a senior studying political science. Fiona volunteers in politics outside of the classroom. She enjoys exploring Vancouver, skiing, traveling and spending time outdoors.

Gabriella (Gabby) Torres, Delta Beta-Kentucky, is a junior studying public health. Gabby is proud to work as the major gifts development officer for a non-profit on campus. She also volunteers her time to SCAPA, a local magnet middle school, in their fitness and wellness program. In her spare time, Gabby enjoys hiking, being outdoors, drawing and painting.

Hannah Pepprock, Pi-Montana, is a sophomore studying anthropology. Hannah is president of a mental health awareness club on campus and a participant in Pink Gloves Boxing. She volunteers weekly at a local elementary school and gives campus tours. She also manages to juggle two jobs with her schoolwork and extracurricular activities: one at a church nursery and the other for the Office of Admissions.

Jennifer Kopceuch, Epsilon Theta-Tampa, is a junior studying psychology. Her favorite pastime is reading a good book under the palm trees on campus or by the pool.

Kayleigh Schoenfelder, Alpha Kappa-Washburn, is a junior studying biology. On campus, she serves as president of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, treasurer of the American Medical Student Association, a student ambassador and a member of other clubs and campus activities. She also tutors for the biology department and on weekends works as a medication aide at an assisted living facility.

Kylie Ponn, Gamma Rho-Wittenberg, is a junior studying communications and dance. Outside of the classroom and Delta Gamma, Kylie spends her time working for her grandmother’s business in Columbus, OH.

Maura Tomassetti, Beta Pi-Willamette, is a sophomore studying psychology. Maura works for a theatre camp during her breaks from school. She enjoys singing, and watching television and movies with friends in her spare time.

Michelle Barquer, Epsilon Zeta-Loyola Marymount, is a junior studying psychology. Michelle keeps busy as an intern for LMU’s Fraternity and Sorority Life and by working in the Office of Student Leadership and Development. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys attending spin classes, baking cookies with sisters, caring for her adopted kitten and spending time with her nephew.

Mina Mahmood, Zeta Theta-Columbia, is a sophomore studying political science. Mina spends most of her time working at an internship when she is not in class. Most recently, she interned with filmmaker Ken Burns. She enjoys volunteering at the local soup kitchen as well.

Peyton Lang, Zeta Nu-Montevallo, is a sophomore studying human development and family studies. When she is not busy with Delta Gamma and schoolwork, Peyton enjoys making music, teaching gymnastics and photography.

Samantha (Sammi) Zook, Gamma Beta- Tulsa, is a sophomore studying accounting. Sammi’s favorite activities are running and baking.

Sarah Cano, Gamma Sigma-Houston, is a junior studying nutrition. Sarah enjoys volunteering at a local hospital in Houston outside of the classroom. In her spare time, Sarah keeps busy event planning, reading and trying new recipes.

Sydney Komoto, Lambda-Minnesota, is a junior studying business and marketing education. Outside of the classroom, Sydney interns for College Fashionista and Shop Revelry. She enjoys spending time with friends, photography and being outside.

Sydney Simmons, Alpha Rho-Ohio Wesleyan, is a sophomore studying business administration. Sydney spends most of her time outside of the classroom as part of the OWU tennis team. Whenever she has spare time, she enjoys exploring the shops and new restaurants in the Columbus, OH, area.

Tamar Loeb, Eta Upsilon-Drexel, is a sophomore studying general business. Outside of school and Delta Gamma, Tamar enjoys exploring Philadelphia, spending time with friends and trying new food.

How did you keep in touch with sisters when you weren’t in school? We asked both a 1960 initiate and a 2014 initiate to take a (literal) trip down memory lane:

Anne Allen, Alpha Omega-Arkansas, 1960 initiate

Vacations and summers were long, primarily because we were away from one another. We used telephones, cards and letters to stay connected; AND we planned and executed road trips!!!! We spent A LOT OF TIME on the first day back at school “playing catchup!!” Then, it was fun time to plan for rush (recruitment!). For all of our generations, staying connected is essential, whether through Delta Gamma collegiate chapter meetings and collegiate functions or through alumnae meetings and social or community events. Delta Gamma is – for hope, for strength, for LIFE!!

Sarah Gornik, Tau-Iowa, 2014 initiate

Existing in a culture so devoted to social media has its definite perks – especially when it comes to staying in touch with my sisters. I’ve been living in our chapter house for almost two years now and leaving to go back home for breaks is always an odd feeling. The shift from having my 150 sisters within walking distance to being separated by state lines is strange. But that in no way means we’re lacking communication. Things like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook make it almost impossible not to know what’s still going on in my friend’s lives. I have group chats with different groups of women in my chapter that we text in on a regular basis. And on days where I’m really missing my sisters, I can always FaceTime them and get that face-to-face conversation that makes a big difference. I’m very grateful that despite miles distance, my sisters and friends are never more than a message away.

Remember when YOU reunited with sisters after a long break? Alumnae, you can keep the magic of Delta Gamma alive for sisters for years to come! Your $27 per capita annual dues will help ensure our sisterhood endures: www.bit.ly/DGdues1617

Emily Pickett is a collegian from Delta Kappa-South Florida. As a child, she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare eye disease. We caught up with Emily to talk about her experience with retinoblastoma and Delta Gamma.

Please tell us a little about retinoblastoma and your experience with it.

Retinoblastoma is a rare cancerous tumor that affects the retina of the eye. Usually, when you turn two-years-old, your primary doctor will take an eye exam. However, when I went for my kindergarten check-up at age five, records showed that I never received an eye exam (which led to a lawsuit that I ultimately won). When I did receive the eye exam, I was not responding to the left side of the screen, because I was blind and could not see out of my left eye. My primary doctor referred me to an ophthalmologist to take a deeper look and he found that I had a severe case of retinoblastoma. My doctor gave my parents two options: going through chemotherapy or getting my eye removed. Removing the eye was safer and would get rid of the cancer more effectively. So, I went into immediate enucleation (which is the surgical process of removing the left eye) and I now have a prosthetic eye. I am totally blind in my left eye and have no depth perception. Halfway through my surgery, the cancer spread to the optic nerve which leads to the brain. My parents were worried I would have to receive chemotherapy in addition to enucleation, but luckily the doctor caught it just in time and I have been in remission ever since. Every six months for the rest of my life, I will travel to Miami for my oncology check-up which includes pictures, ultrasounds, eye exams, etc., just to make sure the cancer does not come back. Every 8-12 months, I get fitted for a new prosthetic eye. And once a year, I get an MRI.

How has being a Delta Gamma affected your experience with retinoblastoma?

Being a Delta Gamma has helped me to embrace my disability and having a prosthetic eye even more. I stress the importance of yearly eye exams and now my sisters can finally see how crucial it is to have one. 

Did Delta Gamma’s philanthropy, Service for Sight, influence your decision to become a member? And have you participated in any meaningful experiences with Service for Sight?

I went through informal recruitment at the University of South Florida in Spring 2015. I had heard that Delta Gamma's foundation was Service for Sight but I was more focused on finding an organization where the sisterhood was real and genuine. It was a bonus that DG raises awareness for Service for Sight and I think as a member that has a visual impairment, it helps my chapter to be motivated to give back and spread that awareness as well. 

Please tell us about your advocacy work.

When I was a freshman in high school, I knew I had a purpose in life. I had played volleyball for many years and October was breast cancer awareness month which was during the peak season of volleyball. I started a fundraiser called "Dig Pink" which was a month-long campaign event that included t-shirt sales, car washes and spreading breast cancer awareness through "Wear Pink Wednesdays." The biggest aspect of the event was our volleyball game "Dig Pink." I had a goal that by my senior year of high school, I would raise $5,000 to donate to the American Cancer Society. When I turned 18, I had raised over $18,000...which was amazing. 

Below is a news article that I was interviewed for that has some more information.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-10-18/sports/fl-br-volley-glades-1018-20101017_1_volleyball-court-cancer-survivor-cancer-research 

What is “Know the Glow?”

"Know the Glow" is an awareness campaign that uses flash photography to identify signs of different eye diseases, one of them being retinoblastoma. My mom is a huge advocate for "Know the Glow" and spreads awareness through her Facebook page constantly. She is a resource for other moms that go through their child having cancer as well as in our retinoblastoma community. 

What will be the focus of your 2017 TED talk? 

My talk is titled: "Having Cancer Does Not Define Me, Persevering Does." I will discuss how no matter what you go through, there is nothing you can do to change the past. You must come out strong and on top, rather than dwell on the negative. I believe that everything happens for a reason and everyone has a purpose in life, so you must believe that you can, and will, find that purpose. 

Do you have any words of advice for sisters who may be going through similar situations?

My biggest piece of advice is that everything happens for a reason, whatever you go through now, will be easier to get through when you grow older! 

How did your family find out their house was flooded? (i.e. did they come home to find water in the basement, or were they sleeping and came downstairs to damage)

We never thought something like this would happen to us. I live 30 minutes out of downtown Baton Rouge, so we have lakes and rivers in my area which have filled up with water before. However, the only other time in recent years that my side of town flooded was in 1983. My house and most of the street didn't exist yet, but after the '83, everyone made sure to build above the water level from that flood.

I was not actually with my family when the water came in. I am on the Panhellenic Executive Council at LSU where I serve as the Vice President of Recruitment Personnel. My major role is to train our 114 Recruitment Counselors (or Gamma Chis) who manage the 1243 Potential Members that participate in our recruitment process. I am the only Delta Gamma serving on Exec, so it has been exciting to experience and work with other members of our sister NPC groups as well as bring what I learn back to everyone at Gamma Zeta! The particular week that the flooding happened was immediately following our Gamma Chi Training Week, which ended Thursday. Our university requires Panhellenic Exec and Gamma Chis to disaffiliate and live in a hotel located on campus to help keep them out of their chapter houses and available if a potential member should need assistance.

The rain was horrible Friday, so we canceled our events, and I decided to run home to grab what I needed for recruitment week, which was to be August 14-20. I didn't know when I walked through the door on August 12 that it would be the last time I would see my home as it had been for the last 17 years of my life. I didn't spend even an hour at home, because I heard the roads were flooding and I didn't want to get stranded, as I needed to get back to run Recruitment. In retrospect, I don't know if I'm grateful or sad that I didn't stay longer. Regardless, I headed back to the hotel, thinking it would ever happen to me.

I distinctly remember waking up on Saturday, August 13, with all of Exec in one hotel room, watching the news. It was then that we started to get the feeling this wasn't just rain, it was bigger than that. We pushed back recruitment again, and we began living day by day, constantly assessing the situation.

I called my mom to check in, and she assured me that everything was fine. She said that she was relaxing at home with our dog and cat, Sally and Cookie. My brother, Daniel, was skyping with his friends and my dad was out helping fill sandbags. She said that our neighbors needed help sandbagging and that my dad and my brother planned to do so that afternoon. She said she would keep me posted.  At 10:30 Saturday night, I got a phone call from my mom saying that the water was coming in and she wanted to know what she should save out of my room. My dad told them to move things as high up as possible and that a boat would be coming to pick them up the next morning. After the phone call, I think I was still in shock. I was incredibly scared for my family's safety through the night, but I was so grateful that someone was on their way to pick them up. The next morning, my mom, brother, cat and dog piled into our neighbors' boat, while my dad stayed behind to monitor the house. The water didn't enter the house until 4:00 PM Sunday afternoon. My dad was the only one in the house when the water started coming in. He stayed behind to put up all of our furniture on bricks to try to save what he could. He's so brave, and I have no idea how he did that all by himself. He took a video of the water, which I only recently was able to watch. It was surreal to see a place so consistent in my life like that. That night, Panhellenic Exec and all 30 Gamma Chis at the hotel went to the LSU Feildhouse to help Dean Maria Fuentes-Martin, or Dean Mari as we typically call her, set up cots for a triage unit to operate there. It felt good to help in someway, when I felt so helpless about the current situation at home.

What was damaged? To what extent were things damaged?

On average, we got 6 inches in our home. My brothers room is the lowest and had 8-10 inches. I remember when the roads were opened up on Monday August 15, that my Panhellenic adviser told us that it was important for us to go home and be with our families, and that our well-being far outweighed any kind of recruitment planning. I am so grateful to the fraternity/sorority life staff and my fellow Exec Members. I don't know how I would have made it through the week without their support.

I remember walking up to my house for the first time since the flood. The drive took almost an hour and a half with traffic and detours, and I had to park on the street because our driveway was still covered in water. It's a strange thing seeing your childhood home in that kind of state. The walls are the same, the floors are the same, but it's as if you're looking at an alternate reality. I remember walking into my room and not even being able to process what I was seeing. Just days ago, my room was as I had left it. I live in the Delta Gamma house, so many of my school things had already been moved, but this had been my room since I was four years-old. Everything in this space was connected to my life as far back as I could remember. The funny thing is, I didn't even cry when I saw it. It was so surreal. I don't think I believed it was real. Sometimes I still don't feel like it's real.

From Monday, August 15 to Thursday, August 18, my family, my brother's friends and my parent's friends worked on our house non-stop. We saved what we could and threw away what could not be salvaged. My family is extremely close, which is one of the reasons I wanted to go to LSU.  It sounds strange, but I feel as though my family grew even closer over those couple days. So many of my DG friends reached out to me throughout the week, offering clothes, boxes and support. The biggest blessing from my Delta Gamma family came to me Thursday night after long days of gutting my home, when we planned a dinner/get together at my friends' apartment. When I got there, they had brought muffalattas from my friend's father's store in New Orleans, tons of good sturdy boxes and pulled out some wine. It may seem like such a small gesture, but I really appreciated the distraction. I was thankful for that support in that moment because it was enough to get me through the next couple of days of cleaning. It was just nice to be a normal college student for a while.

Did you or any DGs help in any way?

The biggest thing Delta Gamma did for me during this whole experience, was to truly live the oath of friendship. We say the oath of friendship as a chapter after every meeting, and I honestly had no idea the soundness it could have in my life. I received so many calls and texts from chapter members, alumnae, advisers and so many others during that time. Things were difficult because of the dynamic during recruitment, but they reached out anyway. They went out into the community and helped at so many different sites. They were out there to Do Good and I was thankful that they were my biggest cheerleaders during a very difficult time. I think the biggest thing for me, was how positive and supportive everyone was.  When I revealed my chapter affiliation to the 1100 New Members on Bid Day, I had never been prouder to wear my DG letters.

The most important way my DG sisters have help me is through the flood recovery. The biggest challenge for me was re-adjusting to school while simultaneously holding recruitment during the first week of school as well as working on my home any spare moment I had. I honestly don't know how I would have survived without my DG sisters as well as fellow members of Panhellenic Exec. I'm so fortunate to live in the Delta Gamma house, surrounded by 52 girls who I can talk to at anytime. There is no better way to describe it other than that they truly gave me courage to get back up, strength to keep going and the peace to know that they loved and supported me.

Amanda J Ourso 

Gamma Zeta-Louisiana State