"Anita, Kyle and Mateo have not allowed their struggle to make them bitter or angry" (Guest post)

My name is Krissy. I am one of Anita’s friends, and a loyal Mateo fan.

I love that Anita created Hakuna Mateo as a place where we can all connect on our shared experiences with Mateo. She is such a great Mom, right?

I want to use this blog entry time as a way to tell you all a little bit about Mateo’s Mom.

See - I have known Anita for a decade, and throughout those ten years I have seen her evolve into the strongest person I know.

I first met Anita when we were in school at the University of Western Ontario. We met at a party one weekend and she was, without exaggeration, the life of the whole entire party. She was fun, carefree, and a little loud (those Columbian genes). My thoughts were firstly, who is this girl; and secondly, we should definitely be friends. As life went on, we graduated school and started working full time jobs. Anita met Kyle and she moved to Niagara on the Lake. Anita and Kyle’s relationship is full of love and support. Anita grew and began to change as she became a wife. She is empathetic, patient, and considerate of others. I think all these life experiences were preparing her for her biggest journey yet.

Anita’s biggest transformation arose from motherhood. When I first met Mateo he was so tiny and seemed so fragile hooked up to so many machines. I was scared to hold him. Anita coached myself and Mateo through it gently and assuredly (I think if you look at the picture, Mateo can tell I have literally never held a baby before). Anita is a warm, caring, kind soul on a level that is hard to put into words. She is this way not only with her family and friends, but with anyone who crosses her path.Now, I think I should note that Anita hasn’t completely changed. The loud girl from the party is still in there, just in the best way possible. Anita fiercely advocates for Mateo at every opportunity she gets. When I visit her at the hospital and ask how Mateo is doing, she knows every single treatment he is receiving in precise detail. She often knows what the doctors will recommend, sometimes even before they do. She is smart, and she’s not afraid to speak up for her son to ensure he receives the best care possible.

Anita, Kyle and Mateo have not allowed their struggle to make them bitter or angry. They have taken their journey and turned it into something positive.For that reason alone I think my friend is the bravest person I know. The VanderMeer's are an inspiring family and I can’t wait to see how their story unfolds.

Picture above is of Kyle's colleagues living the Hakuna Way giving back by supporting the SickKids get loud march!

Krissy - Loyal friend and Mateo fan <3