This past weekend Saint Isidore’s Church in Stow, MA held a mass to pray for Cailean. I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Cornell’s for requesting the mass. It was a lovely service. I also want to thank the friends and family that attended; it meant a lot.

We also had a big birthday party for Dex’s 2nd birthday this weekend, as well as for my parents’ birthdays. Cailean’s presence was missed but I felt him in my heart and knew that he was close by.

Today is Cailean’s birthday. He would have been 18. I can still remember my Grandma Sheeran waking Brittany and me up so we could go to the hospital to see Cailean for the first time.

Coming across this picture I was overwhelmingly reminded how amazing my brother was. The first time Cailean saw Dexter he had the biggest grin I’ve ever seen and he was gitty. This picture was taken a few hours later in my hospital room jam packed with people. At that moment Cailean was asked how he felt about me having the baby and he simply stated, ” I feel very proud.”

If you wish you can make a donation in Cailean?s memory to one of the following:

1) Neurological Lyme Disease Research: please mail to:
NYS Psychiatric Institute
c/o Dr. Brian Fallon
1051 Riverside Drive Unit 69
New York, NY 10032.

The check should be made out to the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. In the lower left hand corner of the check, please indicate that the proceeds should be used for Neurological Lyme Disease research

2)Young Concert Artists Inc., an organization dedicated to discovering and launching the careers of extraordinary young musicians. For more information, please visit http://www.yca.org/.

The following article was written to be published in our local newspapers. Needless to say, it also extends to family and friends, near and far, who have also offered us so much love and support at this tragic time.

The family of Cailean Walker Sheeran would like to
extend our deepest appreciation to all of our friends
in the Cold Spring, Garrison, Highland Falls and West
Point communities for reaching out to us in our time
of need. Your comforting thoughts, prayers, beautiful
flowers, generous charitable and food donations, as well as,
your unending help and support will always be remembered.

Thanks, also, to the following organizations and
businesses that came to our assistance for the reception
which followed Cailean?s memorial service: Foodtown, Garrison
Fish and Game Club, Garrison Teachers? Association, and
The Main Course.

In addition, we wish to express our admiration for the
dignity and compassion of the investigating officers,
detectives, medical personnel, and the Clinton Funeral Home
at the time of our tragedy.

Appreciation is also extended to James I. O?Neill High School
for the specialized educational services they provided to
Cailean the last year. Showcasing his musical talent at the
recent Talent Show was also very meaningful to our family.

Father Shane of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was truly
an angel sent to guide and offer us the wisdom that we
needed to hear. His words and suggestions touched us all.

Cailean was an unique young man with a gentle soul who
celebrated life to its fullest until his spirit was impaired
by Neurological Lyme disease. He left us far too early at
the age of seventeen. To paraphrase one of his friends, ?Let?s hope
that he is in the most crowded area of Heaven where he would be
able to entertain the most people with his enjoyable sense of fun
and humor, as well as his talent on the guitar.? Please remember
him for the wonderful person that he was.

Please refer to http://mariel.slowburn.net/cailean/
to read more about Cailean, to add comments, stories
or pictures, and/or to find information on donating to
Neurological Lyme disease research or Young Concert Artists Inc.

John and Maureen Sheeran

I?ve had the following 2 poems for ages, ever since reading them they?ve stuck with me. They?re ?old? but I think they?re timeless. It took a few days of digging through moving boxes to find them. Hope to have some photos to post soon, but haven?t come across the albums yet. – Claire

I?M ONLY IN THE NEXT ROOM

Death is nothing at all.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

I am I, and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no difference in your tone, wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,

let it be spoken without effort, without a trace of shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was; there is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.

All is well.

Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918), Canon of St. Paul?s Cathedral

LITTLE BOY BLUE

The little toy dog is covered with dust,

But sturdy and staunch he stands;

The little toy soldier is red with rust,

And the musket moulds in his hands.

Time was when the little toy dog was new,

And the soldier was passing fair;

And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue

Kissed them and put them there.

?Now, don?t you go till I come,? he said,

?And don?t you make any noise!?

And toddling off to his trundle bed,

He dreamt of the pretty toys.

And as he was dreaming,

An angel song awakened our Little Boy Blue ?

Oh! The years are many, the years are long,

But the little toy friends are true!

Aye, faithful to the Little Boy Blue they stand,

Each in the same old place ?

Awaiting the touch of a little hand,

The smile of a little face;

And they wonder, as waiting the long years through

In the dust of that little chair,

What has become of our Little Boy Blue,

Since he kissed them and put them there?

-Eugene Field

He was very little when he came to me but some one who made a difference in my house. Tears would usually start our days but eventually end by the time mom and sisters had gotten to the van . I was Caileans babysitter and seeing his face on this website just brings back many memories. Right now I have so many memories that I just can’t sort them all out. KK was what Josh called him when he was with us as he couldn’t say Cailean. Josh and Cailean became fast buddies and would get together to gang up on me and the poor cat,Whisper. I can still hear Cailean giggle when Josh and him would hide on me. Too many memories to have to sort thru and I will in the future. I too have lots of pictures of Cailean and now will be going to find them. Time has a way of getting away from you and before you know it the babys are adults. The last time I saw Cailean he and his mom came to Jeffersonville and called on me. We met in Teds Restaurant and spent a litttle time trying to catch up. Cailean had just gotten a guitar for Christmas and according to mom “Cailean is actually pretty good” to which Cailean just turned red and put his head down as if to say “MOMMMMMMMM”!!!! He had grown so tall that he had to bend down to hug me and I had to get on my tip toes. I will always remember that!!!!! Cailean had left me as a little boy and now has returned to me as an adult. I will post more later as there are just too many emotions going on at present.