Paul Pavlou : January 3, 1987 - May 18, 2002
Oct 20 '03 (Updated May 12 '06)
The Bottom Line Please join the Pins For Pauly W/O and help us take strides in defeating Leukemia.
Paul was the coolest kid around - and best of all, he was my cuz. He was so fun, and he always knew how to make me laugh. His smile was so sincere and it really lit up the room. I remember back when we would go to Seaman’s State Park and play on the playground, eat food all the time, go to the movies, and just have a blast. I went to Cyprus with him in 1998, and we had the best time swimming in the beach and just enjoying life.
I can’t wait to see him again. I’ll die to see him again, and that’s what’s going to have to happen.
Paul Pavlou ~ January 3, 1987 - May 18, 2003
It was a Sunday morning, and I was getting ready for church. I believe it was January 17, 2001, but Paul’s mom, Georgia, claims it was the 15th. The phone rang at about 9:30 just as I was coming down the stairs.
“Hello?”
“(Crying)”
“Hello?”
“Antoni (Anthony in Greek), Paul has cancer.”
“What?”
“He was leukemia. We found out last night.”
“Oh my God. I’m coming to New York right now.” (hang up the phone)
All I could think was Paul has cancer, Paul has cancer, Paul has cancer.
I ran to get an encyclopedia to look up “Leukemia.” It said that 75% survived and the rest did not. 3/4 is not a good chance in my book when it comes to death. 100% sounds better to me, but I won’t even accept 99%.
So we went to church, and we prayed hard that Paul would be all right.
When I came back home, I called up JetBlue after hearing how they came into Rochester. I was scheduled for the 11:25 flight the next day.
....
Life went on, Paul was put in and out of the hospital with all different chemo treatments. I went to see him in the summer of 2001 again after getting back from Las Vegas, he came over in November for Thanksgiving, and we went again during Christmas. Then came April, 2002. Georgia called and she told me that Paul had just had another attack. She said that it was serious and she wanted us to come down to NYC. Due to this, we had to cut our trip to California short by three days.
....
So May 15, 2002 rolls around and I get another phone call. This time it’s Andy, Paul’s dad.
“Antoni, it’s happening (crying...more like sobbing).”
I knew what was happening. Paul was having another attack, and this time, I just knew he wasn’t going to make it. I shut the phone, dialed JetBlue again, told them to get me on the next flight out (which left an hour after I called). I threw some clothes in a suitcase and ran to airport.
....
It was May 17, 2002, and the Priest came by and did a blessing over Paul at Schneider’s Children’s Hospital’s ICU Unit. The blessing was made to allow Paul to leave us, and grant him permission to go to Heaven. That’s when we accepted that he was going to die, and we knew that nothing could be done.
We sat outside in the hallway until past midnight. I went in and watched Paul laying down on the bed. I saw the heart monitor’s numbers slowly going down. I knew that Paul’s respiratory system didn’t work - all his organs had stopped working - he had a type of leukemia that only 33 other people have had, and no one survived.
At around 12:30am, I looked in the window of the room, and said goodbye. Tears streamed down my eyes, and relatives around me couldn’t believe it. Paul was going to be in Heaven within hours, and we would have to just watch him go.
....
I drove to Astoria where my Grandma lived. She made me some Avgolemono, and we talked about Paul and how he wouldn’t be suffering anymore while in Heaven.
I went to sleep at 1:00am, and the phone rang at 4:00.
“Hello?”
It was my mom this time.
“Antoni, the angels came down from Heaven and took Pavlos’ soul. He died at 3:04 this morning (May 18, 2002). We cleaned out his body and now he’s going to a building where they’ll store his body until the funeral. Are you okay?”
“Yes, mom - I love you.”
I hung up the phone, but for some reason, I didn’t cry. It was just too early for that fact to sink into my dead - Paul died. I thought I was dreaming...this wasn’t happening.
I went back to sleep and awoke early. My grandma hadn’t known the Paul died, and I had to break the news to her. She starting muttering things in Greek that I'm probably too "American" to understand.
....
I hit traffic near LaGuardia and near the JFK exit, then I finally made it to Paul’s house in Seaford. When I entered, everyone was wearing black, and nobody spoke. My mom stood up, hugged me, and went to the phone. She started dialing phone numbers for funeral homes and the cemetery. What a painful, painful job.
I sat at the table and ate some left-over sweets while some of Georgia’s friends came in with the suit that Paul would wear in the casket. The Andy came down, saw the suite, and started crying hysterically. I still remember that scene no matter how hard I try to forget it.
....
Everything went downhill from then. I almost fell at the church ceremony for the funeral, and my mom did fall and started screaming. My sister was there also, and she was filled with tears. My father was even crying. The whole church was sobbing for Paul...our new angel.
....
Death isn’t funny, but right after the church, we went to the cemetery, and then we went to a restaurant. Everyone was in good spirits, joking around and just having fun. This was a way for everyone to hide their grieving souls. We had the traditional fish, and the food just got our minds off of Paul’s death.
....
A foundation was started for Paul called the Pins For Pauly Foundation. It’s a small foundation, but it continues to grow. Every year they host a bowlathon to raise money. Pins For Paul is a Leukemia foundation, and money is given to families of those whose kids have leukemia so they can pay off their medical bills.
And why was this Foundation started under Paul’s name? Because he was all about giving - he even gave money to a girl in the same hospital as him so she could buy a wig since she had gone bald due to all the chemo treatment.
So I’m launching this PINS FOR PAULY W/O. It will be going through January 3, which is Paul’s birthday. NOT EVERY REVIEW YOU WRITE HAS TO BE A PINS FOR PAULY W/O REVIEW SUBMISSION. You can pick multiple reviews to “advertise” for Pins For Pauly. If you’d like, you can “advertise” for Pins for Pauly on all your reviews. The point is to get as many people as possible to learn about Pins For Pauly and to help save Leukemia victims’ lives.
All you need to do is write something like, “This review is for the Pins For Pauly W/O. Pins For Pauly is a Leukemia Foundation dedicated Paul Pavlou who fought cancer but lost his battle. Visit www.pinsforpauly.org on details about how to help those with Leukemia.”
Or you can fancy it up if you want. So let me know if you’d like to join - you can actually just leave a comment if you’d like to join. No need to email me. I’ll put your name on this page if you’d like to join. If you do join, Paul and everyone with Leukemia thanks you for increasing his or her chances at surviving.
These members will be participating so far, and I really hope the list grows:
JankP (who lost her brother to leukemia)
Iluvbirds (who also lost her bro to leukemia)
PopsRocks
Ruby950
Ifif1938
TreeSeed
Susie-34668
Mrs-J
Wifeofvolsfan
Imprimis2
Barakah59
Spongebob_man1
LILvoyce
AinsleyJo
Note: Pins for pauly.org is currently not working. So you can direct your readers to this website to donate instead of Pins for Pauly:
http://www.leukemiafoundation.org/
As soon as the Pins for Pauly site starts runnning again, I'll post it here.
I’m Free
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free.
I’m following the path God laid for me;
I took His hand when I heard Him call
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
I found that place at the close of day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembering joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss;
Ah, yes, these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow;
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
Good friendly, good times, a loved one’s touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me.
God wanted me now-He set me free.
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