On Becky's List of Things She HAD To Do in NYC...Go to The Today Show

Becky had a blast in New York City! 

She got to actually live her dream!

Becky and her new friends got up very early in the morning to prepare for the big show.  Even though she took a couple of light jackets & a sweater with her, Becky had to bundle up with blankets & other people's coats while she was at The Today Show.  She's used to the warmth of the desert and the dryness of the desert air.  New York City's humidity makes that cold go deep into her body!  
 When they first arrived at Rockefeller Center, there were only a few people there...so they were able to get a good spot in order to see the hosts and anchors of The Today Show.  As more people showed up for the show, they came over to Becky and her friends to greet them.  Becky also makes lots of friends everywhere she goes.  All of the travelers with Hammer Travel had made signs the night before.  Becky's sign said "I Heart U Mom".   

Al Roker came out first and did a weather report. After the report, he came over and talked with Becky and her friends, shaking their hands. Later, more of the hosts and anchors came out and took the time to greet Becky including Matt Lauer and Ann Curry.  When asked who was cuter, Becky said, "Al Roker, he was neat".  Who was the funniest one?  "Matt Lauer".  Who was the nicest one? "Ann Curry".

After the show was over, Becky and some of the other Hammer Travel friends went to the Top of the Rock.  Becky had chosen that as one of the places she wanted to be sure to see.  She was simply blown away with how high she was. In her hometown of Las Cruces, NM the tallest building is 4 stories tall....she could not believe she was 70 stories in the air. Since there is a thick plexiglass wall around the edge of the building, Becky could see all the buildings in Manhattan and down to the street. "It was crazy".  

Update: Becky's Exploring All Over Manhattan

Becky has been having such an amazing time in NYC! She went to Central Park yesterday and buzzed all around...really enjoying her freedom and independence!  Then she went to the Guggenheim Museum.

After she went to the Today Show this morning, she went to The Top of the Rock!

Tonight Becky and her travel group went to see Wicked and were trying to get autographs after the play was over....I'm looking forward to hearing all about it!

Tuesday & The Today Show

Becky and her new friends from her travel group and Hammer Travel are visiting The Today Show this morning.  They had to get to Rockefeller Center by 6:30 EST so I'm sure she was awake several hours earlier in order to get ready in time.  Knowing Becky, she was likely squealing as her Hammer Travel staff got her dressed and prepared for the day.
I got up to start watching The Today Show at 7am and was thrilled to see a glimpse of her as the camera panned across the crowd early in the first hour.  She was holding a sign and wearing a pink hat; but what made her easy to spot was her smile! I even heard her trademark squeal!  
Here's a pic of her sign.

Pizza in NYC with FDNY on the side

Becky's brother, James Wilkinson, lives in NYC.  He and his girlfriend, Rachel invited Becky and the entire travel group from Hammer Travel to John's Pizzaria on Times Square.  www.johnspizzerianyc.com   Jim showed Becky how to eat pizza New York-style: folded and it ended up being the easiest and best way she's ever eaten pizza! Guess she's a natural-born New Yorker at heart?  Becky saw margaritas on the menu & yelled out, "I have my i.d.!" lol....she ended up drinking virgin.

Jim, Becky and the entire travel group were walking back to the hotel in the rain and noticed the local fire department had their doors open. They all went inside and were treated to having their pictures taken with the firemen and trucks.  Jim reported there was lots of flirting with firemen done by all the ladies of the group.

More to come tomorrow!  It's The Today Show early in the morning! Look for her behind Al Roker!

Becky Is Living Her Dream!!!!!

Becky flew to New York City yesterday...starting her adventure in independence in grand style! 
American Airlines staff were awesome and certainly went the extra mile as they upgraded her flight to first class.  She even got a window seat!


When Becky was a young girl, she had severe scoliosis of her spine. This caused her to sit slumped over to the side and limited her ability to view the world outside the car windows.  When she was 12, she had surgery to place rods in her spine. This was a very complex surgery and she had life-threatening complications during the procedure.  Afterwards, she had to lie flat on her back or on her tummy for six weeks.  Therapy that included stretching and weight bearing followed and was quite painful for her. But of course Becky never complained.
It was finally time to go for her first car ride during the follow up visit to the surgeon.  After going a few blocks down the road, I asked Becky if all the pain and struggle was worth it.  With her trademark huge smile, she squealed, "Yes! Now I can see out the windows!"


So, this week, Becky is looking through all kinds of windows, breaking through the "glass" and embracing the world she's longed to experience.
Thank you to all of you who have given so much of yourselves to help make this happen!


I will be updating the blog often....every time I hear from Becky as she is on her trip.  Pictures and longer stories of her experiences will follow after she gets back home on Friday.

Becky's in New York City!!!!!

I will post all about Becky's trip to New York City with frequent updates starting tomorrow. 

She landed at LaGuardia airport this evening and it's raining...but she's looking forward to meeting her new friends and going out for supper in Manhattan as they get to know each other.
All the details will have to wait though....this Mom is exhausted and has to rest!

NYC EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Becky's trip to New York City is going to be quite an adventure! She is going with a small group of people with special needs.  No mama, none of her daily caregivers, no boyfriend.  She said she wanted to be on her own as much as possible...independent!  Families who have a special needs person in their lives will understand why this makes me so very proud; and makes me tear up with gratitude every time we get a step closer to making it happen!

Last night, I went to Las Cruces to visit with Becky.  We talked about the people who have been visiting this blog.  I want to share Becky's reactions with the kind, generous people who have donated to help Becky in her efforts to go to New York City.  

I read the blog entries to Becky and then got on Facebook to read to her some of the responses to the blog, the auction and phone calls I've received.  She was soooooo excited!  Now, if you know Becky, you know the volume and pitch of her squeals of excitement.  If you are just getting to know Becky through this blog, let me try to describe it.

When Becky is happy, she lets loose with a high pitched squeal. It sort of sounds like a noon whistle at a factory...or some kind of exotic bird in the jungles of the Amazon.

It is the sound of pure, unadulterated, uninhibited joy.  

We are always blessed and filled with our own joy when we hear it!  

I let Becky know that because of the generosity of people who care about her, people who respect her character & determination, we have raised $900 of the $3000 she will need in order to achieve her dream trip.  Again, she squealed! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Today Show

When Becky was a little girl, she LOVED watching the Today Show.  While we were busy getting ready for school or work, Becky would watch the news.  She was a big fan of Katie Couric and Willard Scott. When Al Roker replaced Willard, she would talk about missing Willard, but eventually Al won her heart as well.  Becky's favorite part was watching the weather.

Becky watched intently as they discussed whether it would be rainy, sunny or if there would be any storm warnings that day.  Then as we went out the door to start our day, she would give me the weather update:  "Looks like:  sunny, warm" or "Looks like: rainy".

She would often tell me how she wanted to go to New York City so she could be with all the people standing outside in that weather, waiting to talk with Katie or Willard/Al.  She wanted to see the tall buildings, see how television shows were made, go shopping.

These days, Becky still enjoys watching the Today Show and has become just as attached to Meredith, Matt & Natalie.  I can just picture her in her chair, holding a sign saying hello to her friends at Angel Care, braving a cold, crisp morning with a huge grin on her face! Maybe she could even meet an actor or two!