Emerald Park boutique’s bracelets bring survivors together

A local survivor of the Las Vegas massacre is hoping people will “be kind to one another” after sharing her story and paying it forward at an Emerald Park boutique.

Lynette McGill, manager at Bella Chic, said she met the woman last Monday afternoon when she bought two of the store’s popular Wish Bracelets.

“When she finished paying, she grabbed my stapler and stapled a note onto the one. Then, she tells me she’s been going through a hard time and she wants me to pass this bracelet on to the next customer who comes in,” explained McGill.

The local Las Vegas massacre survivor stapled this note onto the bracelet she left behind at Bella Chic on Dec. 4, 2017. (Bella Chic Facebook)

“She said she’s a survivor of the Route 91 Vegas massacre and she just wanted to tell everyone to be kind.”

Before saying goodbye, the woman walked McGill through her experience that night at the country music festival and the struggles she continues to face now that she’s back at home.

Later on, following the woman’s wishes, McGill passed along the second bracelet to the succeeding customer.

“I gave it to her and I told her a little story about what it’s for, and she broke down as well,” remembered McGill.

“She said she’s an RCMP member and that Oct. 1 was a very difficult day for all of them and she knows somebody who really needs it right now and she was going to pay it forward to somebody in her life.”

This holiday season, Bella Chic will be gifting a set of the friendship-style bracelets to a customer in need to prolong the local Vegas survivor’s wish to “be kind.”

Bracelets a ‘source of strength’ for young cancer survivor

A White City woman says the same bracelets the Vegas massacre survivor bought to pay it forward are symbolic to her family, too.

Tricia Slobodian said her 13-year-old daughter, Mya, was diagnosed with cancer in September and she bought dozens of the bracelets as a “source of strength.”

“It helped (Mya) to cope and it helped our family and friends to show their support for her as well,” explained Slobodian while wiping back tears.

Mya Slobodian was pronounced cancer-free on Dec. 7, 2017. (Krista Fowler/Drawn Daisy Photography)

She added her daughter had a process each time she gave a bracelet away to a member of her support team.

“She’d tell them to make a wish, while she was putting the bracelet on them,” explained Slobodian. “The premise is that when the bracelet falls off, your promise is set to come true.”

Mya tied the bracelets to the wrists of everyone from her sister to the nurses at the cancer centre — all in hopes of spreading the positivity during her bout of chemotherapy.

Last Thursday, on her last round of chemo, the teen received news that there is no active disease, so — in essence — Mya’s now cancer-free.

When asked if the positive thoughts sparked by the bracelets helped cure her daughter’s cancer, Slobodian — with a smile and without a pause to think — answered, “absolutely.”