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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 20, 2012 · 4 Plaques unveiled for Canadian soldiers Parker and Diab Continued from page 1 stand it and what better way than to do so in such a beautiful and visible park here in your community so others can enjoy it and feel that expression of love." This expression of love did not begin with the veterans garden, but some years earlier when St. Dominic Catholic School students sent a letter and poster of tribute to the family of Corporal Robert James Mitchell who was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. Mitchell's mother, Carol, wrote back and would later visit the school on multiple occasions thanking the students for remembering her son. Amazed by the impact of their small gesture and driven by their teacher, John MacPhail, the students would send letters and posters to the families of other soldiers killed in Afghanistan, including the Diab family. Trooper Marc Diab was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. Both Carol Mitchell and Jihan Falah Diab, Marc's mother, spoke during the ceremony expressing their appreciation to the students for all they have done. "I wanted the kids to know what a difference it made to me to receive that. That someone I didn't even know sent me a poster telling me my son was a hero and they would never forget him..." said Carol Mitchell. "Today, I am so proud of all of you. You discovered that reaching out and making a difference is exciting and as you make a difference in my life and the lives of the Parkers and the Diabs it makes a difference in your lives. You showed your parents, your teachers, your friends, your school, your community, the government and the military, that making a difference is ageless. You touched my heart and reminded me my son will always be remembered and the difference you made in my life started with a poster." A plaque commemorating Mitchell's life is present within the Bronte Veterans Garden along with a plaque remembering Second World War veteran Private Paul Parkin. Jihan Falah said she also received a poster and a letter from the students, which she read over and over. The work the students are doing and the memorial they have helped to create, she said, will allow her son to live on as more and more people remember him. Colonel Geoff Parker's wife M.J. and children Alexandria and Charlie also attended the ceremony. Parker was killed while serving in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 18, 2010 when a suicide car bomber attacked the International See Sacrifices page 8 MARTA IWANEK / oakville beaver / @halton_photog IN COMMEMORATION: Canadian Minister of National Defence Peter McKay speaks at the Bronte Veterans Garden in Oakville last Friday (June 15), during a ceremony organized by St. Dominic Catholic School. Memorial plaques were unveiled commemorating two of Canada's fallen soldiers: Colonel Geoff PArker of Oakville and Trooper MArc Diab of Missisauga. Both soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan. it all started when my baby stopped breathing... She was only three weeks old when Lexie suddenly stopped breathing in my arms. Within seconds, my beautiful, healthy baby turned blue and I was frantic. Once she was in the emergency department, the doctors and nurses took over and diagnosed Lexie with a respiratory virus. She was in the hospital for a week with monitors and oxygen devices helping her breathe, but today she is a healthy and proud big sister to her brother Liam thanks to the life-saving equipment in our hospital. Each and every year, our hospital needs hundreds of pieces of new equipment that will improve the lives of all of us here in Oakville. Every piece is critical and every piece needs to be funded by our community. It all starts here with your help. Please give generously. OakvilleHospitalFoundation.com Please call 905 338 4642 to make a difference by donating to the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Charitable Registration #: 13145-3490 RR0001 The Oakville Hospital Foundation is grateful for the generous support of our media sponsor, the Oakville Beaver. Lexie and Liam Evans in Erchless Park, Oakville Lemon Love Photography