By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Cupids Gourmet Cupcakes haswhipped up the magic of Christmasand put it in its shop window. While its sure to create a childhood moment to treasure for the many young faces peering in, it is also a great gift to a local family coping with a tragedy beyond words this holiday. In the window there is Sugar & Spice Farm where Santas reindeer are stabled, Candycane Cakeshop, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Jacks Toy Shop and Barbies Dream House in the Christmas Gingerbread Village. Behind the scene, even the seasons magic is not enough to alter the tragedy that befell one of the shops customers, Nikki Ide Cinanni, whose five-year-old daughter Gabrielle passed away suddenly from complications of a heart condition in early November. It may, however, whip up some magic for other children and their families. The Cupids Christmas team is putting the same determination with which it created the intricate village complete with Rudolph and stained glass windows to be auctioned off as a fundraiser for Torontos Hospital for Sick Children and has decided to take the funds raised and donate them in memory of Gabrielle. When Nikki came in and I just happened to tell her about our special fundraising event, our hearts just went out to her and made us realize how important our efforts are...to help the chil- dren, said Siobhan Frankforth of Cupids Gourmet Cupcakes. Ide Cinanni, whose children Gabrielle, 5, Sophie, 7, and Bennett, 2, have been big fans of the shop, recalls that day she stopped in. She was on her way home from Gabrielles cremation and said she had an urge to get a cup- cake Gabrielles favourite was the princess cupcake, she said in honour of her daughter. Ide Cinanni said she had stopped at the shop wearing big dark glasses and was trying to keep a very low profile when the gingerbread village was pointed out to her. However, it was when Frankforth told her that the funds were going to Sick Kids, that she said she broke down in tears. The support she and her husband Paul received from the shops staff was mighty. If theres one thing to say its how amazing the community is here in Oakville and how supported Paul and I feel, said Ide Cinanni. The mother of three confided that Gabrielle had one strong and one weak hand, having suf- fered a stroke around her time of birth and was not known as the neatest of eaters. So loved was Gabrielle for her unique char- acteristics that her family decided she looked too clean in her Montessori school uniform in her coffin, so they bought some cupcakes, dirt- ied up her lapel and said goodbye to her with her favourite princess cupcakes. For Cinanni, the gesture made now by the cupcake shop is appreciated as her family bears so tragic and recent a burden at the holidays. Its really special, whispered Ide Cinanni through tears. We love the community that has developed in support of Gabrielles life. She was such an amazing child. Gabrielle really had a way of bringing people together and always did. This is just another way of her bringing people together, said Ide Cinanni who herself attended St. Mildreds-Lightborn School, Appleby College and Oakville Trafalgar High School while growing up. Eight hundred people attended Gabrielles funeral service in mid-November at St. Judes church and the staff at Cupids Gourmet Cupcakes is yet another group of people that has supported Ide Cinannis family and the memory of her daughter. Gabrielle spent a lot of time throughout her life at SickKids, and for many different reasons, and we are very familiar with the need for support- ing the SickKids Foundation, said Ide Cinanni. Despite our loss, the love, support and out- reach from Cupids feels really special to us. Gabrielle loved going there and it is comforting to our family that Cupids cares about the life of our Gabrielle. In some way it makes us feel like she is still with us, said Ide Cinanni, noting her three children were best friends. I am thankful that she had such a full and happy life and despite her many medical strug- gles, she was always able to choose happiness. We miss her terribly and constantly. Ide Cinanni who is involved in a family sup- port group at Sick Kids hospital said she hopes the silent auction of the gingerbread village will help other children. The Christmas Gingerbread Village is on dis- play until Dec. 23. It opened Nov. 19 just 10 days after Gabrielle passed away in her mothers arms early one Tuesday evening not so long ago. w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Fr id ay , D ec em be r 1 0, 2 01 0 1 6 LivingOakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com Cupids is helping Gabrielle be a guardian angel to sick kids NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER CHRISTMAS MAGIC: Cupids Gourmet Cupcakes Gingerbread Village is being auctioned off in support of the SickKids Foundation, in the name of Gabrielle Ide Cinanni. Its creators, from left, Kimberly Koumbiadis, Elysia Leung, Vanessa Azzopardi, Alex Kasprzak and Erin Coyle, along with Kate Brown (not pictured), volunteered a total of 240 hours to craft the village. Its really special. Gabrielle really had a way of bringing people together and always did. This is just another way of her bringing people together... Despite our loss, the love, support and outreach from Cupids feels really special to us. Gabrielle loved going there and it is comforting to our family that Cupids cares about the life of our Gabrielle. In some way it makes us feel like she is still with us. Nikki Ide Cinanni, Gabrielles mom See Creating page 17 Gabrielle Ide Cinanni