Neurofibromatosis Cafe A place to talk, have fun and share.

I got the surprise of my life today. Well it shouldn’t have surprised me. Sugar Ray has always been a supporter of my work in JUST ASK.  Sugar Ray wrote me.  He said, he needs a new Just Ask t-shirt, so he can continue to wear my shirt and help spread awareness of neurofibromatosis when he travels to other countries.  This is great to have someone as famous as Sugar Ray Leonard to be involved with making a difference in the  JUST ASK! campaign.  Sugar Ray always ends his notes by calling me the Champ. Sugar Ray is the real Champ!

Thank you Sugar Ray.

Recently, I shipped a Just Ask t-shirt to Gabriele, a new friend, who lives in Germany. I want to share her message,  But first I want to say, I am impressed that someone from as far as away as Germany took time to write such a nice message and also order a JUST ASK T-SHIRT.  Now!  that is a cool feeling.  Someone supporting what I do to bring awareness to nf.  Gabriele writes…..

“Hello Reggie, I´ve written you a note just a few minutes ago- but before I got the chance to finish it, I hit the “submit-button” by accident. To make shure you receive it all, I´ll start all over again. I´ ve seen a video with you and Oprah on you tube. I found it very touching and think you are very courageous. I was born with NF too and since the right side of my face was damaged I had operations since I was 3 years old. Now I am almost 45 and ´ve been leading a normal live. My parents gave me a lot of courage on my way- thats why NF couldn´t stop me from doing anything. I have to admit that there was no chance for me to become a model but I am a few inches to short anyway I wish there where more people like you- letting the public know that a face isn´t a vital organ. That people like us have a brain and a heart and   are liveable and loveable beings. One of my reasons to write you was that I wanted to order a “Just Ask” T-shirt. In the meantime I´ve found the link on your homepage. The other reason was that I wanted to tell you “Keep going” … well- there is still so much I would like to say, but I better write a book… A book? Why not…. I hope you had a nice x-mas and want to wish you a happy new year Gaby, from Munich Germany

It is that time of year again. The Texas NF Foundation, is making it possible for nearly 200 persons to have a great weekend at Camp For All. This weekend will be our yearly camp for persons with nf, along with family and friends. The one time most of us get to see each other. I’m looking forward to horse back riding, Zip line, which I hear is lots of fun. Fishing, petting zoo, and Lots of talking with new and old friends. Also looking forward to sharing with you photos to all who can’t make it to camp this year. Let’s talk about camp this week. What do you look forward to this weekend at Camp For All.

Megan is one of my oldest, dearest friends!

She has NF also but her tumors are on the inside. I met Megan when we shot a TV commercial promoting awareness of neurofibromatosis back in 1989. She was just a little thing then as you can tell from the photo above. She was just 3 years old!

She’s 23 years old now and is so beautiful and so nice!

We found each other on Facebook after all these years and decided to get together again so we met at one of my favorite restaurants, Tilas, in River Oaks.

What a great day!

We just talked and talked and talked about the old days, what each of us have been up to, and where we want to go in our lives. I told her about the “Just Ask! Foundation” and she wants to be our first Ambassador!

I can’t think of a better person to represent the Just Ask Foundation than Megan!

Another nite at Lou’s.  Last night steak nite,  became Music and Pizza nite.  It was quite different from our regular Thursday nite.  All of the guy’s though it would be a good idea to work on our  music and eat pizza.  Mark Sansoucy new to the Reggie Bibbs Orchestra, alone with the regulars William Hughes,Matt Jones, and Supporters Geo Austin  and Lou Congelio.  Our friend  wrote a song that  we loved. Mark was  inspired by JUST ASK, to write a song. The name of the song?   JUST ASK. You will enjoy it as much as I do, I’m sure of that. We hope to have the photos and videos  on the blog soon.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the idea. And I know I can look forward to terrific comments of the music.

Download Lyrics to “Just Ask!”

Watch the video.

Just Ask (A Song for Reggie Bibbs)
Music and Lyrics by Mark Sansoucy

Just ask
Just ask
And I’ll tell you all you want to know
Just ask
Just ask
All you have to do is say Hello

I see people staring at me in restaurants
When I’m hanging out with my good friends
Yes, they see the way I look
And they get a little spooked
But that’s because they don’t know what I have

So, just ask
Just ask
And I’ll tell you all you want to know
Just ask
Just ask
All you have to do is say Hello

Pull your chair on up and come on over
I don’t bite, but sometimes my friends do.
Yes, we like to clown around
When we hit the town
But just like you they stepped on up and asked

So, just ask
Just ask
And I’ll tell you all you want to know
Just ask
Just ask
All you have to do is say Hello

Living a life like mine it isn’t easy
Sometimes I don’t want to leave my house
But I can’t live in fear
For those who hold me dear
Cause they know it’s what’s inside that really counts

So, just ask
Just ask
And I’ll tell you all you want to know
Just ask
Just ask
All you have to do is say Hello
All you have to do is say Hello

10905hnnmayfinal.pdf

Well, tomorrow, Feb. 28, 2008, kicks off the 35th Annual Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo with the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest and I’m going to be there enjoying my fair share!

Yes, I plan to be there eating all the que I can stand. I hope to get lots of photos to share on my blog and flickr page. It’s going to be a fun night.

Anyone else going to the cook off or Rodeo? (more…)

To all my friends who are reading this blog, I’d like to introduce you to my “Friends of Neurofibromatosis” group on Face Book. We have quite a few members now, over 70. I am now in contact with a few good friends that I had lost contact with from the 1980s. My friend Dr. Vincent “Vic” Riccardi is now part of our “Friends of Neurofibromatosis” group. I’m sure anyone who has NF may know him or have heard of him. Dr. Riccardi is a legend when it comes to neurofibromatosis research and treatment. He has not only been a good doctor, but a good friend. He has done a lot for NF. At one time he was on the Board of the Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation. He was its Medical Director for many years helping decide where to give the money we raised for research. Hopefully, maybe we could get him to come to the blog from time to time.

Two other friends have showed up too! Megan Phillips and Andy Ganster are now online with us. Megan, Andy and I shot some TV commercials with Lou back in 1989. That’s when we first met Lou through Bob Hopkins, then the TNF Executive Director. Those were some pretty serious commercials but they helped neurofibromatosis get some much needed awareness.

I hope anyone visiting this blog will also join us on Facebook as well. We will all learn as we go alone on Facebook. The games and quizzes are fun and challenge. It a good way to find friend you may have lost contact with. Believe me, I know!

Here is the link!