January 15th, 2011 by Conor

Hi all,

I’m Danny’s uncle, David. I’ve never really thought of myself as Danny’s “uncle”, all I ever wanted to be was Danny’s friend. And these days I want that more than ever. While I’m 25 years older than Danny, I have nothing to teach him. And after reading these amazing love letters to Danny, it’s clear he has been our teacher for a while now. Teaching us about joy, passion, creativity, spirit, athleticism, friendship and now – determination. Even 2500 miles away, I can feel Danny’s determination. He is surviving, healing, and fueling our determination to support him and to lift him high when he needs us.

Since Conor built this site, I’ve developed a morning ritual where the first thing I do everyday is read DannyIsTheBomb. That gets the tears flowing. It’s a little weird, but somehow it feels right to start the day with a good cry and a solid prayer for Danny. (I repeat the drill at lunch and dinner. Not sure it’s healthy but it works…I’m thinking of creating a video game called WiiSob.) I know I’m not alone in this ritual, and I suspect all of us who visit this website feel our tears are full of sadness. But I hope we also find a little healing. We are trying to heal Danny and ourselves as best we can–to restore our own strength for the long road ahead.

Thank you Conor for building this site. Thank you Danny for showing the way. I do believe that today and tomorrow we are all Toumarkines. I’m proud to be part of this amazing family. We’re with you Danny, Conor, Michelle, Ellen, and David. Every hard-fought, well-earned step of the way.

Here’s some photos to share.

David Hamlin