David and Donny - 4 (Third Concert)

Today you’re in for another David and Donny story. So if this isn’t your cup of tea bail out now. For the rest, buckle-up, it’s going to be a long ride.
To begin with the day before the concert I get in the mail this sample card from Guideposts Magazine. On the outside is a cartoon drawing and it says “Joseph and his goat of many colors” inside it says, “Life's never gray when you're around!” David just has to give this card to Donny. Too perfect or what? He signs it, “Davie”. It took him awhile because handwriting is very hard for him.
The next day I have in mind this thing I just have to get for Donny, so it’s off to the mall for the two of us. I spot the item in the first store I go into but I think I’ll just try another store just in case I see something I like better. Then I run into our friend Eric, who just happens to have an embroidery business there in the mall, and I tell him what I’m up to and would he be able to embroider on the item I have in mind? He says he’ll give it a shot, as he had never done it on this item before. Success! It worked.
On to the concert. We were in the front row of regular seats, on the aisle, David first seat of course, me, and then my brother. There were two rows of chairs in front of us but David had a perfect view of the stage. Right off in the beginning Donny looked right at David, smiled, David waved to him and he waved back. When he started to sing Any Dream Will Do from “Joseph” David was literally on the edge of his seat and remained so from that point on. David thinks he sang that song just for him especially since he was wearing his “Joseph” shirt from that very theater where he’s seen the production for the past 10 years. Meanwhile, David is pointing to his gift bag for Donny and wanting to give it to him. With urging from the audience, he sings another, Close Every Door. Right after this I think David has his opportunity and I tell him to go up to the stage but he isn’t fast enough and by the time he reaches the stage Donny's turned and moved farther away. A security guard goes up to him and I rush over. I don’t know if it was the whole audience but I know that from everyone in our area I heard this collective sigh. Then everyone asks me what did he say to you. He said that he thought that sometime during the show Donny was going to let people come up and to wait until then.
There was an intermission and Donny’s assistant, Tina, was up on the stage and people were giving her things for Donny. So Johnny and I took David up to the stage and David handed her the bag. I showed her what was inside and she said that he’d remember that! She said that this was his 5th concert in a row and that he was very tired that’s why he wasn’t opening the show up to that. I could understand, besides this was a, let’s just say, very exuberant audience, to say the least! Donny’s fans really love him and he is most gracious at letting them take photos, shake hands and such.
Some point later in the concert David is able to get to the stage and he reaches up to Donny. Donny goes to shake his hand and David kisses the back of his hand! Donny smiles and pats him on the head. I swear I heard a collective sigh. I see everyone in the area where we our seated is beaming. I gave them the “thumbs-up”. I took a picture but I only got it of Donny as he was leaning into David. It all just happened so quickly. There were some other fans there that were taking pictures by me and we exchanged info so there could be a chance I get it.
Near the end of the show, the same security guard from before motioned to my brother to bring David right up to the stage, where he remained until the end.
After the concert, Donny’s musical director, Paul Peterson, who plays a lot of instruments, was right by us. I asked David if he wanted his picture with him as he was taking pictures with others. David went over to him and gave him one of his very hard David hugs and gave him a big kiss on the neck! Oh…David! He was so pleased with himself, I saw he was teary-eyed and this kind gentleman gave him one of his guitar picks. Which I know David will cherish.
On the way out I wanted to buy him a shirt but he wanted a button but they didn’t have any. He picked out a picture and he also got a souvenir booklet.
The first thing he did when he got home was play his new Donny CD. Sweet dreams David. He slept very late.
(Oh, by the way, the item in the bag….a pair of Purple Socks with “DONNY” stitched on each one and a “Princess Chain” * with story, for his wife.)

Now I’m going to let you in on a little secret that only parents and those that work with those that have Special Needs know.
The “lows” can be very low, but the "highs", you soar!
Thank you Donny for making David soar!

Copyright © 2005 Deborah Sharp Loeb
* For "Princess Chains" see the last page of the Bookstore
Pictured above - Donny as he is going to shake David's hand
Pictured below - David standing by the stage

David and Donny 3 - (The Meeting)

Time passes and I see an ad in the paper that Donny is going to be at a Costco near us to do a signing for a new CD and a DVD he did a song on. Naturally I have to take David. Before we can even get out the door he’s starting to gather up his Donny things.
David and I join the line with all the ladies there to see Donny. Of course while we’re waiting I get to talking to everyone standing by us in line and I tell them about David giving Donny the card at the concert and how everyone was so thrilled for him.
Later my dad and brother get there so he can take pictures for me. When it’s finally our turn I say to Donny, “This isn’t for me. This is for David. It’s all about David.” I tell him that David has watched the “Joseph” DVD so many times that we had to buy another one. I said, “I don’t know whether you remember or not but David handed you a card on stage during a concert at _______.” He said, “I remember. I remember him.” He autographs his things (Now I had managed to hide away some of the stuff David had grabbed up as you were understandably, were only supposed to get the CD and DVD autographed.) and I explain someone got us the “Joseph” photo and sent it to us. David has some character watch on and he shows it to him and he says he likes that one too. His assistant tells me to stand to the other side for a picture and after a couple of pictures Donny goes to shake David’s hand and give him a hug and I’m pretty sure David gave him a very hard hug, ‘cause that’s how David will hug you. Then just as they break away David gives Donny a kiss on the cheek…twice! The picture was taken just a second afterwards. I just love the expression on Donny’s face. It’s just priceless! It’s as if to say, “Oh you kid!” Just as we are about to leave I say to Donny, “Thanks so much, you make this kid so happy!” It was all that I could do to get the words out. With that tears well up in my eyes. I look at my brother and dad; they’ve got tears in their eyes, as do a number of other people who have been watching this whole exchange.

Some time passes and I compose myself. I take the Donny and Marie Thermos we got for David off eBay out to show my brother. David sees me and he points back to Donny. Someone sees what’s going on and they tell me to give them. It gets passed back to Donny and he autographs it to David. He is just the nicest guy!

Copyright © 2005 Deborah Sharp Loeb

David and Donny - 2 (Second Concert)

Some months pass and Donny is appearing at a smaller venue not far from us. I, of course, have to take David to see him again. This time David makes a card for him on his computer and he sits through the whole first half of the show holding his card and pointing to Donny, like when can I give this to him. By the time the intermission rolls around, everyone sitting around us knows what’s going on. When the lights go up for intermission, everyone says you get him up there so he can give that card to Donny! I walk David up to the front and there is an extremely nice and understanding security guard by the stage and I explain the situation to him. I have my camera and I explain to him that I’d like to try to get a picture of David as he’s handing his card to Donny, but that David has seizures and has to be closely watched. He says no problem. When the show starts back up he walks David over to the stage and holds him by the waist. At first, Donny is on the other side of the stage. As he comes to our side he sees David with his outstretched hand and reaches down and takes the card, mind you he’s doing a song during this, only David doesn’t take his hand away, so Donny looks puzzled for a second and then he figures he wants a hand shake and does so. Thankfully, David took his hand back and we walk up the aisle to our seats. Now for the best part, people are smiling, applauding, and giving us thumbs up! They all “got” it! They knew how much it meant to this kid. After the show people came up to me and said how cool the whole thing was and several had tears in their eyes. I just tear up every time I think about it!

The part I didn’t tell you yet, was that while we were waiting for David to give his card to Donny, a young lady comes up to me and gives me her card and tells me to email her when I get home. It turns out that her name is Tracey and she is a part of astarfordonny.com and she wants to send me something for David. She sent David a Donny sweatshirt and an autographed book. Another time she got a picture of Donny dressed as Joseph, and she also had another fan send me some pictures she had of Donny for David. Donny has really nice people as fans!

Copyright © 2005 Deborah Sharp Loeb

David shaking hands with Donny

David and Donny - 1 (First Concert)

Well. to begin with, if you have to ask, “Donny who?” then you’re probably below a certain age. I’m talking about Donny Osmond. Now why, Donny? David has been going to a local production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the past 10 years. He loves it! When the Donny Osmond version came out on DVD my brother, John gave it to David. David has watched it gazillion times, so much so, that he got scratches on it and it kept playing certain sections over and over, so now we have our second one. All of this is all going back several years ago.
Now I see this ad that Donny is going to be appearing in the area and I say to my husband that we just have to take David to see him. He rolls his eyes a bit and agrees to go along.
We explain to David that this will be a concert and not a show of “Joseph” but he might do a song from it. During the whole show David’s eyes are transfixed on the stage. After a brief intermission, he has a Q & A segment and comes up the aisle right past us. This is so cool for David and when he does the “Joseph” number, coat and all, David is on Cloud 9 and was so for weeks afterwards.
Oh, and by the way, my husband had to admit that Donny was excellent and that he really enjoyed the show.

Copyright © 2005 Deborah Sharp Loeb