You are doing a great job for the sick kids. Keep up the good work and keep up the good spirit. 

An absolutely wonderful and informative site. 

Wow! what a wonderful page. I've got goose bumps and chills. I have a child who has a seizure disorder (Landau-Kleffner syndrome) which causes a form of autism. I also work as an advocate for families whose children have a special medication or educational need. This site is great and I will share it will all my friends. Thank you for letting kids know that they are special and that their stories are important. 

I just discovered your web site last week, and have been taking my time exploring it.  I teach 4th and 5th grade kids who have learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, diabetes, asthma, and one girl who has a rare disorder that won't allow her body to use protein - in fact, ammonia builds up in her excretory system and if she doesn't urinate frequently she can go into a coma.  I also teach one girl who, at the age of 6, received 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 65% of her body.  She wears a  clear face mask, a body suit, and a cap to cover the bald spots on her scalp.  I absolutely LOVE the stories you have provided!  Thanks for everything, especially for touching children everywhere. 

Truly a remarkable site.  You've done a wonderful job. 

I do science research on lupus, and this year I'm running a marathon to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation.  These stories have made me cry and remember why I do what I do.  Thank you. 

I've spent the last two hours touring your pages (and have more to go!), but wanted to let you know how much I've thoroughly enjoyed them!  I was touched by the stories of the kids, and found all of your information and links uplifting and helpful.  And isn't that what life should be? 

I've been reading through Band Aides and Blackboards and want to applaud you and especially the wonderful kids that are taking part in this exceptional site!!  What an inspiration!!  I enjoyed reading their "profiles" and outlooks on life!!  These are courageous kids!! 

My daughter Emily will be 2 yrs. old in March.  Recently she was diagnosed with immature growth in the brain -- the absence of myelin.  As you probably know, this means that her fine and gross motor skills,as well as speech is delayed.  We are optimistic in believing that the myelin will eventually grow.  Realistically speaking, we're not sure.  We can only hope and pray for her.  She is a bright, cheerful little girl...always in a happy mood. It's nice to know that in later years, if she needs this wonderful support, it will be there for her. 

Your website is delightful, and has been bookmarked on my computer at home.  I'm hoping to bookmark it at school with the idea of making my colleagues aware that it exists, and offering it as a resource for some of the families who come through our halls. Bless you for the beautiful work you do!

Thank you for such an informative web site. I have a 10 year old nephew with Cerebral Palsy and you gave me some wonderful insights to how he must feel when we all treat him "special". I will definitely pass this info on to others. Thanks again for opening my eyes a little wider. 

Congratulations on a very good site!  More power to you and to the kids.

I'd like to thank you for an excellent web site.  I found "Band-Aids & Blackboards" on the Netscape "New & Cool" list.  Our three year  old son, Adam, was born with a rare vascular malformation in his right leg.  Although he is too young to realize his difference at this point, it won't be long.  I dread the inevitable teasing he will encounter in the future, but know how lucky he is to be alive. Thanks for making the world a better place for him!

I just found your web site and I think it is wonderful - helpful and creative. 

I just wanted to let you know that I just "got back" from visiting your site, Band-aides and Blackboards, and loved it! I am a graduate student in school psychology with an emphasis in early childhood special education and found your work very resourceful. I'm sure many children and parents  will find it helpful and fun as well. Thanks! 

Great site filled with info and fun. Colors are vibrant and uplifting,
animation adds excitement.  Keep up the good work!

I am a school social worker in Lake Zurich.  I have a special interest in working with students with chronic illnesses and developed a group for these students while I was in graduate school.  I am currently in the process of starting the group here in Lake Zurich.  Also, I was diagnosed with Grave's disease when I was 14 years old.  I appreciated Katie's story on the disease and I'm certain that this experience has played a significant role in the choices that I have made since. Thank you for creating this site for these wonderful children. 

You have an excellent site - I am so very impressed! Quite an accomplishment. 

I've been a PICU RN for almost 8 years. Today was a particularly rough day. Imagine my surprise and delight to come upon your web site and hear a child's perspective on living with disease. Unfortunately, I rarely get a chance to see how they cope (we get them too sick or too shocked to  talk). Sometimes, we're so busy treating the illness, we forget the child and the family. We have a family now that would benefit from your site. I plan to share it with them first thing in the a.m. A heartfelt thanks from a nurse who still believes in "happy thoughts." 

My son Robbie has Spina Bifida.  Robbie will be turning fifteen 
this June and I know that  his medical condition has been causing him a great deal of despair lately.  How overjoyed I was to locate your site on the Internet this afternoon.  I have often felt that if Robbie could communicate his feelings about his illness with other handicapped children it would help to make him feel better about himself and so I have book marked your site and am anxious to show it to him when he returns from school later this afternoon. I think your site is excellent. 

What a delightful site.  I am a nurse (currently working in information technology), so I take a dual interest in the content you've developed. 

I am just finding my way around in your site. I am enjoying it very much and plan to take my grandson, Marty, here for a visit. Marty has a chronic illness for which he has surgery at least 4 times a year. Marty is only 4 years old and is a very special little boy. He is teased often because the nature of his illness is vocal chord problems, so he often has no voice. Other children find this good fodder for teasing. Thanks!

Just wanted to let you know what a great web site you have created.  I'm a graduate nursing student in the neonatal program at Duke Univ. and plan to pass on your site to some of my classmates, particularly those in the pediatric program. 

After reading recently through all of the information in this web site I just wanted to thank you for giving me an insight on how some people have to live. Knowing that has made me a different person.

The stories made me cry and made me know why it's important to be nice to the kids in my class.

I liked the pages about teasing because kids tease me since I'm slow so I tease other kids. Now I won't anymore because it's dumb.

I thought I had it tuff having to live with my two younger sisters yet  when I read how some children would give their whole lives to be able to do the things I do my heart just went out. 

I have entered this site for the past 3 nights running reading over the same material so I can explain to other younger children that just because a child has no hair or has to stay in a wheelchair, it doesn't mean we can't be their friend. I wish more people could understand this. 

I have a few disabled friends (one who of which wasn't 2 years ago) and I try to treat them as my equals. My family has a long history of diabetes  which has left some of them partially blind yet still I treat them as I would anybody else. These stories made me cry and want to help.

Thank you  for giving me a more in depth look at lives that are so 
different from ours yet lives that still reach out for acceptance. 

Just wanted to say "thank you" for your interesting web site! I am a Lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The world I  live in is often a tough one. I'll refrain from discussing specific "war stories"; suffice it to say I have often seen children victimized in the most horrible of ways during the course of my 20 year career.  Some of the information I found in this site may be appropriate pre-shift briefing material for our deputies. Anything we in law enforcement can learn in order to make our contacts with children more positive is important. Because of the movement toward "Community Oriented Policing" we often have deputies assigned to Grammar Schools and High Schools. We also have SANE Bureau, (Substance Abuse Narcotics Education) in which deputies teach classes at the Grammar School level. Thank you for helping me become aware of some of the challenges faced by disabled children. 

I love what you've done and think this is the link that the world needs to incorporate people with an over-abundance of differences. It sure made a difference in my life.

I have wanted to know what the right things to say to some people would be.  I know people are different and have differing opinions on what is comforting and what is offensive.  For this reason I think your Band- aides and Blackboards will help to unite those who are seeking advice and instruction on this very issue.  Most especially doctors, nurses and family who might not allow the patient the right to own his or her own feelings.  It seems like when you're the victim your voice is often dismissed or disregarded and it is so therapeutic to be validated and listened to. I think this will also be great for children old and young to be able to visit a sight of uplifting comments from their peers that will provide the needed "strength in numbers" in a world where they are often feeling all alone. I commend you on your success. 

WOW! It's a lovely site. I especially like your simple, attractive  page design and use of color. I'll put it in the September issue of  School PC in Australian PC User magazine and on the net at  www.schoolpc.acp.com.au 

First of all, I would like to compliment you on your Bandaides & Blackboards  web site.  It's one of the best I've seen, in content, in layout, and in effectiveness.   On behalf of the kids and parents  who read it, thank you! 

I'd just like to thank you for your wonderful pages....I'm a 20 year old who has psoriasis since birth and Migraine headaches since I was 5.  I love  the Idea of a resource for kids with challenges to deal with, I'm sure it will help a lot knowing that we're not alone....I wish I'd known of others when I was growing up :) I remember trying to explain to the kids at school what was different about me but because you can't see cleat wearing elephants tap dancing inside of peoples heads....they didn't understand. And trying to explain Psoriasis just wasn't worth the looks and comments. By having these pages to turn to explaining to others will be so much easier!!!!!  Thank you for having this site!!!!!! 

I had the good fortune of discovering your site. It is  fantastic - the content is wonderful and the graphics are great. I take a  special interest in writing for kids about childhood illnesses and conditions - I am an Associate Editor at the KidsHealth.org web site, and I am chiefly responsible for developing and creating content for the Kids' section. 

Just thought I'd drop you a quick note and tell you how much I like your web site. I'm a 16 year old diabetic and I found all those stories great and enjoyed hearing them. I also looked through all the other sites on it and felt so lucky that I don't have some of those diseases other kids are dealing with. Thanks for making that web site! It's great! 

You have done a most excellent service with your web site. I have passed it on to my son's kindergarten teacher last year and will be giving it to his first grade and resource teacher this year, in fact, the school has a web site now so I will also send the URL to them. 

I thought you have a fantastic site, very well done and nice use of the newer html codes and java.  I know it must have taken a lot of work.  I think your site is extremely responsive to the needs of children and  parents on the topic of chronic illness and education. 

I stumbled across your web page courtesy of the "Cool Nursing Sites" web page link.  The information contained therein is FABULOUS!  Just in case you don't receive enough thanks for creating you web page, consider yourself thoroughly thanked now! 

Just took a look at your web site -- not only is it absolutely adorable, but it's easy to follow and very informative.  GREAT job 

Wow! congratulations on your site - I have not been able to look through all of it yet, but have really enjoyed what I've seen. Having kids tell  their story is a great idea and seems to have great potential as a tool to familiarize and ease stress. 

Thank you for establishing your web site.  I have been web searching unsuccessfully for about two hours, and finally found your site.  You are the only site that examines the problem from a child's perspective. 

This is an amazingly WONDERFUL loving warm courageous touching....I don't have enough words...site.. You have done a wonderful thing. I am too overwhelmed to tell you any more..but will be back..you are doing something so wonderful here that I applaud you. 

I love your Band-Aides and Blackboards site.  It's great! 

I stumbled by chance into your site tonight and had to e-mail you.  You have made me proud to be a nurse again!  I'm a mom with a child who has disabilities and I'm a nurse.  It is a unique perspective and I'm lucky to have it.  Sometimes it is frustrating because there is so much work to do to help all of us understand one another better. What a wonderful gift you have given to so many by your work.  This is a treasure and one I will share with many folks who need to know it is here.  Thank you for all this work and for reminding me that in this madness of medicine today we really can share our hearts and do what is truly important .  Going  through this site has helped restore my belief in our profession and that we can help build the bridges of support for our children and their families.  Thank you for such a wonderful gift. 

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I just found your page and as a  future teacher who will have students with disabilities, this page is wonderful.  I am going to keep it book marked so that when I do start teaching, I will have a valuable resource to use with my children when talking about the the challenges students with disabilities of have. Thanks so much for putting up such a wonderful information tool.  Keep up  the good work. 

Your site is superb!!!!  I can assure you I will be visiting a great deal in the future and have already book marked it.  Just a fantastic job--what more can I say but thank you for providing such a professionally done and loaded with info page.  I'll be passing it on to the faculty in the School Nurse Credentialing program as well. 

A great site!!! I am studying to be a naturopath in Israel and I'm going to be working with kids, your site is a wealth of information. thank you - I'm sure there a a lot of kids who will appreciate what you've done. 

I just visited your Web page, you are doing a splendid good work and I really love it. I was told about your Web site by one of our members. 

This is a great job!  Thanks for caring.  Its too bad not all of our sick kids have computers.  I think they would all benefit in some way from your web site, both healthy kids and sick ones!

I have to admit, if I hadn't been reading one of the the letters on your pages with our director of school nursing, I probably would've gotten a bit teary! Very nice. I am proud and thankful that I have a hot link to your site from my school crisis pages. 

I just wanted to thank everyone involved with this site. It's a great
way to address fear of sickness for all ages. The children pictured on this site are so brave and I wish them all the best.

I am a parent of a wonderful little boy who has Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplacia...I just happened upon you web site when I was playing around on my lunch hour!  I just want to tell you I think what you are doing is angel's work here on earth! This is the best site I have seen to help kids deal with the challenges of being "special" as well as a great tool for parents who sometimes don't know just quite how to approach the subject of being different or having special needs!  Thank you for what you are doing and I wish you the best of luck in continuing your work....I know my son & I will be exploring your site in the near future.

I was just surfing the web looking for answers to a few medical diagnoses that I have and came upon your web site via Yahoo.  I think this is a wonderful idea; I wish I would have come upon it earlier in my life.  I'm 18 now and sure could have used this when I was diagnosed almost four years ago.  I'm going to check out the rest of the site and read the stories, the few that I've read are wonderful.  Thanks for making a site where kids can open up in a friendly non medical type atmosphere.  That really makes a difference. 

Just a short note to tell you I enjoyed your "Band-Aides and Blackboards" web site.  I am a student wanting to specialize in pediatrics especially neonate.  I will be graduating May 14th.  I just finished my pediatrics rotation, and found the class dealt a great deal with the psychological effects on the hospitalized child, but my references barely touched on the subject.  I wish I had known about your site then.  I am going to give this information to my instructor so it may benefit the next class.

You've sure brightened a lot of days.  Sounds like you've thought of everything.  The pages are soooo inviting and gentle--thank you!

Band-Aides and Blackboards is a NEAT website!  I especially liked that Dr. Fleitas established Kid, Teen and Adult paths.... articles, stories, etc were sorted according to these categories. I also appreciated the easy links with other resource sites - this feature is especially helpful for families who are not too  sophisticated in accessing information from the web.

I love this site!  I found it while I was searching for an activity for my seventh grade students.  I have created a lesson for their unit on care giving-- specifically individuals with special needs or concerns. Thank you for such a creative and touching site! 

Outstanding!  I love your web page.

I am a child life specialist and was extremely impressed with this website.  The entire site was excellent!  I found the site while researching info for a presentation I am giving on school re-entry programs.  Your site saved me a whole lot of work! Thanks.

Just thought I'd let you know I found this site today while I was looking for something else.  It's absolutlely fasinating and informative. It's great to have the children's
personal stories on it.  I'm a teacher in Sydney, Australia, and intend to tell our staff and the other students in my uni course, about it. I think the kids at school would enjoy it - as well as learn from it.  Keep up the great work!