Today Dylan and I were scheduled for our pre-op appointments, first was me at 10:30-12:30, then him at 1:30.  As we made our way down to Stanford Medical Center and Lucile Packard Children Hospital (for those who don't know, LPCH is the pediatric division of Stanford) we received a call about 15 mins away from the hospital telling us that my appointments were being cancelled due to the surgeon being unavailable (he had been called into an adult Liver Transplant), I was pretty bummed out as I've been waiting for this day for sometime, as this is the day we would find out when/where we need to be and how the surgery physically is going to go and its a good time for Q&A as well, which is not something we've gotten to do a lot of).

I had already driven at this point a little over 2 hrs in traffic to be there and to say the least I was a bit upset, understanding of the situation to an extent but none the less fairly annoyed as well.  I know this is a very busy hospital and unlike most Dr's offices or clinics, its a massive transplant center and in addition a center for really ill people (and a fair amount of those being children).  I get it, but what I don't get is this is not the first time that poor communication has taken place and it just got the best of me this AM.  So I continued my way to the Dr's office and felt compelled to voice my thoughts to our transplant coordinator, as its so simple for them to just say "sorry" and move on and make us wait the 3.5 hrs until the next appointment (Dylan's).  I felt bad being a bit rude but I as well feel it was very rude to call me so close to my appointment and more or less say oh well.  If I missed there appointment without 72 hrs advanced notice they charge, so some leeway needs to be understood on their end as well and where I'm coming from with my frustration(s).  Furthermore, I know they knew that the Dr whom I was set to see was not available hours before if not the night before.  The truth of the matter is the Dr. was in a transplant surgery, which they don't just do those at the spur of the moment, meaning they didn't receive that call minutes before and say "cancel all my appointments", I'm willing to bet they got a call late evening or early this AM...its just the two centers have a decent delay on knowing what each is doing.  I felt they needed to accommodate our situation a bit better, I'm not a local to the area and me taking a day off work is a big deal as its just two of us, so I requested if they can move Dylan's appointment up from the 1:30 to sooner...I was informed that they could see him around 12 ish, which was better than the latter, so it was what it was.  My appointments with my surgeon were rescheduled for this Thursday. 

We saw Dylan's transplant surgeon, whom is Dr. Carlos Esquivel MD, PhD and the leading transplant surgeon in the country (if not the world), he is easily the most decorated and sought after authority on pediatric liver transplantation.  We had chatted before so I wasn't expecting anything too new here, just a once over and to see how things are going and going through the motions/protocols (making sure everyone is dotting the i's and crossing the t's).  I was taken back when we got to more in depth stuff and this was good; I don't want things sugar coated and told that everything is peaches and cream (if its not).  I should also add that being in the presence of Dr. E always gives me a very nervous feeling, you know by looking at him that he's a very accomplished and skillful person, furthermore I'm looking to this man to save my son's life...so the feeling is a bit different than anyone else I've ever had dealings with (I'm also not a guy who is star struck or cares about high fluting people, my life is lived very simple for the most part...I'm no different or more special than the next person and I expect that others treat me the same, I really don't have time for the high and mighty's of the world, it just has no relevance in my life), so maybe my feelings of him are purely gratitude that he is the man that holds my son's next breath, I'm not 100% sure to be honest.  I do know that every time I see this man I gain more and more respect for him; today alone when he came in and said hi to us and looked at Dylan, he stopped and observed him for 20-30 secs and didn't say a word, as if he was looking deep into more than what is/was superficial, he has done this on numerous occasions as well.  He looked at Amber and I and said he looks like he has lost a little weight and that his eyes are more sunken in and darker (all signs of his liver disease progressing).  We agreed that he is looking not as healthy as he has in the past, and he has more complaints of being able to swallow again (which is probably his esophageal varix inflamed again, this is also what burst a few months back).  We talked further on the procedure and what not, he also mentioned that Dylan "probably" has a small bleed currently, based on his appearance and lab values.  Amber and I live in fear that Feb. 7th won't come soon enough.  Dr. E even knocked on wood that he makes it to then as well as he is for certain that Dylan has very high pressure in his system and a bleed now could and would most likely be catastrophic.  

I always try to ask Dr's stuff that maybe they won't offer up at first glance but will gladly answer if asked.  I asked about any further complications that are projected with this surgery and how "he" feels Dylan will do.  He mentioned %'s on various things and honestly my mind pretty much started to shut down a bit...an overwhelming feeling took over and really its more than a feeling, its the hard realization that this surgery is not a complete "FIX", its purely a means of survival, without it he will die.  My brain can't even process those words, I know any parent would feel the same but knowing that your kid(s) fate is in the hands of this "hope" that nothing goes wrong and everything goes perfect is not comforting odds; knowing that my son forever lives a harder life than most is a really crummy feeling.  We were told about the incision, the process of removal and transplantation, the intubation period (Dylan will be kept basically in a medically induced coma for min 24-48 hrs afterwards), and that we both will be in the hospital for at min 7-10 days.  I'm so overwhelmed with fear for him and fear for Amber.  I know this all needs to happen, I know there is no other options, I just don't know how my family will get through this.  How will Amber sit bedside and watch the love of her life with a tube down his throat, drains in his sides, multiple IV's, medically induced coma, and a massive wound across one side of his belly to the other...how can anyone mentally prepare for that scenario?  
I ask you to think about your loved ones, think how lucky you are; things can always be better or worse in anyone's life but at this moment and this point in time...I can't think of anything much worse than how I feel at this very moment in time.  How is any of this fair to him and to her?  I would give anything to make all this go away, even my own life if it meant he could live a more normal one.  

-Noah

COBB Tuning is based out of Austin, TX and are one of the largest Subaru performance suppliers in the marketplace, in addition they do lots of other platforms in the tuner market.  See what the folks at COBB Tuning are doing for Dylan.



COBB Tuning is giving away a free AccessPORT in each of the markets we support in an effort to drive donations to assist with the medical bills from Dylan and Noah Levy’s upcoming partial liver transplant surgery. Their father/son transplant is scheduled for February 7th, which is rapidly approaching, so time is of the essence!

Noah is half of the two brother team that owns LIC Motorsports, a Subaru performance specialty shop based in Novato, CA. LIC Motorsports. You may have become aware of their racing efforts in the 2010 Redline Time Attack Series through their season long documentary called “The Underdogs”. These videos show just what can be accomplished with little more than drive, determination and a true love of cars and racing. Noah and Adam have made lasting impressions on their fellow competitors as well as the car enthusiast community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Throughout the 2010 racing season, few of us were aware of the stress the Levy’s were dealing with away from the track in dealing with Dylan’s illness. Dylan is Noah and Amber’s 5 year old son, and he has biliary atresia. It is a condition that affects the liver from birth and has advanced to the point that little Dylan now requires a liver transplant. His dad, Noah, is the only available donor right now, and will be donating half of his liver to his son on February 7th. Episode 5 of “The Underdogs”drives home just how stressful this year has been and how dire Dylan’s situation is now.

This is a very difficult time for the Levy’s and while the upcoming medical bills are not what their focus is on right now, it is something they will have to face in the near future. COBB Tuning is donating six AccessPORTs (one each for Subaru, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Nissan, MINI and BMW) as an incentive to drive donations to help the Levy’s deal with the post surgery bills.

Donations can be made directly to the Levy family via their website at http://www.dylanwlevy.com/donate.html. For every $10 donated, you will receive one entry to win an AccessPORT for your vehicle manufacturer. Multiples of $50 donations receive six entries to win. Simply email your PayPal donation receipt to dylan@cobbtuning.com with your name, vehicle manufacturer, telephone number, email address and street address. You will receive a confirmation for the number of entries recorded. The drawings will be held on February 7th and the winners will be notified via email.

Let’s show the Levy’s just how close knit a community we are!

AccessPORT being Donated

• 1 Subaru (AP-SUB-001, AP-SUB-002 or AP-SUB-003)
• 1 Mitsubishi (AP-MIT-002)
• 1 Mazda (AP-MAZ-002)
• 1 Nissan (AP-NIS-005)
• 1 BMW (AP-BMW-001)
• 1 MINI (AP-MIN-001)

We had awaken to the resort covered in snow, not just a few inches like they anticipated but literally half a foot.  This was the only remaining thing Dylan really wanted to see; snow falling from the sky and being able to taste a snowflake.  We decided to pack up everything as quickly as possible as we wanted to make our way down to breakfast and take up Chef on his offer of saying goodbye after we ate.

Upon arrival at Manzanita, we were like always greeted by the staff and floor manager.  We were shown our seat (patio side with a view of the snow falling from the sky) and were informed that breakfast was on the house and whatever we wanted we could have.  I was yet again blown away, I also felt really bad as these people have already done so much for us.  We ordered our meal and it was made to order, it was very reminiscent of the other night, which it was simply fantastic.  The flavors in the food that comes out of this restaurant is quick frankly the tastiest  I've ever tasted, its truly amazing how something as simplistic as a ham/spinach/onion egg white omelet (minus cheese) can taste as flavorful as it does, the distinct individual flavors are complementing but yet so complex at the same time.  We really enjoyed it and appreciated the staff taking the time to chat with us.  Just as we figured it was time to leave, we were told that chef's and kitchen staff were going to come out and make snow angels with Dylan.  I was like wait......................they must be kidding, right?  Who just gets to work and slaves away in the kitchen to only cut loose and throw themselves selfishly in the snow, all for the sake of a child getting a good laugh?  That's right, that's the folks at Manzanita.  I was completely shocked that these guys/girls in there work attire would do something so special, oh and lets not forget its only like 28 degrees outside.  I was so grateful for this moment, nothing like this could ever be forgotten, it was a moment that will forever live in my memory.  At the end of it all we were given a signed menu from the restaurant (and this is more than just a piece of paper, its a beautiful single page menu accompanied by a leather placard with the restaurants signature embossed manzanita tree branch on it, its the most elegant menu I've ever seen).

The time had come, it was the dreaded time to say goodbye's...we knew upfront this was going to be really hard, over the last few days we've gotten to know these folks whom had done so much for us; hopefully we could get by with limited water works.  As we made our way to the lobby, we were surrounded by what appeared to be the entire hotel staff; from managers, to wait staff, to the chef's, literally everyone we had seen over the course of our stay was awaiting us and our departure.  This was all brought to life with everyone clapping and cheering Dylan on as we made our way to the front door.  To say it was magical would be an injustice, it was precious; the look on our little boy's face said it all.  The experience had come full circle, overwhelming and over the top from the get go to the overwhelming heart warming goodbye's.  Dylan made the rounds slapping everyone high 5's.  The staff had made Dylan a wonderful banner saying goodbye and likewise Dylan had made the General Manager a very special picture to say his thanks as well, which was given to his assistant Martina (whom came in on her day off just to say farewell).  Without the caring and compassionate individuals behind the entire operation at The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe none of this would of been what it was.  Our experience is one that will forever live in our memories and one that we will be indebted to these folks for a lifetime.  

As we pulled away and started on our journey back to our life/reality, we found ourselves on the side of the road weeping in tears as a family.  I grabbed my camera one last time and took a single photo of Dylan and the hotel, which was covered in snow but ironically had a break in the clouds off in the near distance; almost like the sky had opened up with snow over the hotel just for Dylan.  Literally as if someone/something had made sure he got to have his wish in its entirety.  It truly completed everything.

Thank you all for making Dylan a special place in your hearts over the last few days, with all the bad things he has gone through and will continue for some time to come, I know he will have a fantastic experience to reflect back on for an eternity.  We are eternally grateful.

-Noah

Slideshow:
***The images below are in a slideshow format, you can hit the "Play" button on main image or click on individual images to have them enlarge.  To get more images put your cursor over the last picture shown on the right, it will scroll to more images***

Day 4 (final full day of our trip), and it started like all the rest, which was at Mountainblue again...what can I say, when you find a good thing you should stick with it.  I decided to break up my daily ritual of oatmeal and switch it up to a bagel w/ peanut butter and honey.  We had arrangements to be at the tubing hill by 10am, so off we went.

Upon walking up to the tubing hill it was a bit more intense than I anticipated, I was thinking it would be like a bunny slope but low and behold it was a fairly steep  incline with a few rolling mounds on it and a massive 90 degree turn...to say the least it was intimidating at first glance.  I figured what better way to make sure it was good to go then sending the Mrs. up first, he he.  I was shocked that Amber even did it, let alone go first.  I could see the fear in her eyes but Dylan was looking to her to make sure it was ok.  Amber made her way down the hill and by this time Dylan was already welling up with tears, I looked at Amber and gave her the "were you scared look", she quickly responded with "Yeah that was great, you ready to go Dylan"...I then asked her if she wanted to go again and it was promptly a no.  So I decided it was my turn, how bad can it be, its a fully inflated tube and its like 20-30 secs long at most.  So I made my way to the top of the hill and looked down...WOW this was higher than I thought and it was very icy but I had to save face for my kid was watching me from below.  I was launched down the slope and began to pick up more and more speed, just in time to take the hard banking 90 degree turn (I literally thought I was going to go flying out of the run) but before I knew it you come to a halt...it was over and I knew there was no means of convincing Dylan that he wouldn't be scared.  So I decided I would take another run and the guy who releases you at the top thought it would be fun to spin me as he sent me down the hill...I went into the 90 degree banking backwards and by the time I had come to a stop I was dizzy and wobbly.  What a fun time, not sure I could do it over and over for hours but I'm glad I got to do it and have that memory.  As for Dylan, he was brave enough to pose for a picture in the tube, that was the extent of his tubing adventure for the day.  We headed back to the hotel to figure out the rest of our day.

When we got back to the hotel we still had some time to kill before the live entertainment on the back patio was to happen, so I decided it would be a good time for me to go exercise in the hotel fitness center.  This fitness center is unlike anything I have been in at a hotel, it has state of the art machines, refreshments, staff, and fantastic views of the mountains.  I spent a little longer than I had planned to but I couldn't get over how nice this place was.  I took full advantage of working out and jogging 1.5 miles on the treadmill.  I have been exercising more and more lately to prepare for the upcoming surgery, the only thing that bummed me out was that I didn't do this days ago when we arrived.

We headed out to the patio to listen to Chuck Grossman but first we made a pit stop at the food cart/grill the Ritz has outside at poolside.  We ordered our meal and before I could even pay for it, we were told that its on the house, courtesy of management.  I know I won't do a good enough job explaining this but here goes.  The people who are in charge of this Hotel; the General Manager, Assistant Manager, and the folks whom work alongside them are truly amazing people, everywhere we go we are always greeted, welcomed, and just asked how we are doing and if there is anything that we need.  The staff is unlike anything I have ever experienced anywhere, and its never in a manner that is fake, or forced, it truly feels like each and everyone of these people are adamant about the hospitality that is portrayed here at the Ritz-Carlton and the feeling is really good, these guys/girls like there jobs...you just can't be the way these folks are if you didn't care for what you do.  The best part is, they aren't this way with just us, its everyone!  We sat in the sun and soaked up the rays, as well as Chuck Grossman (Whom had a very Blues Traveler/Dave Matthews feel to his voice).  It was a beautiful day on the patio.  Next thing we knew Martina had showed up and said its time for Dylan's snowman.

We headed out about 10-15ft off the patio and "attempted" to build a snow man but the snow was just too icy.  Dylan at this point was starting to breakdown a bit, he had been asking when we would build a snowman for days now.  I just assumed oh well, as there was not much we could do, but this didn't stop Martina.  Within 15 mins a gentleman from engineering was outside and digging out the snow to make it usable snowman building material.  I felt so bad and even apologized to everyone many times, at no point in time did this nice guy digging the hole ever act like he was unhappy or annoyed, honestly he made it seem like it was for a good cause to boot.  Oh and did I mention that Martina was in the thick of it all this whole time as well, she had even gone back to her office to change into snow gear to help us do all this.  One of the Chef's from Manzanita came out and dropped off a carrot for the snowman's nose, Dylan acquired some rocks for eye's and quick scavenging found some sticks for arms, I found a branch with some shrubs on it for hair, and another person from the hotel staff brought out a bag set, which had gloves, a scarf and beanie (although we didn't use the beanie b/c the branch/shrub hair looked pretty cool).  And there we had it, Dylan's very own snowman...wish come true.  But it wasn't over, the GM came over to launch a snowball attack on his assistant and us.  How cool are these guys, in suits and willing to get down and dirty in the snow, all for the sake of a child...and not just any child but ours.  What an amazing time.

We headed back inside to swap our clothes, not so smart thinking us were wearing jeans at this point and we were all wet.  Once we got cleaned up we headed back down to the Arcade room, saying Dylan loves this room is an understatement...he asks about it daily and just wants to play in it at all hours of the day.  From there we headed out to dinner.  We opted to take the Gondola for a trip down to Rubicon Pizza in Northstar Village, we had heard great things about this place so we figured we'd give it a shot on our last night here.  The wait was about 45 mins, so during this time we watched the ice skaters outside on the rink and just relished in what we've been through over the last few days.  We ate our pizza and shot the breeze amongst us, oh and everything everyone said about this place was true (even though we eat cheese-less pie, it was still every bit as good).  Our stay was coming to an end, so we decided on our way back into the hotel we'd sit by one of the many fireplaces and just relax.

We grabbed a nice cup of coffee and just hung out by the fireplace.  For 45 mins or so we hung out on the couch and kept warm, we got to speak with our server, the night shift manager, one of our waitresess from last night at Manzanita, and even got to spend 15 mins or so with Chef Reylon Agustin (even though he was catering to a jam packed restaurant, he was even gracious enough to extended an offer for us to join them at breakfast in the AM...just goes to show what a wonderful person he is).  I feel so honored that each and everyone of these people we have come across have taken time out of there lives to get to know us.  I can't help but feel that each and everyone we crossed paths with over the last few days have forever changed my families life; its amazing how far a simple gesture, a smile, or stopping to get to know someone can go.  To everyone here at The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, thank you for making my son's wish a reality, and thank you for just being you...you're what make's this place what it is and I'm forever grateful for the compassion and support you have shown my family.  I don't have the words to express my gratitude fully.  Thank you again.

It's hard to believe in just 7 days we will be in the hospital for what will be the most challenging and trying time of our lives.  Such extreme ends of the spectrum from what we just experienced to what will be.  Even though its mentally hard for me to even think about what's to come, I have an enlightened sense of understanding that if everything were to come to a close in my short lived life that I at minimum got to see how good people and other aspects of life really can be.  I once read and recall a quote by the Dalai Lama:

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive"

-Noah

*As I just finished typing this, it has begun to snow, it had been the only thing missing on Dylan's wish and one only mother nature could dictate/grant.  What an amazing few days for our little boy, I can't wait to see his eyes when he wakes up to see the fresh snow and just maybe by chance it will still be falling from the sky.

Slideshow:
***The images below are in a slideshow format, you can hit the "Play" button on main image or click on individual images to have them enlarge.  To get more images put your cursor over the last picture shown on the right, it will scroll to more images***

Day 3 of the trip, Amber and Dylan slept in to about 9am...I was unfortunately up around 6am.  As beautiful as this place is and with all the fantastic things that have been going on; I just can't escape my mind.  I keep waking up every 20-30 mins throughout the night, I have never been one to get great sleep so its no reflection on this place or anything someone is/isn't doing.  I just can't turn my thoughts off.  I logged onto facebook and was instant messaging with one of our good friends Jessica.  Her and I chatted for a bit and I dumped some of my thoughts on her, as at this point I was already pretty emotional and had been fairly upset.  I can hear it now, I'm ungrateful, I don't know how to relax, and I'm doing this to myself.  I can't help that I have real fears, real emotions, and real worries.  I get it, what is to be will be and no amount of me stressing or not is going to change that..................but this is me, this is how I'm wired, and how I deal with my stresses.  Needless to say, Amber and Dylan woke up and were ready to start the day.

We headed down to the Mountainblue (a little cafe inside the hotel) and I had my usual as I've had over the last few days (Oatmeal with fresh fruit), Dylan grabbed some fruit loops, and we grabbed some Pete's Coffee; what better way to start the day.  On the agenda first was to hangout and head down to Northstar Village to go ice skating; Martina had arranged to have the rink all to ourselves for an hour prior to it opening.  Once we arrived we were greeted with even more surprises, a gift bag for Dylan from the good folks at the Village, which included stickers, stainless water bottle, t-shirt, and some other goodies.  Immediately we were told that another surprise was in store; that we had the privilege to drive the ZAMBONI!  Dylan and I hoped up on it and had at it, what an amazing thing for us to do.  How many get to drive a real Zamboni?  And how lucky are we to be doing it?  From there we laced up our skates and headed onto the ice.  If you've never ice skated before, its not as easy as it looks on TV.  Amber was having some stability issues as she was given figure skating skates, while Dylan and I were given hockey skates.  As if it couldn't get any better than it already was, on Fridays the Northstar Village has live music, so we skated listening to local jams and just taking it all in.  The guy signing even dedicated a song to Dylan, it was really touching.  For the most part Amber and Dylan held onto the railings but it was still a great experience and fun time.  From that we headed back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel we took advantage of there Arcade room, yes they have a arcade room and its full of PS3 machines; this place knows a way to a kids heart (ahh who am I kidding, mine too).  We decided to head to downtown and grab some snacks, as well as some flowers for Martina.  She has been so great to us and I know for a fact that 99% of everything that has been arranged is because of her.  In an ironic twist, Martina used to help out at the Los Angeles Make-A-Wish foundation...is this really that random?  How lucky are we that this place was chosen and the person whom was contacted and happens to be in charge is someone who knows all to well about how these "wishes" should work.  Although its a coincidence, I have nothing by complete feelings that fate had a lot to do with this. Their is no way to explain it otherwise, and we feel so fortunate to be in her good hands.  So we returned back to the hotel and Dylan in hand with the flowers for Martina.  We had her paged and Dylan delivered the flowers and told her "thank you for making my days so special".  I wish there was something else we could do, I just don't know what else to do to show her how much we care and appreciate what she is doing and has done.  To top it all off, she asked what we were doing for dinner, and at this point we had not even thought about it.  The only thing I had in mind was listening to the live music in the living area of the hotel; they offer live music Friday - Sunday and today they were having Ben Fuller entertain.  She asked if we would like to eat at the Manzanita, which is the hotels signature restaurant, but she didnt stop there; they even offered to pick up the tab on tonights dinner.  We happily accepted; the first night we got here we looked at the amazing menu but the pricing was out of our league...this would be a real treat for us.

We went upstairs and got dressed right away, we wanted to catch the live music before hand.  As we headed down and made our ways through the hallway to the living room, the majestic vocals of Ben Fuller could be heard.  This guy is so amazing, looking at him you would never put his voice to the face; he's very much a "pretty boy" but with such a edgy, smooth, raspy fantastic voice (I would say a blend of Jason Mraz and James Blunt).  I didn't want to leave, this music brought back memories from when I went to college in Steamboat Springs, CO.  I loved the small hometown feel this guy was putting off; their is so much junk on the radio these days...he belongs on the airways and deserves a shot at the "famous life" that comes with it.  But it was now time to head to dinner (which is right around the corner).

Manzanita is visually stunning for starters, a open kitchen, rustic woods, and great ambiance.  We got to meet the staff and were taken to our seat. We ordered our food (Dylan- non dairy chicken strips, Me- Duroc Pork, and Amber- Prime Filet of Beef).  To even put into words what this food tasted like I would do it a disservice, simply put this was the most fantastic tasting food...I have eaten a lot of great food in my life and this tops all of my experiences.  I know its rude to completely eat everything off your plate but both Amber and I gave them almost spotless plates in return...it was that good!  Next up was desert, Dylan had a raspberry sorbet with fresh berries, Amber a meringue cookie with coffee ice cream candied almonds and hot chocolate syrup, I kept it low key with a black cup of coffee and 2 sugars. The chef, line cooks, prep staff all signed a paper chef hat for Dylan and even took him back into the kitchen to show him how it all worked.  The people who run the show and work behind the scenes are what make this place what it is.  We had such an amazing time, I will never forget this place or the people who opened there arms to my family.

Our day ended with heading to one of the three spa's here at The Ritz-Carlton, felt so great to be in 100+ degree water and only 20 degree cold breeze air blowing on my shoulders.  As I stared at the stars I got sucked back into my thoughts and how only 9 days from now we embark on the hardest day(s) of our lives.  I couldn't help but shed a few tears and become overtaken with fear of our unknown.

-Noah

Slideshow:
***The images below are in a slideshow format, you can hit the "Play" button on main image or click on individual images to have them enlarge.  To get more images put your cursor over the last picture shown on the right, it will scroll to more images***

Day 2 of the trip and we were up bright and early. I couldn't resist snapping off a few images while the sun was about to crest the mountains and the moon was still high in the sky.  The view from the room is amazing, the air is so brisk and fresh, and this hotel is simply gorgeous.

Our day started at breakfast and just taking it easy, Dylan was super excited to get out in the snow and play.  So off we went to the back of the hotel and onto the patio/ski slopes.  The snow was really slick and icy, so making snowballs was a bit challenging and almost not possible but we managed with the help of some scoopers provided from the hotel (these things are pretty cool, they are basically two deep spoons that come together like scissors and they are precision at making a perfectly round snowball given the proper type of snow).  After playing for a bit in the snow, Dylan's boots were already soaked, so we headed down to the Northstar Village shopping area to purchase some real snow boots, these things are too cute...made by Sorel and they are black/blue/green (colors you can't go wrong with).  

We made our way back to the Gondola and it was time for lunch on the Northstar mountain top at a place called Schaffer Camp, which is a "members only" club.  The place was unreal, beautiful views, nothing but fireplaces and windows in the place...literally on top of the mountain and such a great place to hangout and relax.  The food was so great, we got to meet the chef, the wait staff, and the GM of the place.  Everyone has been really inviting to us and its really nice just to be around folks who appear to love their jobs.  After we left the restaurant we made our way back to the hotel room to relax for an hour or so before our Dog Sledding adventure.

We arrived at Squaw Valley Ski Resort (home of the 1960 Olympic Games), this is where we would go on our dog sled trip.  We were told to valet park our truck, so I did and we went and registered.  Us three all piled into the sled and headed out on the flat country, the trip lasted about an hour.  During the ride we got to talk to the owner of the Dog Sled Adventure and just learn more about the Huskies, there diets, and that they are more than just animals that pull sleds and travel hundreds of miles.  These dogs are truly cared for and loved by the owners, and best of all they are not forced to pull people all over....THEY LOVE IT.  Its so funny to see how much they love doing it, they howl, bark, and literally jump in the air to just keep going, its really insane how much stamina and drive they have to keep on going.  It was a really neat experience.  I got to speak more with the owner and told him about LIC Motorsports and how we are a Subaru only shop...he replied with that he has owned 7 Subarus and currently owns a 2006 Impreza.  I wasn't shocked that he owned a Subaru, as they are everywhere up here, literally 1 in 5 cars is a Subaru.  Maybe we should move our business to Tahoe?  We made our way back to our truck and I asked Amber for money for the valet guy, as I left the $5 bill in the truck.  She handed me the money, I handed it to the valet guy and once we got in the truck I reached for the $5 to give back to Amber that we left in there....low and behold it was gone.  I know what you're thinking, I must of misplaced it, I lost it, etc...I know exactly where it was and now it was gone, such a crummy feeling, just came back from something really fun and one of the valet guys stole it.  I started to get pretty pissed off to be honest, I was about to turn around in the parking lot and at this point I was already saying out loud what a bunch of losers they were and why would they do that and then I looked in the rear view mirror at Dylan and decided to stop talking about it and just move on...it is what it is, I actually don't care about the $5 but I do care about the principal behind it, maybe that guy needed that $5 more than we did?  Oh well, I decided to not let it ruin our time.

We headed back to the hotel and ran into the executive assistant here, her name is Martina, and she has been just fantastic to us.  This whole experience is so overwhelming, this hotel is amazing, the people here are top notch, I'm so grateful for Martina as I have no doubt that she is the one pulling the strings to make this whole experience so special...she's such a nice person and fantastic at making this memorable.  In addition as we chatted with her she asked me if I work/own a Subaru shop, I said yes I do with my brother.  She said this is so weird but there is a guy who works here who would like to meet you, he's a big fan of your business.  I said you bet, so a guy named Kevin came over and shook my hand and introduced himself.  Its such a small world, Kevin had just ordered a LIC Motorsports Hoodie from us a few weeks back and in the past has bought parts from our business.  We chatted and shot the breeze for the better part of an hour, it was really nice to see others appreciation for what we do on a day to day with our business.  After this we headed out to dinner.

We ate at a sushi place here in the Village Center called Mikuni, its was very reminiscent of Guy Fieri's (from Diners, Drive In's, and Dives) Tex Wasabi, which is located near our home.  Had a very tasty authentic taste with a asian flare...it was really good.  Dylan scarfed his food down a bit fast and was wanting to get back to the hotel ASAP, unfortunately Dylan's insides being all out of whack (large spleen pushing on his stomach) sometimes just doesn't sit well.  We got back to the hotel just in time to head to the pool/spa's but Dylan was wiped out...

So our Day 2 ends with me sorting through 300 images from today and no means of resizing/color correcting them efficiently, so here are the decent ones, untouched....ENJOY! 

-Noah


Slideshow:
***The images below are in a slideshow format, you can hit the "Play" button on main image or click on individual images to have them enlarge.  To get more images put your cursor over the last picture shown on the right, it will scroll to more images***

Make-A-Wish Trip Day 1

We made it to the hotel with no complications...took about 3.5 hrs from my work to where we are staying.  This place is really nice, its called the Ritz Carlton at Northstar (Truckee, CA).  I can honestly say that I have never been in a place as luxurious as this.  When we arrived everybody already knew Dylan's name, it was very special to him; he thought it was the coolest thing that folks knew of him before he even got here.  We took a tour of the hotel and were brought to our room....WOW this place is huge with dual king size beds, dual vanity sinks, a tub that is literally 4+ feet deep (Oh and Dylan took a bath in that swimming pool, errr I mean that bathtub and loved every minute of it, LOL) and a beautiful view of the pool/spas/firepits and the ski mountain.  Although there is not a lot of snow on the ground (literally almost none) we are loving the fact that we are here.  We have never been able to get away as a family, even prior to being a family Amber and I never had the opportunity to go on vacation either.  Ironically when I dug my snow jacket out of storage, the ski tag reads (01.27.2002) almost 9 years to the day since I personally have been away and over a full year prior to Amber and I even meeting.  Needless to say its been a long time and I'm so grateful to Make-A-Wish for what they do for children scenarios like Dylan's...its really remarkable, as we could never afford anything like this or even something way cheaper; its just wasn't in our cards currently or in the foreseeable future.

Tomorrow is a big day, we have a meeting with the Chef on top of the Mountain, whom is cooking something very special (Dylan has severe dairy and nut allergies) just for him.  After that we are going dog-sledding.  So much to do and we are just taking it all in and very happy Dylan seems to be enjoying himself.

Another thing that happened today was our good friend Shane (my works Snap-on Dealer and dear friend) is running a toolbox fundraiser in honor of Dylan.

The folks over at UMS Tuning/Snail Performance/Tayko Garage are also doing something very special for Dylan, they're donating proceeds from there race series to benefit him.

The amount of support that has been shown for Dylan and our family online has been incredible, never in my life would I think friends, family, and strangers would all band together for a cause; and more importantly never for my family.  Some think I'm very negative or afraid to ask for help, or that I even dislike most...the fact of the matter is, I just don't care to burden folks with my issues, my life, and my unfortunate circumstances.  I know its not fun to hear about a sick kid or someone with cancer, etc...and this is why I have always kept my family and our personal stuff to ourselves.

I have learned a lot today, not that I think most people are bad or don't care, I just never truly grasped how much folks can/will care for others if given the opportunity.  None of this is about money, nor did a epiphany happen because of it, I truly don't care if someone gave $0 or $xxxxxxxx...the gesture alone speaks volumes and I hear these folks loud and clear.  Thank you all for keeping my family in your thoughts/prayers.  We have very tough times in the upcoming weeks and YOU have all eased that burden/fear on my family and us, furthermore you have warmed our hearts more than I ever could of imagined.  Please know that we respect everyone of you who have put us into your lives albeit prayers or a dollar amount shared with us; we are eternally grateful to you.  I don't have the words to truly extend my gratitude.

-Noah

UMS Tuning is based out of Mesa, AZ and are the optime of Racers helping Racers (Noah and brother Adam own a automotive shop called LIC Motorsports).  See what the folks at UMS are doing for Dylan.



My fellow Time Attack Enthusiasts,

      Some of you may have heard about LIC Motorsports and their wicked fast Subaru Sti, either in the magazines or on the forums. It has been my pleasure to know the owners, Adam and Noah Levy, for the past 3 years now. Over the course of that time I have grown to respect the two as fellow competitors and car enthusiasts, and to also to see what a class act these two really are. I have also been given the chance to call these two my friends as well, it is because of this friendship that I come to you today. Dylan Levy, Noah's son has  Biliary Atresia, a congenital condition of the liver, and is in need of a transplant.

      While I knew that Noah's son had some health issues I was unaware of the severity of the problem until just recently. It turns out  Noah, is in fact going to donate half of his liver to his son. After discussing the matter with Travis from Snail Performance, we decided to do what we could to help. So we are going to try and raise some money for Noah, his wife Amber, and their son Dylan. By dedicated this years UMS Tuning Time Attack Series to Dylan.

The UMS Tuning TA number plates will all have the logo "Racing for Dylan Levy". 

I encourage you to tell your friends and fellow car enthusiasts to help us in our goal to raise money, by donating or simply buying a set of number plates. All moneys raised will go directly into an account for Dylan, given to us by Noah. For those who wish to donate without purchasing the number plates, we can give you the info on where to donate.

Contact: jeremy@umstuning.com

Snap-On Tools is an amazing company.  Check out what our Rep. Shane Baker is doing for Dylan and the Levy Family.



To help support my little buddy Dylan and his father, Noah Levy, owner of LIC Motorsports, during Dylan and Noah's upcoming liver transplant, Snap-on Tools has donated a KRL722BPCM toolbox to be raffled off on their behalf. The retail price of this toolbox is $5655.00 and is blue (Dylan's favorite color). 100% of all donations go directly to Dylan and his family. Tickets are only a $20 donation each, or 6 for $100.

Tickets may be purchased via PayPal on this site by clicking on the Donate button. Please forward your PayPal confirmation receipt along with your name, phone number, address and email to me @ shane.baker@snapon.com to receive your raffle ticket. Tickets may also be purchased from my Snap-on truck, Adam Levy @ LIC Motorsports or from Nick Plytas @ H&J tire in Novato with cash or check.

Our goal is to try and have Dylan himself do the drawing via web broadcast on his website before his surgery, so time is of the essence my friends! The winner of the toolbox must take delivery of his or her prize at LIC Motorsports in Novato, CA. Thank you all for your overwhelming support of my friends in their time of need. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message or an email and remember to visit Dylan's website for updates.