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HOLIDAYS CATHERINE JAMESON
M OD E L I S A C YC L E S TA R F RO M C Y C L E B A R F R E SN O & C LO V I S Central California’s largest purveyor of Pre-Owned authentic designer luxury goods. Specializing in bridal jewelry, certified loose diamonds, vintage and estate jewelry, Rolex, handbags and accessories. We offer a 100% lifetime authenticity guarantee, a one year warranty on all watches, and a 14-day no-questions-asked return policy. Up to 10 months layaway available. Financing available subject to credit approval. Sell to us. Visit us for a no-obligation offer on your luxury goods, with immediate payment.
BEST BOUTIQUE BEST JEWELER 1528 E. CHAMPLAIN DR. STE. 103 FRESNO, CA • 559.434.4589 • SCEPTREANDSASH.COM N.E. CORNER OF CEDAR AND SHEPHERD, NEAR YOSEMITE RANCH RESTAURANT
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Maria, mom on the move Home life is great, but sometimes parents need a little break—away from the kid wrangling and distance-learning lessons. Daily outdoor escapes are yours for the taking at Riverstone. Whether it’s playing at our five neighborhood parks, meeting friends at The Lodge or taking an afternoon run with the joggling stroller, we’ve got many ways to stay active, have fun and feel great. Ready for a welcome change of scenery? Make the move to Riverstone.
The Lodge
Trails & Parks Dog Park Stylish Homes Community Farm* Stone Creek Elementary* Riverwalk Retail*
2019
Model Homes Open Daily www.RiverstoneCA.com @LifeAtRiverstoneCA From Fresno, go north on Highway 41, turn left at Avenue 12 and follow the signs. ©2020 Riverstone Development, LLC. Obtain a copy of the Public Report as required by Federal law and/or the Public Report issued by the California Bureau of Real Estate and read them before signing any documents. No Federal or State agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This advertisement is not a solicitation to purchase or sell property in any state where prohibited by law. The stylized R logo is a service mark of Riverstone Development, LLC. Riverstone and Riverstone Development are trade names of Riverstone Development, LLC. The San Joaquin River and River Park are located approximately six miles from Riverstone. *Future amenity coming soon.
“WHERE DREAMS COME HOME” LUIS ROSALES NMLS ID# 02015518 6442 North Maroa Avenue Fresno, CA 93704 lrosales@londonproperties.com 559.708.7559 @luisrosales___
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Christmas Interiors Editor Erin Melkonian Décor Stylist Olivia Schmitz Photographer Ellie Koleen
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inter white is oh-so chic and never drab. We played on this home’s monochromatic scheme and brightened it even more by adding plush faux fur, snow dusted florals, and shiny silver tones. The dining room, with its oversized crystal chandelier and mirrored wall, is the focal point of this home. Playing off the reflective quality of both the mirrors and chandelier, we added mercury glass Christmas trees and frosted pine sprigs as part of the decorations. A faux fur table runner and feathered wreath softens the reflection and becomes the perfect visual anchor. To finish off the space, minimal greenery adds hints of festive cheer. Using the dining room as our template, we sprinkled the same luxury décor throughout the home. Jeweled reindeer, twinkle lights, and flocked branches transform this abode into a majestic winter wonderland.
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Located at the Central Valley’s Hidden Gem
THE PALATINE BUILDING
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HOPE F O R T H E H O L I D AY S
Managing Editor Lauren Barisic Photographer Ellie Koleen Hair Robert Sandoval Makeup Emily Dudley
Hope, home, and humanity are innately intertwined—Catherine Jameson understands this on an intimate level. As the mother of a son who defeated childhood lymphoma, her insight concerning the parallels between cancer families and current coronavirus limitations reflects the bigger picture—that is, how our individual worlds fit within the universe as a whole. Taking this in heed, her heart for others continues to touch California’s Central Valley in numerous ways.
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atherine’s volunteerism journey began shortly before she permanently moved back to California. “I have lived kind of half on the East Coast, half on the West Coast for my life,” the Massachusetts native explains. When she was a child, her parents moved the family out to Fresno. Catherine eventually left the Golden State for New York City, where she lived throughout her twenties. “I was just about to join the Junior League of New York when I met my husband [Michael] in Fresno,” she reminisces. Catherine moved back to the Valley in 1989—the couple has been married now for 31 years. Since her initiation into The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) in the Big Apple was cut short, “I joined the Junior League of Fresno here,” recalls Catherine. She volunteered briefly for a women’s organization while living in NYC. “But really, the start of my volunteerism was with Junior League.” “The first few years, I could really go gung-ho,” says Catherine about the time before she had her twins, son Hunter and daughter Chandler, in 1993. “I was on numerous committees.” She marveled at the caliber of women in Junior League. It was there that she met Rita Gladding, among other outstanding community leaders, who became long-time
friends. “It was so inspiring, and causes you to rise to a higher level,” all of which is based in training. This gave Catherine a foundation for decades of servitude. “I worked my way up,” she says, adding that she was eventually named Junior League of Fresno’s president in 2000-2001, culminating 11 years of service. “The year I was president, I got to go to New York City,” the place where her volunteer journey began, “because it was also the 100th anniversary of The Association of Junior Leagues International.” She truly brought her presidency full circle. “Maya Angelou was one of the guest speakers, and Gloria Steinem—it was amazing! So that was kind of the coup de grâce of the whole experience—being able to go to that wonderful AJLI conference in New York City.” On paper, that final Junior League year was obviously a landmark for Catherine. But there was much more going on behind the scenes. “Talk about a rough year,” Catherine begins. “While as president, the big, final year in Junior League, my dad got lung and liver cancer and passed away at the end of November of 2000, right around Thanksgiving,” about halfway through her presidency, which ended in June 2001. “Then Hunter was diagnosed in September with cancer,” a few months later.
Hunter’s diagnosis came out of left field. The eight-year-old “had a T-cell lymphoma that was so aggressive that it was doubling in size every 24 hours, and it was in his chest and it was crushing his aorta and his lungs,” recounts Catherine. Had she not brought him to Valley Children’s Hospital then, her son would have gone into cardiac arrest between two and 10 days later, and likely would have passed away due to a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his little chest. “That was September 7th, which was actually my grandmother’s birthday who I was very close to and I always say she was his angel from that day, watching over him,” remembers Catherine fondly. “Days later, 9/11 happened in New York, where I had lived for almost 10 years and had tons of friends and everything there—it just felt like the world was crumbling.”
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everal treatment plans were proposed for the little boy, so the Jamesons wanted a second opinion on which one to choose before proceeding. But because of the flying restrictions that had immediately gone into effect, the family couldn’t fly Hunter anywhere to get that second opinion. Catherine was at a loss over which course of action to select—she turned to the counsel of the wonderful doctors at Valley Children’s and relied on the immense research done by numerous close friends and relatives on Hunter’s behalf. Despite the overwhelming nature of what needed to be settled, they decided to send Hunter’s records to The University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center for review. To Catherine’s relief, the panel of doctors there recommend the same exact treatment plan that Valley Children’s was advocating. The fact that one of the top hospitals in the country said that Valley Children’s plan was what they would do was extremely encouraging to her. Just before Catherine’s father passed in 2000, the Jamesons bought the home they still reside in. “There’s our home away from home!” exclaims Catherine. “You can literally see Valley Children’s out my backyard, across the bluffs.” Though subtle, it is a constant reminder of the blessing the hospital has been in
her family’s life. “I can’t advocate enough for Valley Children’s Hospital having that kind of a facility here in the Valley. We’re just very, very blessed.”
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ven after treatment, patients are very closely monitored. “Going through that experience, you really do see the faith of God in people,” Catherine says, thinking affectionately of the wonderful teachers, medical professionals, family, friends, and even unfamiliar persons who had surrounded them with unwavering support during the most difficult time of her life. She recollects being at Valley Children’s on Halloween with Hunter, who was bummed about not being able to go out trick-or-treating with his friends, and the kindness of strangers who chose to spend their evening at the hospital, sharing treats and stories of encouragement. “I really thought to myself, ‘If we get through this, we’re going to pay this forward,’ because it meant so much to just have that daily dose of hope. Hope is everything when you are going through something like that.” Throughout Hunter’s treatment, Catherine drew encouragement from inspiring quotes. One by Napoleon Bonaparte particularly hit home: “Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.” “You’ve got to have a lot of courage going through a cancer diagnosis, really any kind of adversity in life,” imparts Catherine, “and hope is the nourishment for courage. It really makes you get through on a daily or even hourly basis—sometimes, just that little bit of hope that someone brings to you, in whatever way, is key … that’s really why we ended up calling it Hunter’s Hope International Foundation (HHIF).” Before Hunter’s diagnosis, Catherine had no direct affiliation with Valley Children’s Hospital. The Madera location was a relatively new facility back then— her children were actually born at the old hospital off of Shields Avenue in Fresno. Besides attending fundraisers and events at the new healthcare center, she remembers going to a luncheon for the Central California Blood Center about Camp Sunshine Dreams—a program for Valley Children’s oncology patients. It was Catherine’s job to take notes and report back to the Junior League. “Who knew that just a couple of years later my son