Joey's Life - A collage of photos

This collage of Joey's photos covers Joey's life... from the time he was born, July 5, 1997 until the time he died, December 22, 2000.

1. In the picture where he is getting chemo (in the gray and red jogging suit, to the right of the purple bucket picture), Joey is wearing his tap shoes and is tapping away! The Scooby Do Halloween suit was his last Halloween. He is “trick or treating” at the Burzynski Clinic in Houston.  The picture with Santa on the left was taken at the Galleria Mall in Houston just two weeks before his death. The horse, rolling in the hay, hugging the tree, feeding the deer, pumping the swing, the slide…all were in Houston.
2. The log, turtle, waterfall, pizza, tulip, bunny, vacuum, brush painting, lily pad were taken at the Central Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan and Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.
3. Familia Pizza – When undergoing Chemo Joey would sometimes make Pizza at Familia and his favorite was the spinach pizza that was the only one he’d eat.
4. The rest of the photos were taken from birth until we left for New York while in my house, backyard or local park. The little leopard suit with Pumpkin was “Boo at the Zoo” at our local zoo (Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach).
5. He had lost his eye, but we did not know that the cancer had escaped out of the eye. That was a wonderful day…he had so much fun. We were the first ones to arrive and the last to leave. He called this zoo “Joey’s Zoo”, and he loved it. He knew every animal. It was not just a gecko, it was a leaf tail gecko, leopard gecko, day gecko, etc. While we were away he would refer to it constantly. Grandma, when we go home, we will go to “Joey’s Zoo”! This was his mantra when we would leave the Central Park or Bronx Zoo. They were bigger, but they were not “Joey’s Zoo”. Sadly, we never got to see Joey’s Zoo together again, but I have been there many times and I feel him smiling down on me whenever I am there. This is where Joey’s memorial plaque hangs. It reads:
   • Joseph Hollander Bergsma “JOEY” a little boy who loved animals. July 5, 1997 – December 22, 2000 “The Guardian of the Reptiles”.
6. Joey’s casket was buried at sea. All water is connected…this way wherever we are, we can go to the water’s edge and throw a flower into the sea for Joey. He loved to pick up little rocks and yellow was his favorite color. Therefore, I collect yellow colored stones and throw them out to sea whenever I have an opportunity.
7. Joey made the glorious star…it was the topper for the little tree we had in our motel room in Houston. I cut it out and Joey painted and decorated it. He worked tirelessly for days…painting and re painting it over and over. I think this is what made it so hardy…all of the coats of paint made it thick so it would last. I have it in my China Cabinet…the picture does not do it justice. Joey was quite the artist and this was one of his best. He wanted his big Christmas Tree at home…the whole year we were away, he would mention it. When we did not make it home for Thanksgiving, we went straight to Walgreens and bought a tree for the room. Joey loved it. He decorated it himself…it was truly his tree. Everyone working at the Wellesley Inn and many of the guests visited our room to see “the little tree”. It was truly beautiful. Everyone commented on the Star!