The next morning the same limo came to take us to the Oprah Studios.  This is where I met the women I had been speaking with over the phone.  She introduced herself again and took us to the green room.  I always wondered why the called it the green room.  On this day I found out.  The room is actually green.  There was a tv in the room and a table full of pastries and beverages. The tv in the green room had been turned off so my mom would not know what the show was about. We were told that someone would do our hair and makeup.  We would sit in the green room until it was our turn to come out.  It was decided at the last minute that the kids would stay in the room and that just my mom and I would be on the show.  Oprah’s secretary came into get me to ask about what I was going to say.  As we walked and talked down the hall I saw Oprah as she was making her entrance out onto the show.  I was so nervous.  Her secretary told me to speak from the heart.  She did not want anything that would sound rehearsed.  I told her I would try my best but that I was nervous.  We then walked back to the green room and I sat waiting to go on.  Oprah’s hair and makeup artist came into the green room to get some food and drink.  He was asked if he could watch my boys as my mom and I went on.  He agreed.

My mom and I were the last ones to go on.  I don’t even know who was on the show before us.  They called us out into the audience during commercial break.  We sat next to each other about the second row in from the stage. When the show came back on Oprah introduced us and I could see from the teleprompter it had our names and the city and state we were from.  Oprah said, Daniele was diagnosed with a form of cancer known as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Oprah said, “Daniele I believe you are here today because you have something you want to share with your mom.”  I said yes. I then turned to my mom and said, “I wrote into the Oprah show and brought you here today as a surprise to thank you for all that you have done for me.”  Mom, “I want to thank you for taking care of me and my boys while I have been fighting cancer for the last two years.”  My mom responded by saying, “I am your mother that’s my job.”  I then noticed audience members behind me crying.  My mom also noticed a couple of women in front of her crying.  It seemed liked all eyes were on us in the audience with tears.  It had been a very emotional moment that had been over in a matter of minutes.  Oprah thanked us for sharing our story and that was the end of the show.