Living on through love
BROKEN BOW - Michaela Bissonette baked and decorated approximately 2,000 cookies and cupcakes for a pop-up bake sale last week. As of Tuesday, more than $5,000 had been counted. Bissonette said she is expecting more through an online payment processor.
The money will be donated to Live On Nebraska, an organization that works with families when the decision has been made to donate organs and tissue of a dying loved one.
In September, 2021, Bissonette’s husband, James, died at the age of 34. Bissonette made the decision to donate his heart.
She told Live On Nebraska that she prayed hard to God to give James’ life purpose.
“I needed his leaving us to have a purpose,” she said. “Even in the midst of our own heartbreak, I couldn’t stop thinking of those families that were getting a call saying that a match was found, that their loved one was getting a second chance.”
After James’ death, Michaela left her position at Melham Medical Center to expand her home-baking business, Ella and Jack’s Home Bakery. The business is named for the couple’s two children, Ella, 7, and Jack, 3.
Last Wednesday, she set up a table at Lillie Kate Boutique. Sales were to begin at 10 a.m. with all proceeds to go to Live On Nebraska.
“I think we opened five or ten minutes early,” Bissonette said. There was a line at the door and people kept coming. Even though service was quick, the line stayed pretty consistent with about 30 people waiting at any time. Around 11 o’clock, there were three cookies left and people still in line.
“It shows what Broken Bow and small communities are all about,” Bissonette said. “They rallied around us then and they still rally around us. And it’s a way to give back again. It’s heart warming.”
Bissonette purposefully chose a sale date near Valentine’s Day to honor the donation of James’ heart.
She acknowledges there have been difficult times in the past year and a half. Remembering how James approached life helps her.
“Everybody has different time frames for grieving,” she said. “There are waves of grieving. I have learned all about that. But James was positive. His philosophy was to live this day and be positive.”
Bissonette said her faith has helped her as well. “My faith has grown so much. I honestly have to contribute doing so well to God’s plan. We don’t really have a choice in it, but to trust in Him and His plans for our lives.”
This article was written with information from Live On Nebraska article, “Firefighter’s ‘heart of gold’ celebrated for Valentine’s Day” which can be found at online at https://liveonnebraska.org/ news/firefighters-heart-of-gold-celebrated-for-valentines-day/