Sam Ribaudo's Validation with her daughter Ava through Lisa Wilcoxson
Posted
-
- Dec
- 3
- 2025
by Elizabeth Boisson
Thank you for hosting Lisa Wilcoxson last evening. I feel it was fate that she connected with my daughter for many reasons. The first being that I have been seeing 11:11 on my clock every day for two weeks now and that is always a sign from my Ava. In fact, I have 1111 light up numbers that I just placed by her Angel Tree that I decorate especially for her at Christmas since she loved it so and was always so excited to distribute all the thoughtful and personalized gifts she had purchased for the entire family. The tree is adorned with ornaments that each of her friends gifted towards it that represent Ava and the friendship she shared with each of them. I did not put her stocking up yet and so when Lisa mentioned that Ava was asking for her stocking to be put up, that really was so validating. As was the mention of snowglobes because I was just looking at the Christmas Card we had sent out when she was a toddler, in a snowglobe. I had just used my kitchen aid mixer to make her favorite cookies for Thanksgiving, as Lisa had said, although I haven’t let anyone eat them yet and they are sitting in a Tupperware next to the mixer on my counter. Don’t ask me why I have not let anyone eat them, maybe it’s because they are such a pain in the butt to make and I don’t want to have to make more
Ava was just 18 years old when she passed away from Leukemia after battling it for over a decade. She had graduated from high school and was to attend The University of Alabama where she would have cheered. Unfortunately she never made it there as she relapsed in June of her Senior year. After CART and another stem cell transplant failed she passed away on March 13, 2024. She was my very best friend and we were known for being a very close Momma/ Daughter Duo- hence Lisa’s reference to Mamma Mia. Her youngest brother was the love of her life. Dominic is 14 years old and a freshman in high school. He is on a football scholarship at one of the top football powerhouses in the country because his only goal is to play football for The University of Alabama to honor his sister. As you can imagine, this is no small feat, but at 6 ft tall and 220 lbs, he is certainly on his way.
Ava’s favorite movie as a toddler was The Wizard of Oz. Lisa mentioned the song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” I have had several mediums read for me since her passing and that is literally the one song they all have mentioned. Her 3rd birthday was Wizard of Oz themed and I made her a 3 tier cake with yellow pez as the yellow brick road and she wore a handmade Dorothy outfit with her ruby red slippers. Ava sends us rainbows often, along with butterflies and dimes, which Lisa also mentioned.
As for the Uber driver, that is a funny story. We traveled all over the country competing in All Star Cheer from a very young age. Ava was one of the best and one of the youngest, we used to have little girls lining up at the airports asking for her autograph. One weekend we were in Dallas and wanted to visit a real Texas BBQ honky tonk. We hopped in an Uber with her best friend and her mom. I sat in the front and Ava, Sami and Sami’s mom shared the back seat. The car was small and smelled funny. The woman driving it was named Cleopatra. Our ride was a total of 30 minutes and for 30 minutes Cleopatra played music with inappropriate lyrics for the two young ladies in the back seat at the loudest volume that exists. She drove recklessly through back dirt roads. We all were holding on for dear life and each time I glanced back at the girls they were laughing uncontrollably. It was the worst Uber ride any of us had ever taken and yet it made for a great adventure and a funny story. I recently moved into a new home and Sami came over with her mom to bring me a very large plant as a housewarming gift. We named the plant Cleopatra and I had just told my friend the story a few days prior.
Lisa was spot on with everything, from the signs Ava sends to me taking my bra off. I was in fact braless and I hate wearing a bra. But the apple did not fall far from the tree because Ava never wore a bra. As I sat there listening to all the validations from Lisa, I was surrounded by everything she mentioned. The angel tree and stockings were in front of me, alongside Cleopatra the plant named after the Uber driver. My kitchen aid behind me with her favorite cookies. I had such trouble logging in and wanted to give up but I just knew that she would come through last night. Thank you for such an incredible gift and for all you do to honor your son and all our children. I have included pictures that validate everything and look forward to meeting you in person at the conference in August.
~With Gratitude, Sam Ribaudo
Mom of Ava Rasmussen, F18
Please watch the YouTube video by clicking here.
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