a tribute to caitlin o’heaney

~ Brigit O’Donnell ~

portrait by Crowmama

A Special Memory of Caitlin … and Brigit

by Linda S Barth

Back in the day, CABB’s Founding Mothers (Terrie Milliman, Peg McNabb, Teri Peppe, and me) designed, organized, and ran special themed celebrity auctions in the dealers’ room at in-person cons. In three years, we raised over $6,000 for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation (national) and the Books for Kids Foundation (based in NYC).

Our second auction, called Gifts of Love from Below and Above, was held July 1996 in Norfolk, Virginia, at the seventh annual international BatB con “A Kingdom by the Sea: A Romantic Celebration”. Up for silent auction was a very special collection of many treasures that might have come from places Above and Below. Each represented a specific BatB character who had presented the item to another character.  Our goal was to create a moment for fellow fans to enter into the fantasy, have fun, and contribute to a very worthwhile organization whose intention and philosophy were in keeping with those of the tunnel world and the BatB fan community.

The items for auction were purchased or made by the Founding Mothers with help from several CABB members. Each one was autographed by the appropriate celebrity and was accompanied by an original portrait of their character, drawn by Terrie Milliman, Chan (Sandy Chandler Shelton), or Pam Tuck. The winning bidder for each lot received both items, and in some cases, celebrities added wonderful additional touches to their character’s gift.

Caitlin O’Heaney was among the many celebrities we contacted for this auction, all of whom could not have been more helpful and enthusiastic. No one ever turned us down, and I have other wonderful stories to someday share in a feature on CABB New Chambers. We are very grateful to all of them, and especially so to a few, like Caitlin, who went out of their way to make everything even more special and meaningful.

The Brigit O’Donnell gift consisted of a unique object – a handmade book – that several of Vincent’s friends worked together to create for him. The story was an original “written” by Brigit (aka Sue Glasgow), inscribed in calligraphy by Elizabeth (aka Linda S Barth), bound in a book handcrafted by Cullen (aka Terrie Milliman). The book’s cover was decorated with actual bark from Catherine’s Central Park tree (actually the tree in Griffith Park used in “Orphans”, the fallen bark pieces hopefully not illegally collected by Peg and Linda), pebbles from the tunnel floor (which were donated by some extremely fortunate fans who visited the sets in the early days), feathers that could have come from Brigit and Catherine’s Saowen masks, and other items.

In addition, there was a letter of explanation on how the book was created and a lovely matted portrait of Brigit; however, unfortunately, after all this time I don’t recall which artist created that one.

Because the one-of-a-kind book was somewhat fragile and we knew Caitlin was coming to the con, we did not mail it to her to autograph and return. We held onto it and asked her to do it in person in the dealers’ room. We’d hoped for an autograph on a card we would include in the auction package, but what we received was so much more.

Caitlin attentively listened to our explanation of the auction and immediately said she was happy to do whatever she could to help raise money for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. She was so intrigued by the book, and as she turned the pages she admired everything about it and said she wished she had one for herself. Teri gave her the card to sign, but when I took back the book, Caitlin reached for it again and asked if she could add something to it.

Now, as super nice as she had been, we had only just met her, and this book was very special and irreplaceable. I remember holding onto it and asking her – in a very nice way, of course! – what she had planned.  Her answer was amazing – an inscription in the inside cover from Brigit to Vincent!

Needless to say, we immediately said “Yes, please!!”

Caitlin pulled up a chair at the end of our tables and spent at least fifteen minutes writing drafts of the note. Once satisfied, she very carefully wrote it in the book. I only wish I had kept a copy of it to share with you here, but I do remember how beautiful and heartfelt it was – almost magical – so much so that it seemed as if we truly were reading a message from Brigit to Vincent, from one kindred spirit to another.

As I’m sure you guessed, this auction item generated a good deal of money for Pediatric AIDS. I don’t recall who the winning bidder was, as we had sixteen auction packages in play, plus additional individual items generously and spontaneously donated from Ron Koslow, Roy D, Joseph Campanella, John McMartin, Lee Holdridge, and others. I wonder if the person who won the beautiful book, which had been made even more special by Caitlin, still has it or even if it continues to exist beyond these cherished memories.

Caitlin O’Heaney was not the only celebrity over the years to go above and beyond for our fandom, but her special generosity of heart for CABB’s charity and for us, was one that perfectly embodied the spirit of the show and our fan community. I will always remember her with fondness and respect for that wonderful act of kindness and for our chance to interact for a moment with “Brigit” and with the lovely, thoughtful woman who portrayed her.

Rest in peace, Caitlin, wherever your spirit now lives.

STORIES ABOUT BRIGIT

The Candle Maker’s Daughter by Crowmama

Talisman by Linda S Barth

An Unspoken and Granted Magic by Carole W

Most Pure Heart by Rebecca G

The Luck of the Irish by JoAnn Baca

Between Brigit and Catherine by Carole W and SandyX

A Special Gift by Paula

A Fairy Beacon Burning Bright by Carole W

Inscribed on a Heart by JoAnn Baca

Caitlin and Jay at the 1996 BatB Convention ~ A Kingdom By the Sea