Happy Birthday Eli!

The invitation to “Extreme Eli,” his 2010 birthday party in Florence

Today, February 7, Elliot turned 13.

The family will try, again, to deliver presents to Eli on this February 7, hoping the the mother will not, once again, prevent this from occurring.

None of the family of the children has been able to tell them Happy Birthday or give them birthday presents since September 2011.  The mother has refused the family any contact with them.

Birthday parties for the kids in Florence were often held in pizzerias with dozens of classmates and friends from the children’s sports, music, and Hebrew lessons.

Beginning with Sam’s birthdays when he was just three, the children’s birthdays became known among their friends for their quirky and funny party invitations.  Above is the invitation to “Exreme Eli,” when he turned 10.  (And yes, that is a picture of Eli scuba diving, during his summer vacation.)  The parties were always  raucous, noisy affairs were everyone had a great time.

Letter to the Children

Sam, Eli, Sara, Ezra,

We will always be here for you. We are your family and no judicial decision can change that. Stay strong together and know that you are loved and thought of each day even though we are not being allowed to be in touch with you for over a year now.

Roro and Grandpa are extremely sad not to be able to even wish you happy birthdays, or Chanuka or send you gifts or letters or emails and skype like the past.

It would mean so much to at least be able to have some kind of communication with you. It’s not fair to you and it’s not fair to all of us that you are being forced to live cut off from family and all your friends in Florence.

We will not give up on you!

With love and hope that somehow this message gets through to you,

Aunt Molly

The Half Elf, by Elliot Mcilwrath, Chapter 4

Elliot, summer 2011, during his vacation with his grandparents and uncle in California, just before the kidnapping.

As we have received many requests to make more of Elliot’s book available, here is the continuation:

The Half Elf, Chapter 4: Where Is Andrew Taking Me?

The room was bright, and led immediately to another hallway. Andrew obviously knew where he was going, and I followed him and Edward.  As we walked, I could feel the notebook tossing around in my sweatshirt and decided to take it out and jot down some notes. 

I marked it “top secret” on the cover, but then realized that would probably just make it a better target for a thief. So I slipped it back under my sweatshirt.

Continue reading The Half Elf, Chapter 4.

Or visit The Half Elf page of this webiste for other chapters and information about Elliot and his book.

The Half Elf, by Elliot Mcilwrath, Chapter 3

As previously posted,  Eli (Elliot) began writing a book when he was 11 years old, getting up in the early morning before school each day to work on it. Because Eli’s family is prevented from contacting him, his father is assembling the work that he left behind, with the help of Eli’s close friend, Edo.

As we have received many requests to make more of Eli’s book available, here is Chapter 3.

Chapter 3:  Astengurt

The cell had stone walls, a wooden bench where I was stretched out, and nothing else. As I stood up, a man wearing a red cloak appeared. He opened the cell, which apparently had not been locked, and pulled me up gently by the arms.

“You have not been harmed,” he said, as if saying that would make it true, but it did not make my head feel any better.  “And more importantly,” he continued, “you are being awaited.” He spoke politely, with a slight accent I’d never heard but that faintly reminded me of how Andrew sometimes spoke.

He gestured in the direction I was to go, and bowed as I passed him, as if I was someone important or going to see someone important, or both.

Continue reading The Half Elf, by Elliot Mcilwrath, Chapter 3

Chapter 2 of the Half Elf

Edo (left) and Eli meet briefly in Russia

As previously posted,  Eli (Elliot) began writing a book while 11-years old, getting up in the early morning before school each day to work on it.

Eli’s goal was to be published at 12. Although the mother, Marianne Grin, has prevented communications between Eli and his family and friends, the project to publish his book continued. Eli’s father has assembled the work he left behind, and drafts of the book have been reviewed by Eli’s close friend, Edo.

As a teaser, here is Half Elf – Chapter 2 by Elliot Mcilwrath.

CHAPTER 2

An Unplanned Trip

The room was white with doctors all around me all dressed in white.  Through the window I could see it was night outside but I had no idea what time it was.

“Hello there, sleepyhead!” said a man, the only one not dressed all in white. “You’ve been out for almost two days!”

He started to bombard me with questions. “How did it happen? Did you see the arrows before they hit you, or who was shooting them? Why were there arrows at the gym? Do you know why anyone might want to hurt you?”

…

Download entire second chapter:  Half Elf – Chapter 2