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By Joe Kohn of the Michigan Catholic
Published September 15, 2006

Detroit — It's often difficult to understand how God can bring anything good forth from a tragedy – but He can.

Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Brandon Nguyen, a 5-year-old with acute myelogenous leukemia, is one of 105 childrenwho enjoyed Capt. Cathy’s Cruise for Kids on the Detroit River last weekend. The cruise was established to honor mail boat Captain Cathy Nasiastka, who died in 2001.

And a boatload of evidence floated up and down the Detroit River for three hours last Sunday as Capt. Cathy's Cruise for Kids gave seriously ill children from Detroit Children's Hospital countless smiles in an afternoon meant to simply enjoy life.

"The children are what it's all about," said Gary Nasiatka, who founded the annual cruise in memory of his wife, Cathy, who died when the mail boat she captained sank in October 2001. "Just to see the excitement from them is rewarding."

Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Damon Colston, a patient at Detroit Children’s Hospitalsince December of last year, gets his arm painted by cruiseentertainer Dizzy the Clown.

The cruise takes place each year around Sept. 11 on the Diamond Queen riverboat, which Cathy also used to captain. It's made possible by hard work from Gary and his two young adult daughters, Kristy Budnick and Jacquie Nasiatka, the generosity of the Diamond Jack River Tours, and countless volunteers and corporate donors who give their efforts, food and prizes.

More than 100 children — many of them patients from Detroit Children's Hospital's cardiac unit — accompanied by their parents were aboard the Diamond Queen riverboat Sept. 10. They enjoyed music, games, prizes and the companionship of a team of clowns aboard the ship for three hours.

"I just like seeing the sights and stuff," said 13-year-old Addy Ward, a heart patient at the hospital, "the GM building and everything."

Ward, who has had five open heart surgeries, was one of many children whose days have long been filled with medical treatment, some of them from birth.

Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Gary Nasiatka, center, thanks the children on the boat fora greeting card and gift he received from thechildren aboard the cruise.

"The cruise is real nice," said Robin Bowman-Thomas, whose son Justin Bowman, 20, is deaf and has been a longtime patient in Children's Hospital's hematology unit. "We really enjoy this time. Every day, being in the hospital, and all the medicine — it just gives us a break."

Justin enjoys the annual ride, especially because it takes place near his Sept. 6 birthday.

"I like the boat," he said, through his mother's interpretation. "And it's always around my birthday."

As much as the cruise gives suffering children a chance to enjoy life, it also gives the Nasiatka family a continuing chance to heal.

When Cathy Nasiatka's mail boat, the J.W. Westcott II, capsized, Gary and his two daughters were kept in suspense while authorities from Windsor searched for the ship. It was then, Gary said, that the Church offered them much-needed help.

Capt. Cathy's Foundation Cathy Nasiatka left a 20-year career in human resources to follow her dream to captain river boats. Her mail boat, the J.W. Westcott II, capsized in the Detroit River in October 2001. Cathy's widower, Gary Nasiatka, and his two daughters, Kristy Budnick and Jacquie Nasiatka, founded an annual cruise for children in Cathy's name, and have started a foundation. To learn more about Capt. Cathy's Foundation, write to: Capt. Cathy's Foundation, P.O. Box 148, Algonac, 48001. Or, e-mail Gary Nasiatka at cupcity74@aol.com.

Fr. Russell Kohler, pastor of Most Holy Trinity Parish in Detroit's Corktown district and chaplain of Detroit's maritime community, approached Gary and invited the Nasiatka's to live in the parish rectory – near the Detroit River – during the investigation. Eventually, Cathy was buried in the cemetery outside of Most Holy Trinity Parish, and Gary joined the parish.

During the ordeal, Fr. Kohler said, people from Algonac, especially those at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish where the Nasiatka family had been, were extremely supportive.

"The Catholic Algonac community was solidly in back of this family," said Fr. Kohler on the deck of the boat on Sunday. "In the midst of this profound grief, we kept vigil for several days and we became very tight."

Through the memorial cruise, Fr. Kohler said, the solidarity of Catholic community has continued to heal the Nasiatka family – and has given many children a day to look forward to.

It also keeps Cathy's memory alive.

Roxanne Smith, a cardiovascular technician at Children's Hospital and a parishioner at Christ the Good Shepherd in Lincoln Park, never knew Cathy Nasiatka, but has gotten to know her in spirit through her husband and daughters.

Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Children stare fixated over the back of the Diamond Queen riverboat during the three-hour cruise.

"Gary shares the goodness of the life he had with her to all these families," said Smith. "And she's remembered by all these smiling faces."

And when Gary Nasiatka boards the Diamond Queen each year, amid the laughing and playing of the kids he can see his wife's smiling face, too.

"I think her spirit is looking down on us," he said. "And it's given us five years of good weather, and everything goes well. It just gets better and better."