This page last updated May 17, 2013

Susan Gordon's Appearances at Film Festivals, Autograph Shows, and Celebrity Events
Recap written by Rich Braisted
Longtime Web Designer for Susan

About 5 years after our April 2002 meeting with Joe Turkel � Mr. Turkel, Susan Gordon, and Bert I. Gordon appeared together in an interview extra on a special edition DVD of the film Tormented (for the ignominious MST3K series). For the record, the two films which Joe Turkel and Susan Gordon appeared in together were Tormented and The Boy and the Pirates, and the TV episode they appeared in together was a Ben Casey episode: "One Nation Indivisible." The photo at left shows the various DVDs which Joe Turkel appeared on with Susan Gordon and Bert I. Gordon. (In taking this photo, I placed the DVDs in the same spot on our living room sofa where Susan customarily sat when she came for movie nights at our house. From July 2003 through December 2010, Susan would stop in often to watch movies, record voice-over demos, work on computer projects, rehearse her stand-up comedy, and to tell us stories about her real life in Teaneck or her surreal life as a celebrity.)

After meeting with Joe Turkel in the giant tent outside of the Meadowlands Sheraton, Susan and I proceeded indoors to the ballroom where the memorabilia tables were set up. We encountered at one of the vendor tables an interesting man who was selling copies of a DVD of a film he had recently directed � a film about a caveman from West Virigina: Jan-Gel, the Beast from the East. As it turned out, the man we were talking to was Conrad Brooks, a cult-film celebrity who is especially known for his appearance in Plan 9 From Outer Space (and other Ed Wood films). Coincidentally, Mr. Brooks later appeared with Susan Gordon as a "celebrity waiter" at the SERVE Inc. event in Virginia, which is mentioned below. Conrad Brooks also appeared at many other film festivals at which Susan Gordon appeared.

Here is a scene in which Joe Turkel was featured in Blade Runner:

Jon Provost interviewed by Harry Smith for The Early Show on CBS:

Here is George Clayton Johnson's keynote speech from the 2002 Twilight Zone Convention. (The video quality isn't the best, but the speech is first rate, so be sure to listen to it when you have time):

From L-to-R are Johnny Meeks, Suzanne Lloyd, Barbara Stuart, Susan Gordon, Noel Neill, JoAnn Pflug, Erin Gray, Hank Garrett, and Betsy Palmer. Not pictured - Barbara McNair
(This photo was originally posted here: https://www.cometwesterns.com/filmfes2.htm -
Thank you to Tommy Hildreth for the permission to use this photo!)

Susan Gordon appeared at the Asheville Film Festival in North Carolina the weekend of November 8-10, 2002. (The festival is also known as the Western North Carolina Film Festival.) Susan specifically mentioned to me that she had a wonderful time getting to know Noel Neill, the actress who had played the role of Lois Lane in the Superman TV series of the 1950s. Also in attendance at the film festival was Betsy Palmer. Susan and Betsy appeared at quite a few film festivals and autograph shows together, and if memory serves me correctly, it was Betsy Palmer's success as a voice-over performer which inspired Susan's interest in doing some voice-over work. Betsy is best known for the role of Jason Voorhees' mother in the Friday the 13th films.

Here is an interesting interview which Betsy Palmer did at the Chiller Theatre Expo in October 2005. As you can see, the video was filmed in the expansive tent where the celebrity tables were arranged at some Chiller Theatre Expos. (When we met Joe Turkel in April 2002, his celebrity table was set up in this tent.)

Here is an Angela Cartwright scene from one of Susan Gordon's favorite films � The Sound of Music:

Here is a Veronica Cartwright (and Tom Skerritt) Q&A from Texas Frightmare Weekend (recorded: 05/04/13). Susan Gordon and Veronica Cartwright appeared together in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Summer Shade," which first aired on January 10, 1961:

Here is the guest list from that event:

The name immediately beneath Susan Gordon on the guest list is David Carradine. That reminds me of a story Susan told me. Later in 2003, Susan Gordon met David Carradine at the Super Megafest in Framingham, Massachusettes. (A short description of that autograph convention is further down this page.) When I spoke with Susan, late on the Sunday afternoon of the Framingham show, she was excited to tell me that David Carradine had just stopped at her table to say goodbye. Mr. Carradine mentioned to Susan that he remembered her from her Twilight Zone and Gunsmoke appearances, and complimented her on her performances in those shows. Susan was stunned that a "big star" like David Carradine stopped to talk to her, but not as stunned as she was the morning of June 4, 2009, when I informed her of the unsettling news of his death in Bangkok, Thailand. Anyhow, Susan encountered a lot of interesting characters at the celebrity events, and Mr. Carradine was one of them.

Here is a scene in which Ron Harper appeared, from an episode of the Planet of the Apes TV series. The boy in the scene is Jackie Earle Haley who starred in The Bad News Bears films. I will stretch a bit here to connect this to Susan Gordon's recent life by noting that Mr. Haley's co-star in the first two Bad News Bears films was Chris Barnes, who played the tenacious character named "Tanner" in those two films. Chris Barnes grew up in Oradell, NJ, and in this town is a theater group named Bergen County Players. Over the years, Susan enjoyed attending stage productions put on by this theater group, and a few years ago she actually joined their theater group, and had hoped to audition for productions. Unfortunately, time was working against her, thus she never did have an opportunity to perform there. (Their theater was located just 3 miles from her home.)

Later that same year, in December 2005, Susan Gordon volunteered at another SERVE Inc. charity event; the second event took place the week leading up to Christmas Day � Susan helped to distribute Christmas gifts at a homeless shelter in the Washington D.C. area.

Here is what Susan had to say from England, in her message to fans (dated September 1, 2005):

Dear Friends,

I am writing this to you from England, where I will be a guest at the Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester this weekend. I've come to England early to spend two days in London first. It's been many many years since I've been here, and I'm finding many changes in the city.

Except for the strikingly British architecture, and the fact that all the cars and buses are driving on the left side of the street, it's a bit of a challenge to remember I'm in England. Everywhere I go, I see America's influence and presence: MacDonnalds, Haggen Das, Starbucks, Duncan Donuts, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.

I'm doing a lot of walking here, seeing all the well-known sights: Westminster Abby, Parliament, Big Ben, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Circus, Soho, China Town. Of course, I do enjoy riding the tube (subway) and the double-decker red buses. A ticket costs �2 (about US$3.80) or an unlimited one-day pass can be had for �4.70, and it's good until the buses stop running at about 4:00 a.m.

Gratefully, they have internet cafes, such as the one I'm at now, so I can write to you all. �1 for one hour. That, itself, is a great deal, compared to the outrageous prices I've encountered in other locales.

That's all for now. I'll write again after the festival. I am really looking forward to it.

Hope all is well with you.

Warmest regards,

:-)

Susan

The photo at right was taken in our dining room the night before Susan Gordon left for Washington D.C.. The Five Pennies had been officially released on DVD on December 13, 2005. On the night of December 20, 2005, Susan came to our house to autograph copies of The Five Pennies DVD for some of her fans. These were DVDs which she wanted delivered in time for Christmas, thus why she took the time to stop at our house even though she was busy (and frazzled) that night preparing to leave the next morning for her special visit to the Library of Congress. She did not return to New Jersey until December 26, so this was her last chance to get these discs I had ordered for her autographed before Christmas Day.

While at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. to view her performance in Miracle on 34th Street, Susan Gordon was also able to view two hard-to-find episodes of television which in which she had appeared: Sam Benedict - "Where There's a Will"; and The Eleventh Hour - "Make Me a Place." Mr. Finegan had arranged for these two recordings also to be ready for Susan Gordon when she arrived at the Library of Congress on December 21, 2005. A video in which Susan Gordon describes her visit to the Library of Congress can be found in the "July 2010: Super Mega Show" section below.

Numerous Bert I. Gordon films were screened at the 2006 Monster Bash, and the filmography of Susan Gordon's acting career (The Susan Gordon Scrapbook) was also screened at the 2006 Monster Bash. Scarlet Street Magazine editors, Richard Valley and Tom Amorosi, were in attendance, and brought along with them the latest issue of Scarlet Street Magazine (issue #55), an issue which included features on Bert I. Gordon, Susan Gordon, and Kenny Miller. Sadly, this was the final edition of Scarlet Street Magazine to be published prior to Richard Valley's death on October 12, 2007.

Thank you to Ron Adams of Monster Bash for permission to use some photos from his Monster Bash website on Susan Gordon's website. Ron Adams has on his website an extensive collection of photos from each Monster Bash from 1997 until present: Monster Bash Photos. The photo at left is of Ron Adams with Susan Gordon; the photo at right is of Ron's wife, Ursula Adams, with Susan Gordon. As noted above, Susan Gordon and Ron Adams met for the first time at the Chiller Theatre Expo in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on April 25, 2004. My attention was divided between Susan and my three sons as that happened, but I do recall her looking at the table of DVDs in front of Ron and saying something like, "I'm in one of these." (I assumed they were Twilight Zone DVDs.) I was stunned by how quickly Ron Adams recognized Susan, as it seemed like he was immediately making a reference to The Boy and the Pirates. At that point I went off to another table to pay for a Planet of the Apes figure my son wanted. Fourteen months later, Susan Gordon made her first appearance at Monster Bash.

The group photo below shows Susan Gordon with her hands on the shoulders of Richard Valley and Forrest J. Ackerman (AKA "Uncle Forry"). Charlie Herbert is to the far right (in a green/aqua shirt). Unfortunately, we only see the backs of the heads of Kenny Miller and Yvette Vickers in the forefront of the photo, and can only catch Bert I. Gordon's yellow sleeve (he's seated at the table). However, this is such a nice photo of Susan Gordon, Richard Valley, Uncle Forry, and many of the loyal Monster Bashers, it would be tragic not to post this photo here just because it's not quite perfect.

Here is an excerpt from a newsletter Susan Gordon sent to her Fan Club leading into the weekend of the 2006 Monster Bash:

Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:59 am

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you from Pittsburgh, where I am a guest at the Monster Bash. It opens tonight and is really going to be an exciting convention. My father, Bert I. Gordon, is also a guest, the first time for him attending such a show. Kenny Miller (Attack of the Puppet People) and Charles Herbert (The Boy and the Pirates) are here, too. It'll be a great reunion.

At long last! Boy and the Pirates, which has never been released on video, is being released on DVD this next week by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on their movies label. The Bash has secured a pre-release copy of the DVD and it will be shown here on Sunday morning.

And here is an excerpt from a newsletter Susan Gordon sent to her Fan Club about six weeks after Monster Bash 2006:

Tue Aug 8, 2006 2:09 am

Dear Friends,

I can't believe it's been almost six weeks since Monster Bash 2006 in Pittsburgh! It was such a grand convention! I wish more of you could have attended.

As you may know, my dad, Bert I. Gordon was there. Although he's been honored at a few film festivals before, this was the first time for him to appear at such a convention. And he simply loved it!

Charles Herbert was there, too. We worked together quite a lot �back then�, and hadn�t seen each other since. It was quite a reunion. You may remember Charlie from �The Fly� and �Houseboat� and, of course, �The Boy and The Pirates,� one of dad�s films which Charlie and I worked on together.

And Kenny Miller was at the Bash. He appeared with me in �Attack of the Puppet People,� another of dad�s films.

I guess you could say it was another Bert I. Gordon film festival and reunion.

In August 2006, the Twilight Zone Convention came to the East Coast, and was held in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, the weekend of August 12-13, 2006. The venue was just a few miles from Susan Gordon's home (virtually walking distance from Susan's house). This was the third of the four Twilight Zone Conventions that Susan attended. (Andrew Ramage managed the 2002 and 2004 conventions which took place in Los Angeles, California, and Herman Darvick managed the 2006 and 2007 conventions held in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey.) According to Andrew Ramage (who attended the 2006 Twilight Zone Convention), George Clayton Johnson made his customary big impression at the celebrity dinner on Saturday night of that weekend, and Susan enjoyed reconnecting with Mary Badham and H.M. Wynant. Another actress who attended the Twilight Zone Conventions was Morgan Brittany. While Ms. Brittany is well known from appearing as a regular cast member on the TV series Dallas, as a young child she appeared in Twilight Zone episodes under her given name: Suzanne Cupito. I do believe that Susan Gordon and Suzanne Cupito were friends as children in the early-1960s. Interestingly, Suzanne Cupito landed a role in the only film or TV show which Susan Gordon did NOT get a part in after auditioning for: the Natalie Wood film, Gypsy. However, I don't believe that Suzanne and Susan were being considered for the same role in Gypsy

Here is what Susan had to say about this show in advance of it taking place. She sent this to her fans on February 4, 2007:

"I'm writing to let you know that I will be appearing at the Hollywood Collectors and Celebrity Show this coming February 16th and 17th in Burbank, California. My dad, Bert I. Gordon, will also be there. He had so much fun doing Monster Bash with me last June, that he's really looking forward to doing this show. If any of you will be in the Los Angeles area that weekend, please take this opportunity to stop by and say 'Hi.' I would love to see you there."

Here's a recent video of Joe Turkel. This video is not from a show that Susan Gordon appeared at, but since Mr. Turkel has been mentioned so often on this page, it only seems appropriate to include this short video here:

I have not been able to find any photos of Susan and Bert appearing at this particular Monster Bash, but here are a few blog entries or message-board postings which mentioned Susan Gordon and Bert I. Gordon appearing at the 2007 Monster Bash. (At the very end of the IMDB Review, the reviewer specifically references his meetings with Bert I. Gordon and Susan Gordon):

Here is what Susan Gordon had to say about the 2007 Twilight Zone Convention in the e-mail newsletter she sent to her fans on November 22, 2007:

"This was the fourth TZ Convention and its following gets bigger every time. There was a good turnout of TZ stars to meet the fans, who enjoyed panel discussions with the stars and showings of all their episodes. Would that more of you could have made it out to the convention to say 'hello.' The next TZ Convention will be in Los Angeles in 2009 for the 50th anniversary of the series. I've been to all four of the conventions so far, and I intend to make it to the next one, as well. Perhaps I'll see some of you there?"

1) March 2008: Ray Courts Chicago Show

2) June 2008: Monster Bash

Rather than describe the two film festivals that Susan Gordon appeared at in 2008 myself, I am simply going to post the three newsletters Susan Gordon sent to her Fan Club in 2008, as she makes reference to the two film festivals a number of times in these newsletters. But first, here is an excerpt from an e-mail Susan sent to me the morning of June 19, 2008. You may find it amusing:

"I'm on the plane and we're about to leave. It's a very small plane - one seat on the left side and two on the right, and going back probably not even 20 rows (60 seats in all.) Seated on the left as I am, I can honestly say I have a whole row to myself.
;-)
Thanks so much to Mel for driving me ...
I'll keep you updated of the weekend's events as they unfold."

Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:13 am

Dear Friends,

What a glorious week this is! With Daylight Savings Time well under way, I am enjoying the extra hour of sunshine each day. I hope all of you are well.

I'd like to welcome newcomers to our happy family. Thank you for your emails. It's always nice to hear from you.

This weekend, I will be attending the Ray Courts Hollywood Collectors Show in Chicago with my dad, Bert I. Gordon. If any of you are in the neighborhood, please do stop by to say 'hello.' I'd love to meet you.

Then, coming up in June, I'll be returning, for the third time, to the MonsterBash in Pittsburgh, PA, again with my father. Charles Herbert will also be there. It will be great to see him again. Mark the dates, June 20-22, and come on by. It's really a great show.

I invite you all to visit my website again. My webmaster, Media Imaging, has done a great job of keeping it updated with new information. Check out the great subpage on my dad, where you can view trailers from a number of his movies.

That's all for now. I hope to see some of you this weekend. Until next time, take care.

Warmest regards,

Susan Gordon

Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:37 am

Dear Friends,

Wow! This year has really sped by! Here it is mid June already, and the long awaited Monster Bash Convention is this weekend! I can hardly believe it, and I can hardly wait! My dad will be there, as will my old friend and co-star Charles Herbert. It will be a great reunion! And there will be a screening of "Tormented" with a Q&A afterwards, with my dad and me. If you are in the neighborhood of Butler, PA (near Pittsburgh), do stop by to say "hello". It will be great to see you.

Next month, I will once again be a judge at the IMTA (International Modeling and Talent Association) Contest where students from modeling, dancing, singing and drama schools from all over the world come to compete. I was a judge for the singing competition last year, as well, and really enjoyed hearing all the fresh new talent that was there to perform.

I hope this finds you well. I wish you all a good summer, and hope to see some of you at the Bash.

Warmest regards,

Susan Gordon

Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:39 am

My Dear Friends,

As 2008 is drawing to a close, I want to take this opportunity to welcome those of you who have joined us this year, and to thank all of you for your emails. I so appreciate hearing from you.

Looking back over the year, there was the Hollywood Celebrities Show in Chicago, and the MonsterBash in Pittsburgh. My dad was a guest at both shows, as well, and we had a great time together. Dad has just finished writing his autobiography: "The Amazing Colossal Worlds of Bert I. Gordon". It should be out in the Spring. I'll have more about it later.

On a sad note, my dear friend Forrest J. Ackerman passed away earlier this month at the age of 92. Uncle Forry, as he was affectionately known to his huge following, helped shaped the world of science fiction with his fanzine, 'Famous Monsters of Filmdom . He is also responsible for coining the term 'sci-fi'. At his home in California, called the 'Ackermansion', he had an amazing collection of film memorabilia that he proudly displayed and always welcomed visitors. It was Forry who gave my dad his nickname of 'Mr. B.I.G.' Forry, we miss you already.

I wish you all a happy holiday season. May 2009 be a year of good health, happiness, and prosperity for everyone..

Warmest regards,

Susan Gordon

Here's how Susan Gordon described that event in advance of it taking place:

Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:19 pm

Dear Friends;

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday season.

I wanted to let you know - well, those of you in the New York area - that I will be making a special appearance this Wednesday afternoon, December 16th, at the matinee performance of 'Danny and Sylvia' at the St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street. The show starts at 2 pm, and what a marvelous show it is! If you love Danny Kaye like I do, you'll appreciate what a great job Brian Childers does in the title role. And if you do make it to the show, please come up and say 'hello.' I'd love to see you there!

Here's how Susan Gordon described that Broadway appearance in a draft version of a blog post she intended to post on the website of Barbara Sinclair, a blogger who had mentioned her love for The Five Pennies around the same time as Susan's appearance at Danny and Sylvia. This is the draft Susan e-mailed to me on December 21, 2009. (The content of this e-mail ultimately got split between Susan's blog comment under Barbara Sinclair's blog entry, and a short paragraph on Susan Gordon's home page):

Barbara,

Thank you for your lovely story. The Five Pennies has quite a significant place in my life, and I was quite touched to know that it is remembered so fondly by others, as well. Speaking of synchronicity, just last week I was in New York City to see the show, Danny and Sylvia, the lovely off-Broadway musical about the life of Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine, now playing at the St. Luke's Theater on 46th Street. And after the show, Brian Childers, who does an amazing job portraying Danny Kaye, announced that he and Kimberly Faye Greenberg, his co-star, would be singing a duet of two songs from The Five Pennies. He sang "Lullaby in Ragtime," and she sang "Good Night, Sleep Tight," and it was simply lovely. �Danny� then announced that those two songs were really part of a three-part medley in the movie, with The Five Pennies being the third part. He then invited me up onto the stage to sing with them and round off the medley. It was great being able to sing the song as an adult with �Danny� and �Sylvia.� Almost as much fun as it had been singing it with Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong in the movie. Ahhh, such sweet memories!

Warmest regards,

Susan Gordon

Here is an excerpt from the e-mail newsletter which Susan Gordon sent to her fans on July 1, 2010:

"It was a great weekend, reconnecting with Monster Bashers from years past. This was my fourth Bash (Note: I believe it was actually Susan's 5th Bash; somehow we managed to lose track of the count), and it really felt like coming home. Dad was there, signing his autobiography, and it was great to see Charles Herbert and Kenny Miller again, too. Julie Adams was there. I had worked with her on an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode, 'Summer Shade', and hadn't seen her since, except for earlier this year at the Monsterpalooza. There was a sock hop on Friday night, with music from the '60's, and the mood was set for a rockin' weekend." By the way, the photo at left, of Susan Gordon dancing at the "sock hop" reminds me of something she told us only a few years ago. In a couple of scenes in My Three Sons "Now, In My Day," Susan had to dance. Later in life, Susan's love for dancing attained near-legendary status, but back in 1967 she was still a novice when it came to dancing. Susan actually took dance lessons specifically to improve her dancing ability for those two scenes in the My Three Sons episode.

Here is that excellent Monster Bash music video from Mark Statler:

There is one more mention related to Monster Bash that I'd like to include on this page. Many wonderful tribute messages were posted for Susan Gordon after she passed away, but few more accurately described the Susan that I knew than the tribute written by a man who met Susan at a few Monster Bash conventions. Here is a link to his tribute message:

In Susan's final weeks, my wife and I visited her a few times. After watching one of her favorite comedy films (Some Like it Hot) with her one night in October 2011, I decided to try to track down a couple of Susan's hard-to-find TV episodes to watch with her at our next "movie nite." I contacted Kate Thomas, the niece of Marlo Thomas, and asked her if she could get us a copy of the Make Room for Daddy (AKA The Danny Thomas Show) episode which Susan Gordon was featured in: "Danny and the Brownies." Kate was able to have a special copy of the episode mailed to us. Unfortunately, by the time the disc arrived, Susan was no longer well enough to watch the episode with us, but she was well enough to tell me on the phone that she was happy that the disc had arrived. After Susan passed away on December 11, 2011, I asked the man who had uploaded the Q&A video above if he had more footage of Susan Gordon, as I had noticed on his YouTube channel that he shoots footage at autograph shows. On December 16, 2011, he uploaded the short video below. It is video from the same Q&A session at the Super Mega Show. Oddly enough, Susan describes in this short video the very TV episode we did not get to watch with her.

Here's a bit of what Susan said about Festival of Fantastic Films:

"I'm not sure I've written you since the last show I did, last October, the Festival of Fantastic Films, in Manchester, England. My dad was there, too, promoting his autobiography. It was a fun show and having the quality time to spend with dad in Manchester was a real bonus. Dad is writing a new book, but more on that later."

Here is video someone shot at the 2010 Chiller Theatre Expo, October 31, 2010. Susan does not appear in this video, but Patty Duke is featured prominently. At the :34 mark of the video is Patty Duke chatting with her ex-husband, actor John Astin (Gomez Addams from The Addams Family TV series). John Astin's co-star on The Addam's Family, Carolyn Jones (Morticia Addams of The Addams Family), had starred in Susan Gordon's second full-length film: The Man in the Net. Barbara Eden appears at the 1:29 mark of this video. Susan mentioned this day, and while at one of the Hollywood Collectors Shows years earlier, that there were enormously long lines of fans at Barbara Eden's celebrity table. This made a big impression on Susan.

Thu May 12, 2011 10:31 pm

Dear Friends,

I haven't written in a while, and I hope you'll forgive me. Life does seem to happen so quickly, I lose track of time.

This weekend, May 14-15, I will be appearing at the "Your 2nd Childhood Memorabilia Show II" which is taking place at the Holiday Inn on West 57th Street in NYC. There's a link on the home page of my website with all the information. I do hope those of you in the area will be able to stop by to say hello. It looks like a fun show and, of course, a great chance to meet.

I'm not sure I've written you since the last show I did, last October, the Festival of Fantastic Films, in Manchester, England. My dad was there, too, promoting his autobiography. It was a fun show and having the quality time to spend with dad in Manchester was a real bonus. Dad is writing a new book, but more on that later.

My thanks to my webmaster, Media Imaging, Inc., for keeping my website updated with upcoming events. Be sure to visit my site from time to time to catch up on what's happening.

I hope to see some of you this weekend!

Warmest regards,

Susan

A couple of months after appearing at Your 2nd Childhood Memorabilia Show II, Susan Gordon was booked to appear at World Con IV in Manhattan. The event was originally scheduled to take place April 27-28, 2012, but was rescheduled for June 15-17, 2012. (I read on Facebook that it was later canceled due to lack of pre-show commitments from memorabilia vendors.) The only reason I mention it here is that it demonstrates how optimistic a person Susan was that she believed she would be able to attend an event in 2012. Susan's life was dotted with seemingly miraculous circumstances and events, and even in her final months she believed that a "miracle" would cure her.