Daniel
Christopher Steven was born in London, ON, Canada, on a
snowy Christmas Eve, 1976. Beautiful flakes danced softly
out of the midnight sky onto silent streets. Twenty-five
years later, Dan flew back into that big sky he loved,
huge snowflakes again fluttering down through the quiet
predawn glow of street lamps. We who had surrounded and
loved him were struck by this sign - a circle completed,
a peace, and a journey well-done.
Dan
was a poet, a free-spirit, the quintessential artist.
He was nicknamed “Smiley” by his camp kids;
he was called “Friendly Neighbourhood Dan” at
the open mike at his funeral. His heros were Martin Luther
King Jr, Ghandi, St. Francis of Assisi, and Jesus. He
was a lover of people and angels, a singer-songwriter
with a social conscience, a sense of humour, and an understanding
that went far beyond his years.
After
Chatham Christian High School where he graduated in 1994,
excelling in music and drama, he spent a year playing
guitar on the street, busking in downtown London. He
sang “for his bus fare home” through sun
and snow. He made friends with the homeless, the newly-arrived,
anyone, giving away his few possessions to whomever needed
them - Christmas presents, shoes, money, a coffee, an
ear. He busked coast to coast across Canada, working
at street missions along the way in Halifax, Montreal,
and Toronto. He drove down from British Columbia through
San Francisco into Arizona, singing in the subways and
going to peace festivals. In 1997, He enrolled at Trent
University, Peterborough, ON, sometimes studying but
mostly singing in coffee-houses, pubs, radio stations,
and cross-cultural choirs.
In
1999, at 22 years old, after unexplained depression and
headaches, vomiting and finger-jerking, Dan was diagnosed
with a frontal lobe Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain tumour.
It erupted into our lives with a grand mal seizure, followed
by a CT scan which showed a “spot;” an MRI
later revealed a 4-5 cm tumour; a biopsy on May 6 indicated
more aggression than the doctor had initially thought.
Dan could not have surgery since the tumour was smack
on the motor strip, so the doctors started a vigourous
treatment plan of radiation and chemotherapy. We spun
around in shock. But Dan led the way, handling it all
with courage and grace.
He
had to quit work but remained stable for three years,
precious years for “Living Big.” In November
of the diagnosis year, while on treatment, Dan began
work with Toronto producer, Douglas Romanow, to record
his songs at The Fire Escape Recording Studio. In August
of 2000, Dan released his debut CD, Beggars and Kings.
He played a few concerts and many open stages. He traveled
to Israel on a personal pilgrimage. He followed his wandering
heart to Newfoundand. He began work on a second recording,
Voices from God.
However,
he had just laid down the vocal and instrumental tracks
in the Spring of 2002 when he experienced a recurrence
of symptoms. In August an emergency MRI showed five new
tumours. A new chemotherapy, Temodar, had no effect.
Over the next three months, he slowly lost his ability
to walk, to sing, to speak. Faithful friends and family
came to party with him and held a benefit concert, finishing
his second CD. All this time, Dan was at peace, imparting
strength and courage to do what we had to do - carry
him Home. The last time Dan was out of the house was
to fulfill another dream, going to the stage performance
of The Lion King in Toronto; his eyes shone.
On
Dec. 6, 2002, after a three-day coma at home in London,
surrounded by family, three weeks shy of 26 years old,
Dan was released. On Dec. 9 we honoured his request to “dance
at my funeral” as he had written so prophetically
in a song at age 17. A bus was arranged to take the many
street friends, along with 500 hundred other mourners,
to the cemetery for their final respects. His friends
made angels in the snow and cut off hair to place on
his casket. Bear angels and kites, sunflowers and Christmas
ornaments now decorate the tree above his grave.
We
miss Dan everyday. We love him forever. And we thank
God for putting him into our lives and blessing us
so richly. We pray for courage to go on, to live with
joy,
and to make a difference like Dan did... Jan,
Rick, Joel and Jessie, Jono and Emily, Jesse and all
the extended family and friends.
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