Unsuspecting Woman Finds Message in a Bottle Written on St. Joseph’s Notepad Paper

Mother-daughter-pair Stephanie (back) and Lauren (front) enjoy kayaking excursions together. They never suspected that one such trip would lead to them finding something they’ll forever cherish.

“It’s a beautiful day today,” said Lauren Corbin. “Let’s go out on the water. I promise we’ll take it slow.”

Stephanie Corbin hesitated at her daughter’s words. She hadn’t been kayaking in years. After her diagnosis with breast cancer, a double mastectomy and the peaks and valleys of her healing process, she hadn’t had the strength. She hadn’t felt brave enough … she had been too sick to do one of the things she loved so much.

But, that changed on October 3, 2020. A feeling inside her told her to try.

The mother-daughter pair grabbed their gear and made their way out on to the Delaware River in Burlington, N.J. It turned out to be so refreshing and Stephanie surprised herself by being stronger than she initially thought.

The water was so peaceful the day Stephanie and Lauren ventured out for Stephanie’s first time back on the river since her battle with breast cancer began.

Time softly slipped by, and soon it had been two hours that they’d been kayaking. Although Stephanie went at a slower pace than was typical prior to her diagnosis and surgery, feeling the warm sunshine on her face and enjoying the peace of nature had been good for Stephanie’s soul.

“I remember floating there and just feeling so present in that moment,” she said. “I was thanking God for everything he had brought me through.”

But her body was signaling it was tired, so she listened. She asked Lauren if they could pull off on to Burlington Island, which was close by. While her daughter paddled ahead to get out of her kayak at the island’s dock, Stephanie decided to pull off on to shore to lessen the distance for her tired arms.

As she sat there, thanking God for renewing the strength she had lost for so long, she saw something near her feet. A bottle lay resting on the shore. As Stephanie examined it, she noticed there was a message inside.

“I yelled for my daughter, ‘Come look! I found a bottle and there’s a message inside!’” recalled Stephanie. “She hurried over and we opened it.”

Inside, written in a young child’s handwriting, were words that now echo in Stephanie’s mind every day.

Dear people that get this note. Hi my name is Ellie, and I hope that whoever get this note is so special and I bet you can have a [growth] mindset. That means you can do anything you put your mind to. and any one you are, you are special to me. xoxo hugs and kisses, Ellie, 11/2/17

P.S. if you get this note maybe you can write a note.

Stephanie and her daughter were shocked. The innocent words of the child were so fitting after what they had all gone through. It felt so personal, so exact — like Ellie had been writing specifically to Stephanie.

“The part where she wrote, ‘you can do anything you put your mind to,’ was really special to me,” said Stephanie, speaking through tears.

But, another shocking part of the letter was the date. Young Ellie dated her message November 2, 2017 — just 13 days before Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer. For the next three years, as Stephanie rode the waves of her cancer, the message in a bottle rode the waves of the river, until the pair could find each other on a day Stephanie needed those words the most.

“When you’ve been diagnosed with something you can go one of two ways: you can be miserable with fear or have faith. My faith is strong, but I’ve been tested,” said Stephanie. “I believe that message was God’s divine intervention. He used the hands of a little girl to write to me and tell me that I would be okay.”

After examining the note further, Stephanie saw a printed message on the back that tied the notepad to St. Joseph’s Indian School. After Stephanie reached out to our school, we determined Ellie was not a student, but likely a little girl whose family received a notepad from our school in the mail.

At St. Joseph’s, it’s our hope that the gifts we send in mail packages will be used to spread goodness, love and kindness. Little Ellie did exactly that, and forever changed the life of a stranger she will likely never meet, but who also needed her words the most.

No longer in a bottle, Ellie’s note now rests in a special frame inside Stephanie’s home to remind Stephanie of her strength — to remind her to always, always have faith.

Stephanie plans to write messages with her grandchildren and release them for other unsuspecting strangers. She wants to mirror Ellie’s example and spread more goodness into a world that could use a little more right now.

“This message was meant for me without a doubt,” said Stephanie. “To my guardian angel, Ellie, thank you for such beautiful words of encouragements. Wherever you are, please know you touched my life.”

To learn more about St. Joseph’s Indian School, please visit stjo.org

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future.

23 thoughts on “Unsuspecting Woman Finds Message in a Bottle Written on St. Joseph’s Notepad Paper”

  1. What a beautiful story !!! I hope this letter finds the woman with breast cancer still well enough to follow what- ever pursuits she has in mind. I care so much for the Lakota/Sioux children at the school & hope for a bright future for each & every one of them.

    Mary Halley

  2. You really told this story well. Stephanie is a friend of mine and a true friend to so many. She cares and cared for everyone else even while she went through her health issues. I hope little Ellie is found and sees what an impact she made on one person. Ellie should be around 10 or 11 now, based on the letter.

    1. Thank you, Cheryl! We hope Ellie and Stephanie have the opportunity to speak one day, too. What a blessing that could be.

  3. What a beautiful story! As another cancer survivor, I have found that when we look back over time to our diagnosis, treatment, and for those of us fortunate enough, our recovery, we have seen many “angels” blessing us and helping us on our way.
    I love using the Christmas cards and the other materials from St. Joseph’s. I think it’s a good way for the recipient to be made aware of the school if they are not already aware it, but also that the scripture verses printed on much of the material are a blessing.

  4. What an amazing story. With God nothing is impossible and He sends angels to many of us. This story choked me up and I surely know He loves every single one of His children.

  5. A very special letter with good thoughts from the mind and heart of Ellie through the auspices of the One Infinite Creator, God, to the receptive heart and mind of Stephanie. A marvelous report of what gifts the One Infinite Creator shares with us always and a joy to read and cherish. Nothing is by accident; all is by Divine Design.

  6. I received a phone call at (coincidentally the same time I received this email) from a friend. She told that a young girl 27 yrs old whom we both know from birth was diagnosed with breast cancer and received her first chemo treatment yesterday. I think this inspiring story is no mistake and I will be passing it on to my friend. I Love St. Joseph and all they do! God Bless

    1. Thank you so much for sharing, Debbie. God’s timing is always perfect. How wonderful about when you received this story in your inbox. We hope it brings peace and blessings to your friend.

  7. I am a contributor to St. Joseph’s School for many years, but this year I really needed this message, my youngest son just learned he has lung cancer. I know little about this disease or how to help him, this message in a bottle told me how I can help encourage him to fight and believe he can do anything he sets his mind to. Thank you Ellie wherever you are and good luck and Lords blessing to you Stephanie (my other son’s name is Stephan) we all live in different states and can not see one another what with this virus.

    1. Beverly, we will say prayers for you and your son, that God will give him the strength to overcome this disease. God bless you both.

  8. God works in wonderful ways. We seldom know how our actions and words affect people we have had pass through our lives. We should always remember the One we are representing here on earth.

  9. wow that was a goosebump moment god bless everyone at st josephs school kids and staff i pray that they all stay safe and well for this new year

  10. For several years now I have been donating the money I would have spent on my family’s Christmas gifts to St Joseph’s Indian School.. The children on this years Christmas card reminded me of my almost grown granddaughters. This story of a note in a bottle from a little girl found by a woman slowly recovering from breast cancer touched my heart and made me weep. God bless the beautiful children of St Joesph’s School, their teachers, families and all who support them.

  11. Yes. There are so many challenges in our lives: our country, our families, our physical ailments, emotional hurts…And there are so many ways of responding. Floating on water, still or flowing, is one of my favorites. Singing dancing and singing are others.
    One of these days, I will come and visit St. Joe’s. Hopefully, a family or community outside of the school as well. Hopefully, this spring or summer.
    I won’t be donating money for a while. I did get the blanket you guys sent me. Thanks.

  12. Reading Stephanie’s story had brought me to tears.But they were true tears of joy.They were words straight from the heart. I don’t believe I shall soon forget them.

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