I'm feeling so emotional and I'm going to tell you why.
The Man and I have often mentioned how very grateful we are that out of 6 kids, they are all healthy. Sure we have small issues, bed wetting, ear aches far past that of the normal infant and toddler range, missing permanent teeth (they were never formed in the gums. We have now become the orthodontists favorite family)...
But really, we are all healthy. I've been thinking about it a lot the past year or two actually. It all started with this cute little girl, Izzy. I sort of knew her parents in high school and thanks to the wonderful world that is facebook, am in cyber contact with her mom, Jennie. What an amazing, stong woman she is.
I watched on facebook and on her blog about Izzy's cancer (here) as they made their way through that time.
It broke my heart.
I donated to her charity's and even made cake coupons for auctions. (I doubt they helped very much, but I tried).
Jennie is still an amazing advocate for children's cancer. Recently on facebook she posted about a family who needed to find a bone marrow match for their young daughter's second bought with cancer. Can you even imagine how it would feel to find that you're not a match for your child and can't help them? You can read about Millie's ongoing battle on their blog (here).
When Jennie spread the word for Millie's family about a bone marrow drive at Primary Children's hospital to search for a match for Millie, she said, "if this were your child, would you want people to show up?" To which I answered yes. Yes. If it were my child I would be hoping and praying with every ounce of my being that people would show up.
So West and I did, and we're now in the bone marrow registry. I really wanted to be a match for Millie, but I guess I wasn't.
It catches me in the gut how much I need to help these causes that are fighting for children who are fighting for their lives. How wonderful would it be to find a way to relieve their pain?
I'm writing this post because today, as I was checking out my recipe blogs (oh thank heavens for recipe blogs. My husband thinks I'm a good cook because of them) I found two blogs posting on the exact same topic.
And if you haven't yet guessed, it's about two children from the same family, dealing with pain and fighting for their lives. They have a rare gene dysfunction called Leaky SCID (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency). Here is their story in their own words:
Let's help this family be able to afford the medical treatments for their girls. Help me help them. I'm asking you to go to The Sister's Cafe here and read the story. Or Mel's Kitchen Cafe here. A cookbook compiled of recipes from 40+ bloggers is being sold to raise money for the Fish family.
Both The Sister's Cafe and Mel's Kitchen Cafe are giving it away, but let's all buy a copy. The host of lemonpoppy cake did this project for this family and you can buy the book here from her site. You can buy the actual printed book, or buy it as an e-book. And spread the word. Because I don't feel like I do enough for these kids who need help. These families who need relief.
You can follow the Fish family's fight on their blog about it here.
That's a lot of linking, I know, but I don't know what else to do. Except buy a book. Which I did. And spread the word. How blessed are we to have healthy families?
In the words of Jennie, how would we be feeling if we were doing this for our own child?
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