This just got to me

I am not intending to pressure anyone by posting again about my friend's friend's son, but as I was reading their blog again today, I noticed a post from the 8th where the family decided to have an auction to sell off various things in order to continue raising money for a possible bone marrow transplant.

It got me thinking of all the expensive things I have and could also sell to help them out. I am not unfamiliar with selling belongings to make money, or finding belongings to be sold. Ryan and I did this for our Jamaica trip. We'll probably continue to do it for more Jamaica fundraising in the future simply because it doesn't take that much work and, well, you get money. Besides there is a lot of stuff we own that we don't really need. We need very little really. Maybe just our crepe pans and Ryan's CDs.

Looking back, now that it's almost over, this fall/winter has been kind of rough on my heart, in a variety of ways. Every week I read countless stories of suffering in the world for my Human Rights class that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visiting Jamaica and spending a week at the infirmary I had another round of heartbreak. And then today, I read about the lengths that Jack's family is going to in order to save their son.

Sounds like Jack needs another transfusion this week and they are hoping that they won't have to go in again before the holidays. What is it like to live in such a way? Countless people do this day in and day out.

Sometimes I think that what makes this type of hardship so hard for me to comprehend is knowing both sides of the stories of our world's children. Meghan, Daniel, Sam, Sophia, Gabriela, Noah, Owen - all healthy. All well. All precious to me. And there are thousands more who are healthy and well, and still thousands more who are not. It's the contrast that somehow makes it worse.

I have friends whose son had cancer when he was young, I have a feeling that they can probably relate to some of Jack's family's drive and despair. I have been fortunate in my lifetime, my suffering has been nearly non-existent, my worries all have the quality of laying on the surface of life, not cowering in the pits.

http://savejacksimbulan.blogspot.com/2006/12/15-auction-stories.html

May God walk with you today, with Jack and his family, with my friends at the infirmary.
Liz