While this is typically my book review day I thought, since I couldn’t stomach the book I really tried to read over the last two weeks, I would take this time and opportunity to bring a few sites to your attention. Rarely do I use this blog to talk about some of the more depressing aspects of life as a human, nor about the massive plights and burdens some folks have placed upon them. Through facebook and then a google search born of cynicism I came across a heart rending story that had me crying bucket loads of tears over my laptop. In truth I actually paused, got tissues, stopped reading the posts before me, continued to sob, then read some more.
I don’t know how well known the story of Layla Grace Marsh is to everyone out there, but I had remained blissfully unaware and kvetching about my two year old’s tantrums until last evening. For right now, my whining and complaining is practically non-existent. You see, my willful, stubborn and oft-times fearless toddler with a mean right hook and a good arm (and aim) is healthy. Yes, he is gloriously healthy. He knows when I’m offering him a bribe and will promptly shift his behavior so the result will be very advantageous to him and other times he’ll be running, playing, eating raisins (or spitting them out when it suits); but he’s healthy.
This little girl was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at 15 months and died a year later. I can not and indeed hope to never experience the grief and horror the Marsh family is now going through as they plan a funeral for their youngest daughter. It’s a horror I do my best to live in ignorance of while simultaneously crossing my fingers praying I will never know that experience. It’s something many families out there do not have the luxury of hoping for.
The cause is never about the diseases children are afflicted by but is the children themselves. Those who are born premature and are fighting for each breath, others who are autistic in all its varying degrees of severity/symptoms, then there are those who are victims of a disease or even violence. The list is quite endless and regardless of the cause of trauma the concern is always for the child. Each life is so very precious and no one gives each of us, cynics or otherwise, a reminder of this quite like the thought of a child suffering. I ask that all of you, should you have the means to do so, please consider giving to a charity who works directly with improving the lives of children. For those interested I have included a few links below to check out. Thank you so much for your time and fortitude in reading this post and I hope you have the opportunity to check out the links below.
St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
Tennyson Center for Children in Colorado
American Institute for Cancer Research
**All the charities I listed are, to the best of my knowledge, private organizations who rely upon donations to fund their research and causes.
The Perpetual Writer 