New Years Eve 2009! How exciting! What are our options? We can bring out the champagne, party hats, streamers, noise makers and fancy clothes in order to bring in the New Year in a grand and celebratory way or there is another option, we can make a difference in the life of someone who will be bringing in the New Year anxiously because she has been told that she may not live through the month of January, let alone the New Year of 2009. This is a true story about a woman named Jo who has cancer.
name deleted has become known to many of us through Twitter which for those of you who are unfamiliar, Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging system. Jo’s dear friend name deleted took the following pictures of Jo over the Christmas holiday and their friend name deleted shared them on her site with the following words, “Doctors have told Jo that her cancer is untreatable. Most days she is pretty upbeat but there are sad moments too.
As she fights to prove the doctors wrong, she has one simple wish: Send her a Christmas Card. How hard can that be? Last year, she only got three cards but this year she told me that she was starting to receive more cards. (From people just like you) They are giving her hope and a desire to fight even harder to live.
None of us wants to think this might be her last Christmas, and holidays have been difficult for more than just this in her long fight against this disease. If you can spare the time, the cards are a human connection for which she is deeply grateful. She says she realizes no one knows if she’ll be here tomorrow but due to her illness there may very well be fewer days than she’d like. Her health problems tend to make her more isolated than she would like to be, and she can’t get out very much, which leads to loneliness. Who knows how YOU could be touched by sending her a card?
“I’d LOVE to hear from you! One can always HOPE!”
So now, back to New Years and our New Year’s Resolutions! Let’s all make a difference. As we celebrate this special time of the year, let’s celebrate by reaching into our hearts and pockets for Jo. This woman needs each and every one of us now. This cannot be put off until later because Jo’s “later” may not be on the same timetable as ours!
Illness is frightening for any patient and frightening for the family and friends of the patient. When you add a major financial burden to the sadness and fear, it can be unbearable. Jo is behind on bills and short on food. PLEASE, let’s help Jo have less stress about her finances and that will help her ability to have faith that there are people who care about her and that will help to give her the strength necessary to work on getting well.
Here are your choices for this New Year’s. You decide which is really more important to you. We already know what is important to Jo. Which will ultimately make you happier and feel better about yourself? The decision is yours!
This is the day. This is the year. This is the time that YOU can make a difference. No donation is too big or too small to help this courageous woman fight for her life!
May 2009 find each one of you happy and healthy!
