Sick kids just want to be normal.
A couple of months ago I started volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House near the University of Minnesota campus. On any given night, this house lodges 48 families from all over the US and around the world, so that families can stay close to their children who are fighting a serious illnesses with the help of area hospitals that specialize in treating those illnesses.
My job as a housewarmer is to help keep the house clean and organized, the pantries stocked with donated food and supplies, the kids entertained, and the parents comfortable and a little less stressed out. During my first few weeks there I learned two surprising things.
First, Ronald McDonald House does not serve burgers and fries for every meal. Actually, dinner is made and served every night by volunteer groups from all over the Twin Cities, and the house kitchens are stocked with a variety of nutritious foods for other meals. Who knew?
Second, the one thing a kid with a major pediatric illnesses needs (besides treatment) is to just be a normal kid, as normal as possible under the circumstances, and so do their brothers and sisters.
The parents at the house appreciate having a place to stay that allows them to keep their families together while a child receives treatment from a hospital far away from their home, but what the kids really appreciate is Go-Cart Night, Wii Night, Movie night, horsing around in the gym, and dressing up for Halloween.
These kinds of normal, everyday activities are critical to maintaining the morale of young patients and their young siblings while the whole family works together to fight the illness.
Another important way that a kid can “just be a kid” is to go to summer camp. You would think that an ordinary summer camp experience is impractical for a kid who needs ongoing medical supervision and treatment. You would think that an ordinary camp is financially out of reach for siblings in a family whose resources are totally consumed by medical expenses. I would have thought so, too, until I heard about Chai Lifeline and its flagship programs, Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special.
Camp Simcha is one of the only camps that can accommodate children in active cancer treatment; camp physicians administer chemotherapy in camp. Camp Simcha Special is the only camp capable of managing more than 65 disparate medical diagnoses. Like all Chai Lifeline programs, both camps are free of charge to families, and this makes donor support all the more important.
I’m running the Las Vegas Marathon because I’ve seen first-hand how something as normal as summer camp can be at once critically important and seemingly out of reach for familities dealing with major pediatric illness.
I believe in Chai Lifeline and what they are doing. I believe in it so strongly that I’m going to run 26.2 miles to promote their cause, and I’m going to tell as many people and send as many emails as it takes to reach my fundraising goal of $3,600 by Chai Lifeline’s deadline of November 30, 2008.
The good news is, I’m 42% of the way there. So far I have raised $1,503 from 22 sponsors. If you translate that into a marathon distance, it’s like I’ve already run 11 miles of the total 26.2, and let me tell you, 11 miles is no mean feat. I am honored and humbled by all the support I’ve gotten so far, but to get the rest of the way, I’m going to need your help.
I know times are tough. I know $2,097 is a lot to raise in just 17 days. But I also know it’s worth a shot for the sake of these kids, and I know I can do it with your help.
Remember that your sponsorship of me is 100% tax-deductible, and out of every dollar they donate, fully 83 cents goes straight to Chai Lifeline programs, with the remaining 17 cents going to race registration and administration, which raises awareness of Chai Lifeline on race day in Vegas and in all the communities we runners are coming from. A friend of mine who works with a lot of charities tells me that a 17% cost of fundraising is extraordinarily efficient in the not-profit world.
To get more information about Chai Lifeline and to donate online, please click this link:
http://www.teamlifeline.org/mypage.php?myid=55555
If you’re considering sponsoring me, please do it today. Many people have told me that they intend to sponsor me — if you already have, thank you — but time is running out, and I have to get all donations to Chai Lifeline by November 30th for it to count toward my goal.
Finally, please help me spread the word. Take a few moments to link to this post on your own site or to email a link to anyone you know who might feel moved to help Chai Lifeline, who likes the vicarious runner’s high of sponsoring a marathon, or who just needs a tax deduction this year. Two of my sponsors are people I’ve never met before, meaning there are already those among you who believe in me and Chai Lifeline enough to share this opportunity with others.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for considering sponsoring me as I run in Las Vegas for Chai Lifeline. I know I can cross the finish line with your help.