Kate and Dakota......
When you do something at the Ronald McDonald house, you help those people there that are away from their homes with sick children, but in reality many groups help. Those families, are grateful, but more than likely will not remember your face. However, for the people that do the helping, they remember. They are changed. They are better for it.
About four months ago we were blessed to hear of a family who was bringing their three year old daughter Kate from Alabama to St. Jude's Hospital here in Memphis. I say blessed because even though we hated the reason they had to come into our midst, we felt uplifted and encouraged by their strength, dedication to the Lord and their prescence at services despite the chaos that had entered their family by the disease of Childhood Lukemia. We are on the outside, but want desperately to help. What can help? We pray, and we pray hard. But sometimes putting your hands to work is good for a heart that is hurting for a new found brother and sister in Christ. So first we gathered supplies that the RMH says they need all the time and before long my children, my good friend and her children were treking to the house with a load of everything from pudding snacks to laundry detergent to shower curtain liners. At that time we got to see Kate's family and finally meet Kate. Kate had not been able to attend services because of the treatment she was undergoing. I got quite emotional when Emma and her stood facing each other both excited that they had the same gym shoes. Jenna, her little sis, was busy showing us all the cool toys that the RMH had and the quite stocked playroom that she liked to enjoy.
After returning home, I talked with the children about good deeds and how we helped people that were dealing with their sick babies. We talked about Kate and emma had many questions. One of the things she said was that Kate did not look sick. I told her that her sickness was not one you could see from the outside and that eventually Kate would loose all her pretty blond hair. That did it. I had over explained. The hair loss was striking to my four year old baby. So for weeks she asked if the little girl had lost her hair yet.
I was rejoicing as just before a group of us served a dinner at RMH Kate and her family got to go home. Her cancer was in remission and they needed only to come for every other week maintenance. We were thrilled as a group that they would not be at the dinner that we volunteered to prepare for THEM and the other residents of the house.
But.....as I served spaghetti and salad and bread there came another little boy who stole my heart. Five year old Dakota with a ten gallon cowboy hat made his way into the kitchen. He was a typical five year old. Constantly moving, couldn't sit still, and chatty. I asked him about his hat. The only thing that hinted at this little guy's illness was the surgical mask he was wearing. He got a heaping plate of spaghetti (no veggies :)) and sat down in the dining room. His mama sitting across from him is what got to me. She watched him eat, not eating herself and I could just tell the weight of the world was on her shoulders. She observed everyone of his little bites. I finally saw his whole little face as cowboys do not eat with their hats on and a surgical mask is impossible to stuff pasta through. But I was able to pray for Dakota and his mommy. And will you too? Please say a prayer for Kate tonight and Dakota. They are just little kids who are having to try to stay that way even when dealing with some serious stuff.
I left the RMH having been helped measures more than I helped them.
About four months ago we were blessed to hear of a family who was bringing their three year old daughter Kate from Alabama to St. Jude's Hospital here in Memphis. I say blessed because even though we hated the reason they had to come into our midst, we felt uplifted and encouraged by their strength, dedication to the Lord and their prescence at services despite the chaos that had entered their family by the disease of Childhood Lukemia. We are on the outside, but want desperately to help. What can help? We pray, and we pray hard. But sometimes putting your hands to work is good for a heart that is hurting for a new found brother and sister in Christ. So first we gathered supplies that the RMH says they need all the time and before long my children, my good friend and her children were treking to the house with a load of everything from pudding snacks to laundry detergent to shower curtain liners. At that time we got to see Kate's family and finally meet Kate. Kate had not been able to attend services because of the treatment she was undergoing. I got quite emotional when Emma and her stood facing each other both excited that they had the same gym shoes. Jenna, her little sis, was busy showing us all the cool toys that the RMH had and the quite stocked playroom that she liked to enjoy.
After returning home, I talked with the children about good deeds and how we helped people that were dealing with their sick babies. We talked about Kate and emma had many questions. One of the things she said was that Kate did not look sick. I told her that her sickness was not one you could see from the outside and that eventually Kate would loose all her pretty blond hair. That did it. I had over explained. The hair loss was striking to my four year old baby. So for weeks she asked if the little girl had lost her hair yet.
I was rejoicing as just before a group of us served a dinner at RMH Kate and her family got to go home. Her cancer was in remission and they needed only to come for every other week maintenance. We were thrilled as a group that they would not be at the dinner that we volunteered to prepare for THEM and the other residents of the house.
But.....as I served spaghetti and salad and bread there came another little boy who stole my heart. Five year old Dakota with a ten gallon cowboy hat made his way into the kitchen. He was a typical five year old. Constantly moving, couldn't sit still, and chatty. I asked him about his hat. The only thing that hinted at this little guy's illness was the surgical mask he was wearing. He got a heaping plate of spaghetti (no veggies :)) and sat down in the dining room. His mama sitting across from him is what got to me. She watched him eat, not eating herself and I could just tell the weight of the world was on her shoulders. She observed everyone of his little bites. I finally saw his whole little face as cowboys do not eat with their hats on and a surgical mask is impossible to stuff pasta through. But I was able to pray for Dakota and his mommy. And will you too? Please say a prayer for Kate tonight and Dakota. They are just little kids who are having to try to stay that way even when dealing with some serious stuff.
I left the RMH having been helped measures more than I helped them.
Good for you.
Definitely will say their names in prayer.