“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” – Mother Theresa
Yesterday I opened my mailbox to find two messages waiting for me. The first was an email full of stuff I could buy – stuff so pretty I couldn’t possibly live without it – stuff that for a brief moment I toyed with purchasing. The second email was from my rockstar friend Letha from Wrap Up Africa. After I read her email, without a second thought I hit delete on the first. I was so inspired by something that really matters, I wrote and asked if I could share her writing with you. Here it is, I hope it inspires you.
“This is a photo of a friend of mine named Susan.
She was my first Ugandan friend and in many ways the inspiration for Wrap Up Africa. Susan passed away last year from Burkitts Lymphoma, a highly treatable cancer that likely would not have killed her had she been born elsewhere.
As most of you know I have just returned from Ethiopia and Uganda where we spent a lot of time in the hospital wards. As I was playing with the children in the hospital in Ethiopia (many of whom have been living in the ward for years) I kept thinking to myself “all I want for Christmas is to be able to help you”. I was having a real moment of sorrow for these children and fear that I would not be able to help get them care in time. Then I thought, “I can’t do it alone but with help anything is possible. It’s time to ask people to join me in trying to get these children into treatment”. The holiday season is so full of promise and magic and seems to me a good time to try for miracles.
We are launching our Chemo for Christmas fundraising event. We need to raise $400,000 for 365 children to enter into care (approximately $1000 per child). That may seem a large figure but if we break it out it is only $25 a month from 1,000 people. If you can give, please do we appreciate your support, no amount is too small. We would appreciate your sending this request along to your friends and family, the more people we have helping the easier it will be to reach our goal of one child for each day of the year (365 children) and less than half of the kids that need our help. Kids like Susan.
The majority of the cancers the children have are highly treatable. In Uganda 85% of the children have a cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma, which responds 90% to treatment when caught in time.
At this time of year I always take stock of my life. I think about what I have, how grateful I am for all of it and what I hope to do in the year to come. This year one of the things I am most grateful for is that my son and family are healthy. My goal is to try to help the children who are not lucky enough to have their health. I hope you will join me. Working together we can help these children take back their lives and have a fighting chance.”
Learn more about our mission and how you may help at: http://wrapupafricafoundation.org
Thank you for the post – that was good reading for me in a Sunday morning down here in New Zealand after contemplating all the christmas presents and stuff that was top of mind right now. This is more important and a reminder to me to be grateful that I can chose to assist and do what I can so I have just donated now.
Hi Megg, Just came across your post about Letha Sandison and Wrap Up Africa. Letha operates in Kampala, not far from where we are based. She has such a clear vision for what she is doing and makes a real difference in the lives of the children and their carers.
TFCM is making some headway in Uganda,too. It would be good to catch up with you and Mark in the new year…Enjoy the Christmas family time in the snow. Brian x