Beyond FUNDRAISING: A Family in Need

I was going to write a post on perfection this weekend after hearing a terrific NPR piece (that included an interview with Larry Csonka of ’72 Miami Dolphins fame—who’s also a famous Syracuse alum) on the Patriots’ pursuit of a perfect season. If the Patriots win the Superbowl (and my sister Janice in Boston would say “when” they win!) they’ll have won every game they’ve played during the 2007-2008 season. What impresses me most is the way the entire organization focuses on one game at a time, one day at a time, without letting the emotional aspect of even the potential of such an accomplishment sidetrack them. This low-key culture has been the brunt of a lot of jokes in the media, but it makes wonderful sense when you have a huge task staring you down. Like, for instance, writing a novel (or a short-story collection, my current challenge). Or keeping your family afloat when your husband’s out of work and just had back surgery.

In the case of Pam and her family over at Rhett’s Journey, back surgery is only one of the many challenges staring them down. Pam’s husband’s back condition has forced him to stop working; Pam can’t work because their youngest, Rhett, is a two-year-old who requires constant, special care. Rhett was a healthy child with Down Syndrome until an extreme (10-fold!) overdose of painkillers last year after surgery resulted in a series of physical impairments. For details, read a few of Pam’s latest posts. I’m overwhelmed by just the idea of the logistics involved in getting Rhett to all his medical appointments and therapies. Pam’s oldest son also has Asperger Syndrome and requires his own special appointments. (When Pam wrote about Dakota’s recent phenomenal accomplishment of reading and sharing in front of his entire class, I was so happy to hear that at least SOMEthing was going right for them, even for a single day.) Add to all this the stress of worrying constantly about Rhett’s health—including his limited ability to breathe correctly, especially at night—and I know I’d be a complete mess if I were Pam.

But there’s more. Pam and Andy and their four children are very likely going to have to move out of their rented home soon due to a drastic inability to pay their rent. Pam swallowed her pride and installed a “Make a Donation” button to the top corner of her blog. I’m writing now to invite every visitor to this blog to stop by Rhett’s Journey and pitch in any amount. As Pam notes, even $5 will help. Whether or not you choose to donate, if you pray please pray for Pam and Andy and their kids. This new year has been a nightmare for them so far. With our help, maybe it’ll turn around soon. I certainly hope so.