Helping Sick Children

     A couple of times this year I've written about a site I found in England (Post Pals) that facilitates the process of writing to seriously ill children.  For these children, who faces such daunting daily challenges, receiving mail from someone far away can be a real bright spot in their lives.  Well, today I found a similar site based in the US.  It's called Hugs and Hope.

     Similar to Post Pals, the site features many different children, all suffering from very serious illnesses, and gives readers an address where they can write to these children.  For each child, the site also tells some of their interests, the names and ages of their siblings, etc.  I chose a 15 year old boy who has had eye cancer since he was less than one.  I wrote him a letter introducing myself and connecting on a few topics that might be of interest.
     When you read the stories of some of these children, it's so hard to imagine how difficult their lives have been and often continue to be.  It's also hard to imagine how challenging it must be for their families.  Writing to them seems like such a small thing that any of us can do to make a difference.

     

Greetings Across the Sea

     A few times this year I've written about a great site called PostPals.  It's based in England and is a site that supports children with serious illnesses by letting them know that people are thinking of them.  Through the site, you can read about particular youngsters and e-mail them, write them, or send them gifts. For privacy reasons, the e-mails and letters go to a forwarding address and then they're sent on to the patient.  Today I chose to write to a cute 6-year old girl named Lydia.

     It seems that Lydia has had one serious disease after another since she was born.  And now she is fighting a significant brain tumor as well.  It's hard to even fathom what these children and their families goes through as they battle the enormous challenges they face on a daily basis.  If receiving a caring note from a stranger across the sea can brighten their day just a little bit, it's the least I can do.  

Feeling Even Luckier

     If you ever want to feel really lucky. take a minute and read some of the stories on Post Pals.  This is a site, based in the UK, on which you can become a pen pal or simply send a note or gift to a very sick child.  Tonight I read the story of a 9 year old boy named Adam who has been fighting a rare, but devastating form of cancer for several years.  The details of his story are written by his mother, and it's simply hard to imagine how this boy and his family have managed to deal with the stresses, hardships, challenges, and heartaches that the disease has wrought.  Tonight I sent Adam a personal note letting him know he had a friend and supporter in NJ.  

     I can't even fathom how hard it must be for Adam and his family.  I marvel at the inner strength some people seem to be able to muster when faced with such daunting health issues.  I'm sure they have many moments when they just want to give up.  And yet somehow they persevere and keep going at it.  Hopefully knowing that people, even strangers, are thinking about them and rooting for them can make a small difference.

Writing to Sick Children

     It's been quite awhile since I've written a card or e-mail to a sick child, so I thought that might be a good activity for today.  There's a great site called Post Pals that I've used for this purpose in the past.  It's based in England, and provides the names, details, and histories of ill children for whom a card, gift, or e-mail can mean the world.

     Tonight I sent an e-mail to a 12-year old boy who suffers from cerebral palsy, among a number of other serious conditions.  The site provides information about his interests so I was able to make my note personal and specific to him.  I can imagine the positive impact it must have for these children to know that people around the world are thinking of them.  If you have the time or inclination, it's worth checking out the site and writing a note or two.