I’ve been feeling a little too helpless lately. Friends and family members are having serious, life threatening health problems, and there’s not a darn thing I can do about any of it. It’s out of my hands.
I HATE feeling helpless. And I hate to be afraid. When I was in high school I was afraid to get up in front of people and talk, so I joined the drama class. That’ll get you over your fear of speaking in public pretty fast. After I’d been the victim of an armed robbery I wasn’t fond of guns. I had my brother the cop show me how to shoot, and I became a little more comfortable with them. I don’t let fear own me, and I don’t put up with feeling helpless. I DO something about it.
This one was a little harder, because I couldn’t think of a way to make things better. Honestly, other than being supportive, there’s just not much I can do for them.
But there’s plenty I can do for someone else.
Tonight I remembered Trevor. You probably remember Trevor Kott, Julie Ferenzi told us about him. He was a beautiful child who needed a bone marrow transplant. He didn’t get it, and he died. I planned to get tested, but he was already gone before I could.
His sweet little face has stayed in my mind.
I can’t help the people that I’m worried about now, and that … honestly it bugs the hell out of me. Why mince words? I want to fight for them, but when their bodies have turned on them, what can I do??? Nothing. I pray. I want to DO.
I have to learn to stop letting what I can’t do get in the way of what I can.
Tonight I registered to be a bone marrow donor. I joined the National Marrow Donor Program, answered some questions and charged $52 to my credit card. They’ll be mailing me a little kit with some swabs to collect a few cells from the inside of my cheeks. How easy is that?
About one in two hundred registered donors has actually donated, so I guess it’s not all that likely that I’ll be a match for someone. If I am, it will take about 30 or 40 hours of my time. I might be a little sore (depending on the type of donation) and it will take four to six weeks for my body to replenish what I give. That’s it. I can possibly save someone’s life with $52 and a little of my time. BARGAIN.
I can’t save the people I’m worried about, but I can damn well try to save someone else. Somebody else is feeling helpless about someone they love, but maybe I can make it better. Maybe for somebody, I can make all the difference in the world. God, I hope so.
And I’m a blogger – so maybe I can also help by telling you. Here it is, passed from Trevor, to Julie, to me, to you. DO something.
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