Super story…
A friend of mine runs a non-profit agency that provides financial help to women who have breast cancer and need money. My friend was having a classic bad day when this transpired:
"About that time, I got a call from a breast cancer survivor who had called a couple of weeks ago. I returned her call, then she was out of town & this was the first time we could catch up.
"She was a single mom who had had to qualify for the indigent program at the Regional Cancer Center (which I imagine is a pretty humiliating experience). Her friends had gotten together to raise some money to help her cover her outstanding costs & then, out of the blue, a friend of hers died of lung cancer & the family asked for donations to her as a memorial to their mother.
" She was thinking that she wanted to donate what she thought was some leftover money (about $2,000) to us. Turns out, she had just received a $900 bill … & while we were talking, she opened another $600 bill which she did not understand.
"She wanted to give back. [She thought] She was through with treatment …
"I told her that I knew that it was much harder to receive than to give but that maybe she might want to wait until a later time to take that step. I suggested that she look into the most recent bills & decide whether or not she might need the leftover money. There will be time in the future to give back.
"After that call, I cried for about an hour. How petty are my problems compared to hers & how fortunate am I to work with people like her. Perspective, just in the nick of time.
"I think you are going to find that you have moments like these in your new job that will make you thankful to be doing something worthwhile."
Life never stops giving us opportunities to appreciate what we have, does it?
5 responses so far ↓
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Wow, what an outstanding story. There is such a lesson in that for all of us. All of us take things for granted, every day. Thankfully we have people like this brave women to remind us.
After spending 30+ years caring for women before/during/after childbirth I moved into a new role on October 1. The lion’s share of my job now is to care for women before/during/after breast biopsies and other breast procedures both diagnostic and pre-surgical. I see them prior to a diagnosis so there is a great deal of uncertainty and fear that the pathology report will contain the diagnosis of cancer. It is my job to help navigate them through the system here so that they won’t have to wonder how they will get from point A to point B — these women and their families have enough to worry about as it is. Unfortunately I have no further contact with the women unless surgery is performed at this facility. Any treatment related to chemotherapy or radiation will occur at another of our facilities. I see only the tip of the iceberg. This story is an example of the iceberg that really exists…. the other 9/10ths of the their lives below the tip. It is bigger than I can fathom. Without fail, however, each says at some point that they would do anything to keep someone else from having to go through what they are experiencing. Each in their own way wanting to somehow give of themselves in the face of the unknown. All are heroic and have strength that cannot be precisely defined.
For some reason, I can’t see all the stories??
Joe, you’re very caring & what I’ve read just from you tonight shows your true colors. The friend I’m going with to see someone in a few weeks, has just thrown her wig out. My sister recently attended a chuch service where everyone wore pink. She had melanoma. She has sent me so many emails about clicking on certain things to help with this.
I know I was against the FW in the comics but as we all know, we see it everywhere. I don’t mind sharing, I haven’t had a mammogram in 5 years!
Bless this woman and the friends she has, who she so desparately needs and wanting to give back so unconditionally. I admire so many people like this.
And after reading this, you have good worthy tasks ahead of you Joe. You keep on doing what you do best, and it’s always helping people.
In my experience, it always seems like the people who have the LEAST to give, will give the MOST. And they are the ones who have richer lives for it.
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