Pray for Emily Maki
Done. Myself and a large number her friends, family, neighbors, teachers, and strangers answered to the Facebook call that came out on Tuesday morning.
I know you, like me, sometimes feel helpless when you know or just know of someone, or a family that is stricken with a life threatening crisis.
I didn't know Emily Maki, a 14 year old girl who died early Wednesday as a result of complications from Juvenile Diabetes, though our paths just recently crossed. Read More
Last week, my 9 year old daughter was over at her friend's house playing, just on the other end of our subdivision. While there, her friend's mom, who is my friend, gave me a call. Her next door neighbor had stopped over wanting to see if her daughter (and now seeing my daughter over there, extended the invite) would want to participate in some fundraiser over at the Jazzercise center. My friend handed the phone over to her neighbor, so she could talk to me about it. That neighbor is Terrie Maki.
I had never met her before, though we had a nice light conversation, after all, both of us are Finnish. We chatted about family names and saunas. She was to email the info over to me, so I could promote it with Just Add Kids.
That email arrived early Monday morning, a bit later than we both planned, though she indicated she had been busy with a shower she was involved with over the weekend. So I proceed to promote it on Facebook and Twitter on Monday, the day of the event.
My daughter got picked up to go and participate in Jazzercise for a Cure. Upon their departure from the event, my friend phoned me to tell me the event had wrapped up and she was on her way home. She and I pretty much chatted her entire commute from the Jazzercise center to my driveway. She explained to me that her neighbor wasn't there; that her neighbor's daughter was flown from All Saint's on Spring Street to Children's Hospital via Flight for Life. Oh, that's why your neighbor is involved with this fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes. There was the connection. Hmm....I hope everything is okay, I remember thinking.
The next morning I fire up my computer and get on Facebook. Almost immediately, I see that some of JAK's Facebook friends like this page "Pray for Emily Maki". Oh, that must be her name...Emily. I proceed to check out the page. Oh dear. I call my friend. The situation is not good.
Little did I know another friend of mine is at Children's with her daughter, a best friend of Emily's. The situation, again, not good...looking worse.
While I don't know this family, suddenly my day is consumed with this horrible turn of events. My heart is so heavy with grief for a mom who just a day earlier, was starting out her week, promoting an event to eradicate the very disease that perhaps, combined with a stroke, has got her daughter hanging by a thread on life support. What can I do? Well, of course, pray.
No, there's more. I know what I can do....I can continue to move forward with promoting the very event that Emily's mother commissioned me to do. Emily may have lost her battle with Juvenile Diabetes, at the same time, this tragic early end highlights the need for continuing the research to help find a cure.
If you knew her, know her family; or didn't know her, but may have been touched by the outpour of love and support that rallied around her; or just have a giving heart...would you consider donating to the fundraiser Jazzercise for a Cure that her mom was helping to organize, that she wasn't able to attend?
Here is the link:
http://jdrfevents.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=1095
A heartfelt thanks! Donations are being accepted through the end of the month.
Done. Myself and a large number her friends, family, neighbors, teachers, and strangers answered to the Facebook call that came out on Tuesday morning.
I know you, like me, sometimes feel helpless when you know or just know of someone, or a family that is stricken with a life threatening crisis.
I didn't know Emily Maki, a 14 year old girl who died early Wednesday as a result of complications from Juvenile Diabetes, though our paths just recently crossed. Read More
Last week, my 9 year old daughter was over at her friend's house playing, just on the other end of our subdivision. While there, her friend's mom, who is my friend, gave me a call. Her next door neighbor had stopped over wanting to see if her daughter (and now seeing my daughter over there, extended the invite) would want to participate in some fundraiser over at the Jazzercise center. My friend handed the phone over to her neighbor, so she could talk to me about it. That neighbor is Terrie Maki.
I had never met her before, though we had a nice light conversation, after all, both of us are Finnish. We chatted about family names and saunas. She was to email the info over to me, so I could promote it with Just Add Kids.
That email arrived early Monday morning, a bit later than we both planned, though she indicated she had been busy with a shower she was involved with over the weekend. So I proceed to promote it on Facebook and Twitter on Monday, the day of the event.
My daughter got picked up to go and participate in Jazzercise for a Cure. Upon their departure from the event, my friend phoned me to tell me the event had wrapped up and she was on her way home. She and I pretty much chatted her entire commute from the Jazzercise center to my driveway. She explained to me that her neighbor wasn't there; that her neighbor's daughter was flown from All Saint's on Spring Street to Children's Hospital via Flight for Life. Oh, that's why your neighbor is involved with this fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes. There was the connection. Hmm....I hope everything is okay, I remember thinking.
The next morning I fire up my computer and get on Facebook. Almost immediately, I see that some of JAK's Facebook friends like this page "Pray for Emily Maki". Oh, that must be her name...Emily. I proceed to check out the page. Oh dear. I call my friend. The situation is not good.
Little did I know another friend of mine is at Children's with her daughter, a best friend of Emily's. The situation, again, not good...looking worse.
While I don't know this family, suddenly my day is consumed with this horrible turn of events. My heart is so heavy with grief for a mom who just a day earlier, was starting out her week, promoting an event to eradicate the very disease that perhaps, combined with a stroke, has got her daughter hanging by a thread on life support. What can I do? Well, of course, pray.
No, there's more. I know what I can do....I can continue to move forward with promoting the very event that Emily's mother commissioned me to do. Emily may have lost her battle with Juvenile Diabetes, at the same time, this tragic early end highlights the need for continuing the research to help find a cure.
If you knew her, know her family; or didn't know her, but may have been touched by the outpour of love and support that rallied around her; or just have a giving heart...would you consider donating to the fundraiser Jazzercise for a Cure that her mom was helping to organize, that she wasn't able to attend?
Here is the link:
http://jdrfevents.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=1095
A heartfelt thanks! Donations are being accepted through the end of the month.
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