Where were you three years ago? We had just celebrated Christmas and were preparing for the unknown. It was January of 2009. One daughter was gravely ill and the other daughter was set to save her life. I made only one resolution that year, to keep this family. By the grace of God and the amazing medical staff at Blank and University of Iowa Hospital, I was able.
I mention this today for one reason. Ashlyn is raising money for Dance Marathon which donates all of its proceeds to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Ashlyn will not be participating in the event this year as she will be in London. She has already served on the planning committee in the fall. Last year, she was a moral dancer. The previous year, her freshman year at Iowa State, she was a dance.
The year prior to that, she was a patient surfing the web on a laptop in her room. She was enjoying the tropical view of the fish in the tank in the hall in her specialized ward. She was reaping the benefits of weekly massages from the visiting therapist. Outside of her room, there were hundreds of other children on laptops, playing games, doing crafts because of Dance Marathon. And the parents of those children were able to go to a quiet room to catch their breath, grab something to eat, pretend to unwind with a book or movie.
This year, Ashlyn has set a goal of $500.00. Pretty lofty, perhaps. But I have seen this girl of mine set some pretty high goals in the past, and breeze right by them!
If you have ever spent any time in a hospital room with a child, then you understand how important the generosity of Dance Marathon is. If you haven't, then please count your blessings and maybe the change in your pocket and...
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