A little help from our friends

I received an email a few days ago from our good friends Nate and Meri, aka our summer roommates back in 2009 when Pat interned here in the city. The email solicited prayers and help for their dear friends that have recently been through a traumatic and life altering tragedy.

Meri writes:

"I'm reaching out today because we have some friends in need of help. Three weeks ago, Nate got a call from our friend Rob. It was actually his wife Mercedi, who told us that something was wrong with Rob and that she needed help. Rob was rushed to the hospital, and we later found out that he had a stroke caused by a defect in his brain.

Rob is only 30 years old, and was just weeks away from finishing a decade of dentistry school and starting his career as an endodontist (root canal specialist). Rob and Mercedi have two boys, who aren't old enough to understand what has happened to their Dad. The doctors have said that Rob may never walk or talk again, but miracles are happening and Rob has shown some positive signs. We're all hopeful that Rob's progress continues (you can follow Rob's progress here).

One thing is certain: life for the Hales has changed and they could use some help. If there's room for Rob and the Hales in your prayers, please remember them. As you can imagine, the Hales have a mountain of student loans and medical bills to face. If you can make any contribution to the "Helping Rob Heal" fund, please do." 

When I read this email and went to their blog and saw the sweet family whose hopes and dreams for future have been crushed in one single moment, my heart sank. My heart sank even more as I thought of his wife, the mother of two small beautiful boys, facing the future alone with the uncertainty of her husbands health and the tremendous burden of school loans, that may never be able to be paid off through the normal means of her husband using his education in his line of work, and not to mention the medical bills that will most certainly ensue such a catastrophic event.

I laid awake last night unable to sleep as I thought about all the sleepless nights Rob's wife, Mercedi, must have. I thought about the terrifying thoughts and worries that must haunt her not only in her dreams, but when she wakes up and finds them to be reality.

Rob and Mercedi seemed to have had it all. He was one month away from graduating in a specialized field that would grant them a comfortable life with their two boys that they deserved after 10 years of school. They were moving to a new city, with a new house, starting a new life. A life full of happiness and hope. Mercedi writes on her blog:


"Today all I could think about was how we were supposed to have gone to our new ward in Denver today. We would have been unpacking the house and having so much fun in the back yard. I wish that’s where we were and what we were doing. I need to work harder on letting that go. I know those things are not going to happen but it was going to be perfect. Oh, well."


I know you don't know Rob or Mercedi, either do I, but isn't it amazing how technology has allowed us to help those in need who live hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away? I know sometimes people feel it isn't worth it to give anything since they feel they can't give "enough" to actually make a difference. However, it boggles my mind to think about if everyone just gave one dollar the amount of help that would offer because all those one dollar bills add up.

There is a link on their blog that allows people to contribute, allowing us to relieve just a little bit of the financial burden this family now faces, even if all we can give is one dollar.

I am a little overwhelmed with the world right now. With the 10 year anniversary of September 11th coming up, it is especially hard not to get depressed over all the sadness that people endure on a day to day basis. It's hard to be hopeful for the future when all I can think about is that it is only a matter of time until it's my turn. Then again, it's hard to be thankful that isn't not you, because that just doesn't feel right. It's hard to see the purpose behind all the hurt and to not to ask "why."

But I guess that is where faith comes in, without faith, where would I be? That is even a scarier thought.