The High Price of Gas
I was talking to a gal who works for the Children's Cancer Association at a party the other day. When I asked how work was going, she told me it was very, very busy. That in itself is an overwhelmingly sad statement. But it's also tinged with joy because they do such great things for kids with cancer.
Such great things.
Then she told me that there has been a major shift in the work lately. Whereas they normally receive requests for wishes through their Dreamcatcher program, they are now being inundated with requests for financial assistance to pay for...
GAS!
Can you imagine the horror of not being able to drive your child to their myriad of doctor's appointments because you can't afford the gas? Keep in mind that the only 2 hospitals in the state that treat children with cancer are both in Portland. So if your child has cancer and you live in Medford or Eugene or Roseburg or wherever, you have to drive to Portland for treatment.
I just never thought about gas prices in those terms. Here I am, going about my little life, complaining about paying $4+ at the pump to run my trivial errands and drive the 8 miles to work. But the truth is, we don't actually NEED to drive anywhere. I could carpool. We could have groceries delivered. And you know what? As painful as it is, we have the money. Sure we make trade offs but in the end, we don't have that nagging worry in the pit of our stomachs about how we're going to pay for gas. We just forgo one of life's little luxuries to pay for flippin gas.
It looks like CCA has expanded their program to cover essential needs in addition to wishes. It's called the LifeSupport Family Enrichment Program. This change leaves me speechless. Once again I am praising God for the blessings in my life. I am so thankful that we had great insurance and a supportive employer during Lillian's battle. And that we lived within a half-hour of both of the pediatric oncology programs in the state. Even in this tragedy, there is so much I am thankful for. Which leaves only one more thing to say.
WE HAVE TO FIND A CURE.
2 comments:
That is so sad. Cancer families have enough going on without having to worry about gas on top of everything else.
I 100% completely and totally agree with you - WE HAVE TO FIND A CURE. Far too many kids battle cancer everday, and it makes me so sad to think about. Even if just one child had cancer, that would still be too many, and it would still be enough of a reason to find a cure.
yes, we HAVE to find a cure. it is so incredibly sad to think about that, on top of just dealing with their child's illness!
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