Pay it Forward

I am sitting listening to a CD made by a very special friend.  Thank you Chrissy!  Every song is uplifting and lightens the load of a tired mind.  You give me strengh my beautiful friend. 

I was waiting for inspiration this week to add to our blog.  My new career as Full time Mommy is the most rewarding and tiring job I have ever had.  Good is not an option when you are a stay at home mom, Great is the only score that counts.  Most days I have aspired to greatness and yet I am still learning so good has had its days as well.  Inspiration this week came over the weekend.  The Lucky Cast Club has a new family. 

I read a post on one of the support groups for Infantile Scoliosis.  I have been inactive from this group for some time, but something told me to read the posts this weekend.  I am so glad I did as it lead me to a new family and took me back to the roots of what inspired this group.  Our new little friend is 6 months old.  She was just recently diagnosed with Infantile Scoliosis.  Other than the diagnosis, her wonderful family is exactly where we all were not so long ago.  The beginning with all the unknowns is so scary.  Traversing the world of where to go, who to trust, what to ask, how bad is this is sometimes worse than being in the middle of this treatment choice.  With a lot of help from my beautiful friends we were able to share our experience, offer suggestions about our center and the experience we had with others.  Our new friends will hopefully be seeing our wonderful team at Chicago Shriners sooner rather than later. 

As I was corresponding with our new friend I was immediately returned to October 2009. It was my friends Cara, Amy, & Chrissy who extended the hand for me to hold and guided us to Chicago Shriners. It was with these friends and countless others who have joined our journey that the Lucky Cast Club was formed.  It is time for our arms to extend farther and for us to Pay it Forward in bigger ways!  

Let's dream big my friends.  We have fundraisers going on to raise the funds for projects that will need monetary considerations, but how many pay it forward moments out their won't cost us more than a stamp?  What if we could help new families simply by contacting the pediatricians in our area and sharing our story.  If we can meet new families at diagnosis, then we can save them the unkown portion of this ride.  We can remove the middle man so to speak of many kids journeys.  We know of wonderfully qualified centers in our areas who are capable, willing and ready to give these little ones hope.  I would bet we have at least two Orthopedic Surgeons in Chicago and Cincinnati who would be willing to help us with this campaign of hope. Let's not just support those on the journey, but lets extend our reach to help those who may not know hope exists.