1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”
It's been about three months since we posted anything. Tammy continues to do exceptionally well. We're now about 15 months post-transplant, and Tammy's condition is a steady climb, much faster than anyone had a right to expect. We thank you for your prayers.
There’s
a popular way of saying thanks these days called “paying it forward.” That
means that you repay someone who did something nice for you by doing something
nice for someone else. It’s a great practice and we love doing that ourselves.
Through
the years, many people have helped us move. We want to say thanks, but we
really don’t want to force them out of their homes just so we can help them
move. It kind of defeats the purpose. So we love to help other people move. We
get to do that several times a year. About a year ago, God blessed us with a truck
with plenty of room. Now we get to carry a lot of stuff to the next location.
Last
Friday, we had an opportunity to help a family we barely knew. Our mailman,
Keith, has become our friend. He visits with us almost every time he stops by
the house. Tammy puts out a bottle of water in a baggie of ice (with a
Scripture verse on it) every day, and Keith really appreciates it. We have
enjoyed hearing about the progress of his family selling their home and finding
another one.
Last
week, Keith knocked on our door and told us that he, his wife and five
daughters—with one on the way—were moving Friday. It was a party wrapped in a
move. There were about 30 people there—family, close friends and us. People
kept asking us how we knew the family and we said, “Keith delivers our mail.”
It left everyone with a puzzled look on their face, but we had a blast.
But
last Saturday, we got a chance to pay it backward to a group of people who have
had a huge impact on our lives over the past five years. The University of
Kansas Hospital BMT Unit celebrated its 35th anniversary with a very
nice reception. Four of the five doctors were there, plus many nurses, staff
members and recovered patients. It was a celebration intended for the patients,
but we took it as an opportunity to say thank you.
There
were plenty of hugs, tears and laughs. It felt like a homecoming or a family
reunion. At times there was a line of people waiting to greet Tammy. Each time
the person would get to the front of the line, their expression was just like
Carol’s in this picture. (Carol is one of the night nurses whose job it was to keep me calm when
things were the toughest.)
It
was an emotional evening for us, one we had looked forward to for a month after we
found out about it. Saying thank you to those special people was wonderful. You
see, they may have started as “healthcare providers,” but we now count it a
privilege to call them friends.
Here
are a few other pictures from Saturday night. For more, visit us on Facebook.
Tammy
with Dr. Aljitawi and his wife, Hala.
Tammy
with transplant coordinators Beth and Jodi.
