Council Meeting

Instead of spending my Saturday birthday with Adam and the boys, I spent the day at the NMDP's annual international Council Meeting at the Hilton in downtown Minneapolis, presenting a network learning opportunity titled “Mapquest, Plotting Your Search Strategy” and obtaining continuing education credits to support my CHTC certification.

This meeting is always a reminder of the many blessings for which to be thankful, none the least of which is the good health my family and friends. I knew immediately that I was in trouble Friday morning when a picture of a baby flashed up on the screen during the awards ceremony. Tears rolled down my face as I learned the story of a couple who lost their 6 month old son in 2007 to leukemia while searching for a suitable stem cell donor. Instead of letting this devastating loss debilitate them, in the words of my friend and co-worker, Tami, “they chose to channel their grief in an awe-full fight for the lives of other people's children, parents, siblings, extended family, and friends”. They continue to add thousands of people to the Be The Match Registry through donor recruitment drives in their son’s name. He remains an inspiration.

It’s easy to get caught up in the details of our busyness, forgetting to reflect on our blessings. I’ll never understand why some people are required to endure such difficulty…but their courage is an inspiration…and a reminder to never take good fortune for granted.