In a society where, whether it's conscious or subconscious, most people judge you based on the superficial trappings of life – what you look like, whether you look like them, and how big and impressive a pile of toys you’ve gathered – it’s a true blessing to find a good friend.
I feel blessed to know my friend Tina. In everything Tina does she tries to do what she believes is right. While we may not share an identical set of beliefs or agree on everything, Tina has the capacity to love people for who they are and where they are – a rare combination of qualities.
Tina has been an awesome support to me since being diagnosed with HPS. When I’m at the National Institutes of Health, Tina never fails to call or surprise me with flowers or a teddy bear – even though the visits have become such a routine part of my life most people, even some family, don’t take notice of them. It means a lot because the visits are never routine to me – they always have the potential for bad news – so even when I’m visiting all my NIH friends and seeming very cheerful, truth is I’m always nervous there.
Tina is always interested in what’s going on with HPS, and always has an ear when I need to vent from the HPS world. And, Tina is willing to pitch in and help, even when it takes hours upon hours of her time.
This weekend we held the third annual Groundhog Trivia Tournament to raise money both for the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network and the Alpha Lions Club. This event came about thanks to Tina, who got the Lions interested in helping with a fundraiser. Yes, part of the fundraiser ultimately benefits Tina’s camp fire program for visually-impaired children (which I think is a fantastic program), but the Lions didn’t have to share this fundraiser with me.
The Groundhog Trivia Tournament is a perfect example of how much difference a single person can make – especially when they join together with another, and then another and so on. All together, players and helpers, there were probably 50 odd people there yesterday. In my short talk about HPS, I could never make them understand the power of what they did. It means so much to all of us to have someone take the time to care. For Tina’s cause and mine, both small, even the smallest measures of support help a lot.
I feel honored and humbled by the experience.
I feel blessed to know my friend Tina. In everything Tina does she tries to do what she believes is right. While we may not share an identical set of beliefs or agree on everything, Tina has the capacity to love people for who they are and where they are – a rare combination of qualities.
Tina has been an awesome support to me since being diagnosed with HPS. When I’m at the National Institutes of Health, Tina never fails to call or surprise me with flowers or a teddy bear – even though the visits have become such a routine part of my life most people, even some family, don’t take notice of them. It means a lot because the visits are never routine to me – they always have the potential for bad news – so even when I’m visiting all my NIH friends and seeming very cheerful, truth is I’m always nervous there.
Tina is always interested in what’s going on with HPS, and always has an ear when I need to vent from the HPS world. And, Tina is willing to pitch in and help, even when it takes hours upon hours of her time.
This weekend we held the third annual Groundhog Trivia Tournament to raise money both for the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network and the Alpha Lions Club. This event came about thanks to Tina, who got the Lions interested in helping with a fundraiser. Yes, part of the fundraiser ultimately benefits Tina’s camp fire program for visually-impaired children (which I think is a fantastic program), but the Lions didn’t have to share this fundraiser with me.
The Groundhog Trivia Tournament is a perfect example of how much difference a single person can make – especially when they join together with another, and then another and so on. All together, players and helpers, there were probably 50 odd people there yesterday. In my short talk about HPS, I could never make them understand the power of what they did. It means so much to all of us to have someone take the time to care. For Tina’s cause and mine, both small, even the smallest measures of support help a lot.
I feel honored and humbled by the experience.
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