Last night, after the kids and wife were tucked away, I settled into a comfortable chair to surf around and see what was going on in the world.
One of the first things I noticed was an RT from an account called @LiftUpEllie. I followed it to their Twitter page – and reality slapped me across the face. I spent a good half hour reading backwards into the @LiftUpEllie Twitter stream about the 8-year old girl who was fighting a rare form of cancer. I saw the transition from an appeal for prayer, to complete acceptance that this little girl was going to die. Possibly tonight. Her lungs were rapidly filling with water, despite her best attempt to stop it. The tweets were now prayers for Ellie to give up the fight and go peacefully to heaven.
I RT’d one of these updates along with the personal note, “This has to be the most realistic thing I’ve seen on Twitter.”
And it was.
It made me think of our own daughters asleep in the next room. Sisters in bunk beds. Happily sweaty, deep in dreams. Healthy.
I’m very fortunate that cancer has never walked its hooded ass up our lane. Which only means I’m likely due to deal with it sooner, than later. Do I think cancer’s evil? No. But that’s probably only because I don’t have enough of a reference point. Yet. However I do know that it’s highly efficient, ruthless and hard to kill.
Until last night, I had no idea who Ellie Potvin was. But she quickly made me realize just how lucky I am. And so I became part of her story by spreading her positive energy. While the cancer was doing the exact opposite.
Melissa
Jun 23, 2010
I only found out about Ellie’s story yesterday via a RT, and did the same thing … read backwards and just sat there crying. Whenever we think our own lives are spiraling out of control or we feel burdened by something … reading something as poignant as this little girl’s life and brave fight (as told from her family’s perspective) puts everything into perspective. Life is short. Love those around you. And live like Ellie did–bravely, positively, lovingly. She certainly won’t be forgotten and my heart goes out to her family.
Gregory A. Beamer
Jun 23, 2010
Another decent twitter account to follow is @46mommas. It is a group of 46 women that are shaving their heads for childhood cancer in September (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month) and aiming for a national television show to do it on. They picked the name for the common statistics (now found to be too low) that 46 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States every day.