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| Me Mansante- Bracelet of Hope Foster Mother Hello Everyone,
I wanted to thank all of you. In 24 hours, starting Monday morning, we raised $6,000 bringing the total to just under $11,000. That's the highest one day total in the history of the Bracelet of Hope Falling Leaves Run. A friend of mine is a long haul truck driver. He drives across Canada and back. He sees the whole country. He donated $500 yesterday morning. I chastised him. Some people give much more than they can comfortably manage. I love those people.
This is what he told me, "Just wanted to see you well over the 10000$ range, a bit closer to twenty. Great to hear about your foster mom. Hope she only sees the nice things and people in this ole place. After all we are Canucks aren't we? We always try to side step the big corporations to make the world a better place...is the Canuckian way."
It is the 'Canuckian way'. He has inspired me. I'd like Me Mantsane to get those cataracts removed. I need a new winter wardrobe. Well, I want one. I don't need one. If I give up the new clothes this winter and stop buying lunches and coffee, I will save about $1,000. I will put those funds towards her cataract surgery.
In the meantime, if you can sponsor even a small amount and push my Falling Leaves run total to $15,000 before Saturday then in the new year, I will contribute the rest of the funds needed to restore Me Mantsane's eyes. Small sacrifice for this beautiful woman's sight.
Thanking all Canadians and beyond!
This IS who we are.
Click here to donate: http://fallingleavesrun.braceletofhope.ca/annemariezajdlik
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Wednesday, 16 September 2015
The gift of sight
Monday, 14 September 2015
Phacoemulsification: From Blindness to 20:20 vision in < 6 min
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| The clinic that Bracelet of Hope is building in Lesotho, Africa |
One of Bracelet of Hope's foster mothers has cataracts and her blindness is progressing rapidly. She is in her 60's and she cares for several of the foster children we support.
To have both cataracts removed will cost $5,000. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye leading to blindness. The procedure that removes the cataract by removing the lens of the eye is called phacoemulsification which essentially breaks up the lens into tiny fragments that are then sucked out of the eye and replaced with a man-made lens.
It takes six minutes and restores sight.
Imaging being in a country where this procedure is not available to you. You are a mother and a grandmother and you care for foster children whose parents have died of AIDS but your vision is failing, rapidly. Doctors know what the problem is and it is easily fixed but the fee is incomprehensible to you. You accept blindness instead and those who rely on you for protection will be vulnerable once again.
My good friend Andy Mc Dougall and I have been emailing back and forth about Me Mantsane. She accepts her fate without complaint. You see, when life has not given you much and so many things have been taken from you, you not only learn strength and resilience but you also learn to accept things like the death of your children and your own blindness.
Andy reminded me of a quote by Sir Edmund Burke that I used to quote in my speeches:
" All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing"
Nothing is just not acceptable. You see, when life has given you very, very much, I believe much is expected of you. It just takes one step to move away from apathy and 'nothing': One idea, one suggestion, one activity, one donation, one prayer.
Stay tuned. Let's see what Andy and I can do for lovely Me Mantsane. In the short term, we will need to find resources and funds for Me Mantsane that presently extend beyond the scope of Bracelet of Hope. In the longterm, that clinic that Bracelet of Hope is building will provide the access that Me Mantsane and others like her need to receive this kind of treatment and live full and healthy lives without devastating disabilities that are easily correctable.
Anne-Marie
Braceletofhope.ca
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