Flags of Hope

Day 76, awaiting Anna's successful double lung transplant.......

Well, it must be another one of those encouraging gifts from the universe. My day on Friday was spent at Ronald McDonald House at Stanford. The Healing Flags for Hope project that was begun in June was ready to be hung. Even though my life did not allow much involvement in the project this time, I was able to help with the hanging of the flags. Once again the families and children of the House made inspiring and touching flags for the exhibit. There are about 300 flags. Not all of the flags are in the front of the House. There will be strings of the cotton messages about hope and prayer in the internal gardens and patio as well. This is all in honor of the special visit next Wednesday by the Dalai Lama.

I attended the House meeting where the families were told about the event and who the Dalai Lama is and why this is so unique and special. Not everyone really understood who he is or what a precious opportunity it is to be able to participate in this event. I could see that some did.

I know that for everyone who is lucky enough to attend this blessing of the children, it will leave a lasting impression and touch upon the heart to be able to be in His Holiness's presence. Anna and I hope to be able to also be there on Wednesday.



Sitting with the families while they make flags is always a special experience. This is a group of people not brought together by choice. In fact I am sure all of them would wish they were never there. They live at the House because they have a child with a serious illness or they are carrying an at risk pregnancy and need to be near the hospital when their baby is born. Children with cancer, rare diseases, and transplants are able to wait for care, receive care and recover in the House. It is a very warm and wonderful place.

During my visit in June at the kick off of the flag project I met a 10 year old little girl from Washington state who had just had a double lung transplant. She was not a victim of CF but had another rare lung disease. It was very inspiring to meet her and her mom. This time I had the gift of meeting another lung recipient who did have CF. He is 17 years old and received his lungs three weeks ago. Both he and his beaming and exuberant mother were doing fantastic. It is just three weeks post surgery and he is already walking 4 miles per day! His mother said that he can not sit still and needs to move and feel his new lungs. His muscles are suffering with the exercise and he needs to build his strength but his lungs are amazing. It is difficult for him to fully describe what it feels like to breath deeply and normally.

Last week I drove Anna from her condo to Murphy Street, downtown Sunnyvale. It is exactly 2 miles. I set a goal for us to walk there for lunch one day after transplant. Returning home will make it 4 miles total. It will be our first walking goal. She was hesitant saying, "Now Mom, I won't be able to do this right away." In fact it is hard for her to see that this task that is completely impossible now for her could be so easy when she has lungs that work. In a way it does not compute. Meeting the boy at the House demonstrated the possibility that she can accomplish this soon after her transplant. I know she does not want to keep her hopes too high and she knows that everyone has their own story of recovery but this is what I see for her.



I am so grateful to meet this teen and his mom at the House. It was a shot in the arm for me. He waited 6 months for his lungs. I hope that we do not have to wait a long wait but as his mom said to me, "It happens when it is the right time." Yes that is true but a mother's heart wants so much for their child to be relieved of suffering right away, with no wait. It is hard to suppress that desire but it is true, it will happen in its right time.