BryonySeries: No Reach Too Small (or How These Words Made a Big Impact)

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

No Reach Too Small (or How These Words Made a Big Impact)

...and came full circle, too).

Back in February, my oldest daughter Sarah, who now lives in North Carolina, called me and asked if I could write a story on a Joliet toddler that was just diagnosed with cancer.

Sarah knew the aunt and gave me the phone number. I wrote a story and included the GoFundMe link.

The story was so heart-wrenching, I wrote a second.

And when the GoFundMe page stalled this summer, I wrote another in early July.

This past week, due to exceptional circumstances in the toddler's life, I wrote four more.

After the first of the four, the toddler's mom called me. Chicago media had seen the stories and reached out to her. Overnight the GoFundMe account doubled - and then nearly doubled again a couple days later.

In under a week, the account had grown from $20,000 to nearly $75,000. Most of that, I'm certain, was a result of the Chicago coverage.

But my coverage led to the Chicago coverage. And I'm thrilled to be part of the chain that led to it.

Now I'll tell you about the fourth story. A mother emailed me last Frudat. Her daughter wanted to donate any money that would have been spent on her eighth birthday to the toddler.

This family did not know Sarah, and why would they?

But ironically, they were from North Carolina. The mom had seen the story on Twitter.

So about the stories...

I found the Fox News link so I'm adding it here.

Next I'll add the links to the stories I wrote, most recent to oldest.

Finally, I'll add the GoFundMe link.

The family will need help for a long time. Please consider donating.

The takeaway?

For those who speak, for those who write: words have reach, words have power.

Your words can be the words someone really needs to hear today.

Or they can be the words someone really does not need to hear today.

There is a time to use words and a time for silence.

But even if your reach is only inches, and you have an important message to say, don't squelch it.

For you never know where those words will travel and whom they will touch, inspire, motivate, encourage, or maybe even shame or discourage, if the intention is for good.

So much attention is given to "viral" and "famous" and "the most."

But "small" and "still" can do mighty things, too.

I was reminded of that last week.

Have a most blessed day!

Parents of 2-year-old cancer patient in Chicago speak out after looters smash door, ransack Ronald McDonald House

https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-ronald-mcdonald-cancer-patient-boy-gofundme

A really sweet story I wrote for The Herald-News

North Carolina girl donates 8th birthday to Joliet cancer patient, age 2

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/08/14/north-carolina-girl-donates-8th-birthday-to-joliet-cancer-patient-age-2/a96vjji/