SARAH'S SUNSHINE SMILES

Lessons from a three year old
The smile usually began as a tight-lipped grin partially hidden behind the wavy long hair.  But just like the sun on a foggy summer morning, the toothy smile would eventually burst forth. 

That's how I remember three year old Sarah at play in Sunday school.  It had been a couple months since we had seen Sarah.  We chalked up her extended abscence to a number of reasons.  The winter snow, the holidays, the sniffles.

Then one day came the news.  Sarah had been diagnosed with leukemia.  She was facing months of treatments at Children's in an attempt to knock the leukemia from her little body.  When we first saw her curled up in her hospital bed clutching her well worn stuffed kitty, Sarah was tired.  But then just like at Sunday school, the smile eventually burst forth.  She was ready to read the new books we brought her.  She was on the floor with my wife putting together the giant jigsaw puzzle while I went over the assistance materials with her dad.

In that hospital room I was instantly transported back to the days before Linda was diagnosed with leukemia.  Her bright smile would light up any room in the school where she taught.  Linda lost her hair during her treatments, but not that amazing smile.

That's the amazing thing about some cancer patients.  They can find something to smile about even when the rest of us think they couldn't. 

                                                      Rich Printz, Executive Director