Perspective

And so, today marks the end of March! Tomorrow begins April! I explained yesterday why I would not be doing any pranks, but it also begins a three-week journey of madness!

In twenty-one days . . . Margaritaville in the Tropics! This is an island-style event that benefits All Children's Hospital and our local Outpatient Care Center at East Lake. I could say that this is just another fundraiser that the North Pinellas Branch of the Hospital Guild puts on. I could say that it raises funds for a magnificent facility. I could say that the good time that will undoubetdly be had, serves a much greater purpose. Those things are all true. But it just is not quite the right perspective!

Over a decade ago, my son, aka "Miles-a-Minute," was anything but! He literally went from shooting hoops for an entire day to not being able to get off the floor without assistance the next day. A few days later, things were much worse. Lethargy, depression, no activity whatsoever! It took two months to diagnose him with a life-threatening auto-immune disease and less than a business-week to begin treatment. We were sent to All Children's Hospital!

After six-plus years of poking, prodding, infusions, lucky frogs, angels, headphones, footrubs, and about a zillion chicken fingers . . . he was official discharged as a patient with his disease currently never having recurred in an adult. My "Miles-a-Minute" was back! To celebrate, we took a family cruise to the Caribbean.

On the cruise, hubby asked if our daughter, Deanna, looked a little funny. I asked if he was referring to the awful sunburn she had gotten. He said, "No. She looks a little crooked." When we got home, we had a new All Children's patient on our hands. She spent nearly a year in a full-torso, hard plastic brace to stave off the need for scoliosis surgery like her cousin had to have. It worked. Yay! To see her today, most folks wouldn't be able to tell there's anything wrong with her. She's stunning!

So . . . it is perspective! All Children's Hospital is a phenomenal facility. They do amazing, cutting-edge work. They have partnered with Johns Hopkins and now have access to all sorts of incredible research information and works. But they are so very much more than that.

They saved MY babies! They made my world whole. They kept my family intact when a fair portion of families kind of fall apart. They became life-long friends. They saved MY babies!

So, come to Margaritaville for the food, the band, the margaritas, the incredible auctions, the games, or . . . change your perspective. Come and support a facility that does the most amazing thing ever! They save babies!