The Giving Love Foundation

I am incredibly excited to announce the formation of The Giving Love Foundation. Just under a week ago I started a post on a photography forum that I a member of about several families who were dealing with life altering medical issues. I made the post in response to a thread that was a bad situation and I had hoped just to help them see what was really most important. Literally overnight it turned a huge outpouring of LOVE and donations for SEVERAL families. The family I listed below "Lilie's Family" who we are sending to the Ocean was the second.

The first was a family with a baby who simply needed some butt paste. While it may not sound like a lot ... the stuff is EXPENSIVE - like up to $16 per tube!! We managed to get the stuff covered for Kyleigh through the Commission but if we had not... we would not have been able to afford the supply we need either!The members of the forum banded together and today I had the HONOR of delivering the FIRST official Giving Love Foundation gift to Joe!!! WOW... is all I have to say. I was so glad to be able to help this family and even though I was not able to fund this effort myself I am so incredibly proud to be a part of a group that means so much to me and now MANY others!
From these first two efforts is coming the foundation. It will be co-founded by myself, Cher Salo (owner of the forum) and Suzanne Upton. Suzanne's son was born with paralyzed vocal cords and if you look to our "friends" list on the right... and click on PARKER... that is Suzanne and her family!!

Here is the story of The Giving Love Foundation's first effort- I know my narration will never do the actual event justice but I hope that it comes close! I truly wish that everyone could have been there today!!!When I arrived home on Saturday evening the snow was falling... it was pitch dark but I could see the wonderous outline of four boxes standing tall on my front porch. The snow was drifting right up to them but it didn't matter because I know that what those boxes contained was something so truly precious on so many levels that I was completely humbled to even be the bearer of this thing!! I jumped out of the car and into snow over my ankles and went running and crying to my front doorstep!!!!

As we unpacked the larger boxes I counted them... there were 52 amazing tubes of ILEX. A literal one year supply ... It meant so much to me not only because I know how much its new family appreciates it but because this year our family kind of missed Christmas. YES I will admit our Christmas tree is still up. Maybe I am paying homage to this holiday that was stolen... but maybe it was waiting for this particular evening. I felt the spirit of Christmas in my home like I had missed so much this year!!!
I could have nearly burst with excitement and of course I had email the pics to Joe and to Cher and Suzanne and the whole board!! I am sure Joe thinks I am completely nuts... but oh well! I can't help it!


Today... I waited in the clinic today for Joe to arrive back from his meeting and pick up the box of ILEX.... When he finally arrived the resident was still chattering away about some on call issue and the whole room was abuzz getting ready to start clinic hours for patients. Joe stood there for a moment just staring at the box as if opening it would break the sanctity of the contents. I don't know what he was thinking... but I would love to have been inside his head at that minute!! He gingerly lifted open the box's flaps and in complete silence he dug his hands into that box as if he were sifting through gold coins. Joe, the loudest, moist boisterous person I know was rendered completely speechless and for nearly a minute we just stood there. The whole room was silent not because it actually was but because it was tunnel vision.

He and I knew what this meant and I could feel the literal weight of what was happening my shoulders. What a gift. There was nothing to say. How do you say Thank You for a gift like this? How do say you are welcome to someone who has given so wholly of them self and wants nothing more in return than to continue caring for his patients in the best way possible? There is no way... those two words cannot encompass all that you want to say... there is only one word in the human language that can be used to describe this... LOVE. Looking at those red and white tubes in that box I realized, we were not staring at just some butt paste. We were staring LOVE directly in the face. The LOVE of so many people who donated these gifts were all encompassed by this rather medium brown box. The LOVE of two parents for their child. So simple, so normal and yet so extraordinary! It is so true... Giving LOVE Grows LOVE!!!!

As I was leaving the only thing he could mutter was "Truly... thank you. You have no idea what this means."

The thing is... I do know. I know what it means to need something so simple and to have everyone tell you no. I also know what it means to receive a gift of love because its something that I have experienced many times over from our amazing little group

The Giving Love Foundation has started its life with an amazing and wonderful project. I know this is just the beginning and I am humbled and honored to be a part of it.

We are currently in the process of establishing our Board of Directors, Advisory Comittee and filing for the 501c3. WOW... I never imagined that the ripple I started would turn into this... I could never in all my life ask for anything better than this! I am so incredibly amazed and honored!!!