Thank you ΣΦΓ (Sigma Phi Gamma)
As parents, my wife and I try hard to provide for our family: I have had two jobs to pay bills on multiple occasions; my wife has become a jewelry sales representative and home school teacher to our children to ensure they learn good morals and ethics; we take our children to the Dr, perhaps too much, with any reasonable sign of health abnormality – just to be safe; and we make an effort to spend quality time communicating with both children, and taking part in their life experiences.
Over the past year, my youngest son, Luke, has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called hereditary spastic paraplegia. This disease causes muscle tightness in his lower extremities, a reduction in nerve response in his legs, the need for ankle foot orthotics to stabilize his gate, the potential of a future in a wheel chair, and possibly continued further loss of motor functions throughout his body as he ages. With the care for this disease costing a great deal in physical therapy and medical testing, and with a grim future ahead, we have tried (and failed) to make timely payments on my precious little one’s rapidly growing medical expenses. My wife has run special jewelry sales, some friends have graciously coordinated a car wash, acquaintances have offered generous portions from their business dealings, other relatives and friends, anonymous and not, have given unrequested donations, and before we knew it, many of our costs were beginning to be met, our spirits were lifted, and our numerous and fervent prayers to God were being answered in ways that were far outside of our understanding and imagination.
Before all of the miraculous giving had begun, we had scheduled a test with the premier specialist on this disease knowing that it would be very expensive, and knowing that our family needed to have this happen. We began to prepare for the trip and soon realized the insurmountable odds against us being able to pay for all of the travel, let alone the extra medical tests. The selfless giving that people had provided was incredible, but there were still outstanding expenses that we knew we would incur from this trip that loomed in the near future. Then a group of young adults in Seminole State College decided to make our son, Luke, the object of their fund raising project for the year. The ΣΦΓ members used their imagination and ingenuity to raise money, and through selfless and joyful acts this group of college students spent devoted an entire semester to fund raising. Through their good work, our family has been able to make a big dent in our upcoming trip, our sprits have been lifted once again, and our faith in God to provide for our needs has been rekindled again. The work of this group has impressed us, not only for what they did for us, but by their character, and by their maturity in spirit and in deed.
Now, as we are on the eve of heading out to Michigan, we are resting securely with the knowledge that a good portion of our expenses from this trip, have been paid for. Thank you ΣΦΓ!
A hero is defined as a person who performs a selfless act or deed. Make no mistake, through taking on this fund raising effort, each member of this group have become heroes to our family.
