Mumsie's birthday gift

Before I can even begin to untangle and try

to explain what all has happened since I have

been in Houston,

I have to tell the story of Mumsie's birthday gift.

For those of you who do not know the story behind

Mumsie's 89th birthday gift,

Well to put it simply instead of gifts

C came up with the idea and Mumsie thought

it was great that instead of giving her gifts

a donation should be made to this teaching/cancer

hospital that I have been at for the last few days.

The donation was a whopping 250 dollars!

So I decide that the best person to give this gift

to was the social worker Ron and I met with first.

After an hour of her just telling me what she has read about me,

studied all the paperwork I returned to her,

listening to my fears and Ronnie's concerns,

I decide that she will be the one to make sure

this donation gets where it needs to go.

So I kind of tell her what decision our family and Mumsie

had made and hand her the card I made to house the check.

She is looking at me and I think she wants to cry.

She says "I am speechless"

So I begin to tell her our family's story of

how way back when in 1968 I was the baby

of a big family born to parents who were in

their mid 40's who were struggling already.

I explain that there is 23 years between the oldest child

and myself and some of my siblings had already married

and were having their own children.

That when given my diagnosis they didn't know what to do,

where to turn and this doctor, who we all knew as Dr. Fisherman

told them that he didn't think he could save me

but he was going to try his hardest and if

they signed me over to him, he would never send them a bill.

I can only imagine what this was like for my parents

yet they trusted, made the signature

and because of this leap of faith, I am alive.

This doctor was true to his word never billed my parents.

This man followed me throughout my life,

even wrote the letter of recommendation for me to

enter nursing school.

I explain to her that the very least my Mother, her children,

and her extended family who all made donations can

do is to give back to a facility that helps people like me

and their families like ours.

She was so touched by the whole thing.

When I said I need to write a book, she agreed that I should.

She then gets our address and Mumsie's full name and

promises me that this money will get used in

a way that honors all of our lives that we have lived.

she ends with such a good statement:

"THIS IS WHY I LOVE THIS JOB, TO COME TO WORK

ON ANY ORDINARY MONDAY AND HEAR THIS

EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF A FAMILY,

IT IS WHY I DO THIS JOB"

So thanks to all of you who have made a

contribution to the wonderful teaching hospital.

Thank you for allowing me to be the one to hand deliver

the extraordinary gift and story...

and most importantly thanks for all the love

and support you have all given me over the years.

There were a very few rocky years for a little while

but I do understand that even that was about

the fierce love and overprotection you guys

all feel for me.

Love to all!!!!!!!