Wendy Inkley is the best. She’s just the best. She was asked to write a little message to Children’s Miracle Network sponsors for Mother’s Day, and this is what she banged out.
Dearest Children’s Miracle Network supporter,
I am Wendy Inkley, the mother of a survivor of Leukemia. In fact three years ago today we got the scary news that my son was likely going to die. No they didn’t ever say that, but it’s where my brain went; I thought I was going to lose my sweet six year-old Payson to a big, scary disease called Leukemia. Turns out my brain was wrong. What a gift!
Speaking of gifts, shortly after he was born, Payson gave me the best Mother’s Day gift when he eventually breathed efficiently enough for him to get out of the NICU. When I finally got to hold him, two long days after arriving, I realized what a gift he was. I cry now just thinking about that joy. Would I have known such joy without that loss? All I know is that moment was a tender, sacred gift. Unforgettable.
Now to the gift of which you have been a part. Seven years after that sweet moment, my Payson celebrated his golden birthday, turning seven on the seventh of May, 2017. He celebrated that birthday in the care of incredible healthcare workers at Primary Children’s Hospital. He had the gift of restored life; the promise of health that had temporarily been taken from him.
A thank you doesn’t suffice for what part you’ve played to provide such a gift. I could not have provided that for him. I gave him life once but could not give him that again. That’s where you came in. So. Thank you.
Once again it’s Mother’s Day and I will never celebrate this special day without appreciating each life I was able to bring to this world. Thank you for caring for my little ones. Thank you for believing that each life is worth fighting for and for filling in where so desperately needed. Happy Mother’s day fellow life-bringers. May you know of your importance in this beautiful world. YOUare MY gift this year.
