Small acts can make a big difference…

I woke up the morning of July 18^th, got ready as normal and headed to the kitchen to get my cup of coffee before heading to work.  The stack of mail was sitting on the table waiting for me, as it is every morning, and at the top of the stack was a bright green hand-written envelope.  My curiosity sparked, I went straight to the mail pile instead of to the coffee pot first and picked up the green envelope.   I didn’t recognize the sender’s name but it was a local address…figured it was a bridal or baby shower invite of some sort.

I opened the envelope and inside was a Thank You card with a picture of an adorable 16-month old boy, whom I did not recognize.  The card read:

“Lori,

I cannot thank you enough for donating breast milk to help our son Isaac.  He had kidney failure from birth and formula was causing further health problems.  By giving him breast milk he was able to get the kidney transplant he so desperately needed.  We are three weeks post-transplant now and he is doing so incredible!  He’s now started crawling and standing, and even eating!  It’s amazing to watch.  We would not have been able to get to this point without the wonderful gift you have given to us.  I can’t imagine a more self-less thing to do.  You have given health to our son, and I am forever in your debt.  You are an angel on earth.  Thank you!

Kelly (Isaac’s mom)”

My heart was overflowing and the tears began to fall…that note and picture just made my whole day…heck, my whole year!

A while back, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that a friend of a friend (somebody she did not know) needed breast milk for her son who was struggling with kidney failure.  I was so excited to see this message as I had over 300 bags of breast milk stored in my freezer at that time because my son could not use it as he was showing sensitivity (we think to dairy) and would scream in pain after digesting it.  My husband and I had just discussed what we were going to do with it all.  I was not willing to just throw it away for as any mother that has breast-fed or pumped knows…that is hard work to get that stuff and it truly is “liquid gold”!  We talked about donating it, but we didn’t even know where to begin or if it would qualify as I hadn’t kept a food journal of what I was eating while pumping so it had gluten, wheat, dairy, etc. and we weren’t sure how that whole process worked.  But now this opportunity fell into our laps!  I was so excited!!!  I contacted my friend right away and her friend arranged to pick it up from me to deliver to this family that needed it.

Now, months later, I receive this surprise note in the mail that just changed my life!
Something that was so very simple for me to do, meant the world to Kelly and her son Isaac.  Such a powerful reminder that even the small things we do really can make a big difference!

I am excited to write Kelly back and thank her for her kind words and the update and picture of little Isaac.  As far as I am concerned I now have another son…little Isaac will be in my heart forever now.  I am hoping to meet the family and someday be able to hold Isaac and hug his mom!