Dan's Return to Delaveaga 12-16-05

As I sit to write this update, my mind wanders forward to tomorrow, December 16th.  Little did I know 5 years ago to the day that I would soon be in a Mountain Bike accident that would change my life forever. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of my family, friends, and all the people that prayed and sent well wishes.  Many of you will never fully comprehend what your notes, emails, and visits did for my spirits.    

It was such a shocker to go from being mobile to being completely paralyzed.  It happened in a single instant and there were so many things that raced through my mind.  All the things I had taken for granted were now gone. Think about it.  I challenge you to sit completely still for 10 minutes and not move a thing.  I guarantee your skin will begin to crawl and you’ll feel like that 10 minutes was an eternity.    

If there is one wish I have for you this Christmas, it’s that you never take all the blessings you have for granted.  Hug your loved ones. Stop long enough to take a deep breathe of cool air and inhale your surroundings.  Do something nice for someone. Dare to forgive and ask to be forgiven. Look at all the miracles around you that you call friends.  Be thankful for the littlest of things for it’s those things you miss the most when you don’t have them. Yep, that’s it, that’s my wish for this Christmas this year.  Pretty simple, but yet at the same time so complicated for all of us.  May God bless each and every one of you.   

Whitney Hope Returns to Hospital   

This will be the 5th consecutive year that we will head to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to visit Spinal Cord Injury patients.  We bring each a small gift, but more importantly we pray that we bring HOPE.  Each year I see myself lying in those beds with the same questions and fears.  Each year I see the loved ones that ache for their friend, sibling, children, spouse, parent, and I want to say “Everything is going to be alright”.  Each year I see the Nurses and Doctors and I tell them how much their care and love helped me to get up and walk again.  Each year I pray for a cure.  Our mission is pretty clear.  We return each year so we don’t forget what we went through, but more importantly, to remember those in their time of need.    

Camp Hope in Southern California   

One of the many great things that came out of breaking my neck was the formation of Whitney Hope.  Yes I said GREAT things.  I know we come to you often for support, but we do it with hearts that bleed for children with disabilities.  It’s about providing a time where smiles abound and laughter is commonplace.  It’s about rest for the weary parent and rejuvenating them to keep going strong.  It’s about sending a message that these children, that are so often forgotten, matter.  Please, see our plea to you for support as a compliment because you have demonstrated that you understand and have compassion for those so much less fortunate than all of us.    

We have a camp scheduled for early March where we will be reaching out to the Southern California community (San Diego/Los Angeles), and we’re hopeful that it will be so successful that it will take on a life of its own and grow.  But we need your help to make it happen.   

I’m always humbled when I ask people to support a cause.  I wish I could pay for it myself and just simply share the joy of what takes place with you.  But, the reality is that we need to raise funds to pay for the gift to these special children and their families.  We scholarship each family for $950.00 and can sponsor a child for about $250.00.  Is that awesome or what?   Please, look at your giving for the year and determine if you will be paying Uncle Sam or instead paying for a child to enjoy a chance of a lifetime. Think of your donation as though you are pulling a card from an Angel Tree and on it reads “I am disabled and my only wish for Christmas this year is to go to a camp that’s especially for me this coming March”.  Please, give it careful consideration and remember, no amount…absolutely no amount is too small.   

Send Check To:
Whitney Hope Foundation
41857 St. Thomas Ct.
Temecula, CA 92591        

or visit our site to make a Credit Card Donation  

God Bless you and your family this Christmas.  May it not be just another Christmas that came and went, but a Christmas that brings special joy, happiness, and most of all gratefulness for all that you’ve been blessed with.

Dan