November 17 & 18, 2010 - A Plea For Marlie

November 17

I have been catching up with some of your blogs. Each time I come to the library I download a couple dozen to read off line, so it's slow going, but I'm really enjoying Erin's coping skills, Kate's $10 dog, Thomas' neat hoop house, Mr. H's red headed children, The Idiot's fartichokes....yes, I could go on and on! I'm getting something read from all of you!

I was talking with my daughter this morning. We were discussing cell phone minutes, and I turned to pick up my phone to check on some calls I'd made. The cell phone, however, was not on my desk where it was supposed to be. I looked all through the living room, and on into the kitchen. Mr. Granny was at the table, eating his breakfast, when I began to panic and admonished him for leaving the phone somewhere unknown. I was really quite upset with the man. He never puts things back where they belong, you know.

I was talking to my daughter.

On the phone.

I couldn't find the phone.

The phone that was in my hand.

The phone on which I was talking.

Sorry, Mr. Granny.

That's what happens when one gets older than dirt. We laughed so hard, I nearly peed.

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November 18

I needed a good laugh, as I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Have any of you ever watched the story of Marlie Casseus, the teenager from Haiti who has Fibrous Dysplasia, which caused a huge, 18-pound tumor like growth on her face? There was a TV documentary made about her trip from Haiti to Miami in 2005 for several surgeries, which saved her life. Four years later there was a follow up documentary showing Marlie living a nearly normal life after suffering so many years of pain and humiliation over her condition. I've wondered for some time if she and her family were in Haiti during the big earthquake, so I did a Google search for her. I was saddened to find she had lost her home, and her family has been separated. Marlie and her mother survived to find themselves homeless and in need of another life-saving surgery for Marlie.

"Tissue is obliterating the nasal passages. That means that the lesion is growing and expanding from inside the mouth and the palate is pretty much invading the nasal cavity," said Dr. Jesus Gomez with UM/Jackson Hospital. "It's a recurrence. We need to remove the mass that's affecting her nasal cavity,'' he said. ``But she's 18 now. When she has completed her skeletal growth, the disease should stop. She's near that point now."

Janelle Prieto, Director of IKFs Wonderfund, said "She has come so far and has overcome so much - we will not let her die and we are appealing to the community for help,"

I can't imagine anyone reading Marlie's story or watching the documentary not being moved to tears. I will be making a Christmas gift of money directly to Marlie's medical fund through the Wonderfund Kids Org. website, and when my daughter asks what I'd like for Christmas, nothing would make me happier than a donation in my name.

Marlie's beautiful face after her many surgeries.

11/16/2010 Miami Herald article

Donate to Marlie's medical fund

You can join me in making an online donation to Marlie via the "Donate" link above. If you wish to donate, and prefer to pay by check or money order, you can mail a donation to:

International Kids Fund
P.O. Box 2020
Miami, FL 33101

Please Specify on your check or money order that you want the donation to go to Marlie's medical fund, or name another child to whom you would like to allocate your funds, and make your checks or money orders payable to International Kids Fund.