[Credit: Iron Gate Motor Condos]I’m not a car person.
Yes, I have had a favorite car in my life, I can recognize an expensive one when I see it, and I did the popular momentary cringe over our first mini van before wholeheartedly embracing the extra space — but I’m not a car person.
Until last week, that is…
For last week I stood on a red carpet and watched line after line of shiny, beautiful, cars I could not identify pull to a stop and load children with cancer into their perfect interiors, revving their engines and taking off with their tiny, precious cargo screaming joyfully – many of whom barely cleared the windowsills to see their route.
[Credit: Iron Gate Motor Condos]And then the organizers were on their radios, talking excitedly that “they were about a minute out” as a line of nearly 30 beautiful cars snaked up the long drive, all with “Ultimate Road Rally” magnets affixed to their doors and many with “We Rally for Sami” on their windshields – an homage to a dear brother, violently gone far too soon.
[Credit: Iron Gate Motor Condos]The rally drivers then joined the other drivers, each taking one child into the passenger seat and the child, eagerly clutching a rally map, helped the drivers earn more points before returning to the drop off. It’s hard to describe the beauty of drivers and organizers setting aside walking devices, helping parents adjust children out of wheelchairs, and then as the children exited the cars, their smiles were huge, their arms were laden with gifts, and I saw softness, joy, and even tears in the eyes of these tough drivers with their breath-taking cars. And how I wish you could see what I saw.
[Credit: Iron Gate Motor Condos]But perhaps my favorite memory of that day was the two brothers in the shiny black…I want to say a Mustang, but like I told you, I’m not a car person…can we just leave it that it was shiny and black and absolutely gorgeous?... Anyway, the two brothers, took two of my darling boy brothers out for a spin, as as they returned, I could see the tops of Aid and Chase’s heads and hear their laughter and joy. No doors opened to exit the boys, but one of their escorts simply stuck his head out the window with a giant grin and said; “They want to go again.” And with that, the car leapt forward with a roar out of the drive and I could hear Aidan laughing and Chase screaming “Go faster! I feel like I’m going to throw up! This is AWESOME!!”
And all those drivers? Well, besides giving my kids one of the best afternoons of their entire lives, they raised $30,000 for Cal’s Angels.
And me? Well, I’ll never see those beautiful cars the same way again. That day changed me a little. Now, even though I still can’t identify what I’m looking at on the outside, I see so much heart on the inside and it blesses me.
“I know Sami would have wanted us to do something special. We couldn’t save his life, but there were lots of kids’ and their families’ lives that we touched.” – Omar Salaymeh, Marketing Consultant at Chicago Motor Cars, Founder of Ultimate Road Rally, and Sami’s dear brother
**With gratitude to Cal’s Angels, Omar Salaymeh, Ultimate Road Rally, Iron Gate Motor Condos, and all the amazing drivers and workers who made this wonderful day possible**
I must confess that I don’t listen to podcasts very often, but this is a good one, and I’m not just saying that because they’re talking to me. 😉 You’ll definitely want to tune in to Tyndale House Publishers The ARC Podcast!
And seriously, you guys, even if you don’t ever podcast, you need to listen to this because Joy and Adam (the hosts) had to listen to crazy Ewoldt family stories and they deserve a really great audience on this cast for that alone.
I mean, I’m talking potty-training-boys kind of Ewoldt family stories. So even if you feel you’re all caught up on Chase’s story and hearing about the goodness of God (Ha. As if…), please, listen … for Joy and Adam… 🙂
It was a long weekend and we spent too much time feeling blind in a lot of different ways.
And surgery can take the cataracts out of him, but never the “boy“.
We took a walk in the bright and sun on Sunday and he kept a blanket, hood, hat and sunglasses all over his swollen, ultra light-sensitive face, but he hopped out of the stroller for one minute to do this…
Because, you know, it’s Chase.
And after a while, you learn to expect the unexpected.
You guys… The crazy coolest thing unfolded in the middle of this surgery day!
I’ve been posting pictures of people with their Chase Away Cancer books during this launch week, and I meant to bring my copy of the book to grab a picture of it with Chase in the hospital today, but between the stress and the 6:00AM surgery time, I forgot.
As we stood in the pre-op room, I lamented all of this to Bob. And the nurse working over Chase’s arm, looked up, smiled, and turning to the table behind her, picked up something small and blue, saying: “Well, maybe you can use my copy!”
You see, we met this wonderful nurse during Chase’s first surgery last month and she was so sweet to listen to us and comfort us during the surgery day, and then she went online and bought the book (!!). And she brought it with her today, knowing that Chase was coming back in. So he autographed it for her, and then she watched over him while he slept in post-op and recovery. And he even talked to her (a rarity for Chase with medical staff), asking her to remember to get him a popsicle after surgery and to please “keep it in your brain that I told you this”.
You guys… I’m just absolutely in awe of how lives weave together and how many times I’ve been filled with tears-in-my-eyes, goosebumps-up-my-arms wonder…IN THE HOSPITAL.
Don’t miss the grace and joy…
Moment by moment.
Nurse Carey, Chase, Panda Bear (on his best behavior), and Chase Away Cancer
**And seriously, Chase and all of us would LOVE to know where YOU are “Chasing Away Cancer”. Please post book pics to the Facebook site – they make our day!**
Surgery went very well and Chase went into it with Lucas’ name still written on his arm. He was a complete boss and even his Panda Bear (who, according to Chase, is really a dog named “Panda Bear” who can bark and is prone to getting in doctors and nurses’ faces and screaming) behaved himself admirably.
But since waking, he has been in a lot more pain than he was last time, his anesthesia “detox” has seemed a lot more difficult, and his right eye is quite weak, so with the left eye patched, he’s been navigating like he’s blind…when he walks at all. He’s miserable, but it’s over and done now, and for that, we are very thankful.
This is the hard season — the time when we try and comfort in the middle of the damage that we ourselves have allowed. It’s guilt-producing and humbling and would break us if not for the grace of God.
We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement!
Bob was actually able to be off for the entire day (a minor miracle), we had a dear friend show up in pre-op to encourage us, Chase’s teacher and her family sent wonderful Spider-Man gifts, his class recorded a special video for him, Tyndale staff brought us dinner, and all the doctors and nurses have become good friends in the last month. So in truth, even though it was a hard day and will probably be a rough night, we are incredibly blessed.
And I’ve been getting texts of people with their books today – my heart is full.
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