Paying It Forward

Here are two great ways to “pay it forward”. I hope you might be able to help both.




America’s Giving Challenge by Parade Magazine:
I posted about my friend and colleague Peggy Padden about a year ago. She is on my hero list. She lost one of her three sons’ to Fanconi Anemia and her youngest has the disease. She is active in creating opportunities to raise money for research.
Just this last week she sent an email:
“As many of you know, in 2003, 2 of my 3 sons were diagnosed with Fanconi anemia, a life threatening genetic disease that leads to bone marrow failure and cancers. My son Jake, 21 at the time, tragically passed away 8 mo. after being diagnosed. My youngest son Spencer, now 20 is stable and doing well as a sophomore at University of Oregon. It is just a matter of time before the disease manifests itself in him as well.You may have seen an ad in Parade Magazine Sunday about America’s Giving Challenge. $50,000 will be given out to each of 4 U.S. based charity groups that get the most online donations by Jan. 31st. Not the most MONEY, but the most individual donations! Each person can only donate once.
Guess what? The Fanconi Research Fund has made it to the top 4. Let’s keep it that way and make it to number 1. Please consider going to the site and making a donation. It is the number of individual donations not the amount.


Books of Love:
Nina was three when she lost her struggle to Fanconi. She spent many days in the hospital and yet children’s books were hard to find. Nina loved reading. Therefore, Megan Spears, a family friend, decided last fall to do something. She started a book drive, “Books of Love” in memory of Nina. The goal is to collect and donate 500 books to Child Life Department at Doernbecher Hospital.

Books can be sent to:
Books of Love; c/o Megan Spears; 40335 McCormick Court; Sandy, Oregon 97055
I hope you are able to either send a book, make a donation or both.