The Power of Giving
I really wanted all of you to see something from an event I emceed Wednesday night. Some of it aired on our 10 PM newscast, but the rest of the video deserves to be seen.
Every fall, I help in the presentation at the annual dinner for the Icla da Silva foundation. Here’s their mission statement:
“The mission of the Icla da Silva Foundation is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors and by providing support services to children and adults with leukemia and other diseases treatable by marrow transplants.”
It’s named after a little Brazilian girl who died of leukemia in 1992 after her family couldn’t find a suitable blood marrow donor. Since then, the da Silva’s, led by Icla’s brother, Airam, have worked tirelessly to make sure other families don’t have to experience the same heartache.
Marrow donors and recipients are not allowed to meet until at least a year after the transplant. At the foundation dinner, I have the privilege of bringing donor and recipient forward, where they meet for the first time in front of the crowd. Nothing more need be said, except watch the video (which I’ve left in a pretty raw state), and prepare to weep.
What’s remarkable to me is that in both these meetings, and in all the ones I’ve witnessed over the years, it’s the donor who seems the most moved by the experience, even more than the those whose lives were saved. That really says something to me about the power of giving… oh, geez, I’m getting choked up again..
Here’s a link to the Icla Da Silva Foundation website. Get in touch if you are interested in being a donor or having a registration drive in your community. I suspect that after watching that video, some of you are.
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Comments: 7
The background music makes it more like a wedding ceremony...
Nevertheless, it is a good cause.
Jim, You are amazing. Thank you for all your support!
Jim, You are amazing. Thank you for all your support!
very moving segment. Maybe the participants should have prepared to say something.
All choked up and all, thank you for sharing. Jim, you're awesome.
Great cause to share the link.
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Off the subject...bcz I don't know where to post. Can WPIX repeat the premiere of "Smallville" tonight, or Sunday night? I would love to watch it again.
From a big Smallville fan.
Thank you sooo much!
Hi, Folks.. thanks for checking this out.. Jenny, I wanted to tell you that I edited this to just show the meeting of donor and recipient. They all spoke--with help of a translator, in both cases-- in very moving ways... the little girl you first see looked up at her donor and said "thank you, for saving my life." He, as did the other donor, told their the person whose life they saved that they will always think of them in some way as their own child.. and why not?? part of them is now part of the child, the part that made them whole again.. it's a beautiful notion, literally and metaphorically.
I wish I had better sound to to with the beautiful video shot by my photographer, Kenton. Maybe I'll put it all up anyway... it's not great for sound, but you can still hear what they all say, and it's just as moving as what you're seeing.
AND TO JENNY; Jenny, the CW repeats EVERYTHING, trust me.. the episode you look for should be coming up again in the very near future...
Hi, Folks.. thanks for checking this out.. Jenny, I wanted to tell you that I edited this to just show the meeting of donor and recipient. They all spoke--with help of a translator, in both cases-- in very moving ways... the little girl you first see looked up at her donor and said "thank you, for saving my life." He, as did the other donor, told their the person whose life they saved that they will always think of them in some way as their own child.. and why not?? part of them is now part of the child, the part that made them whole again.. it's a beautiful notion, literally and metaphorically.
I wish I had better sound to to with the beautiful video shot by my photographer, Kenton. Maybe I'll put it all up anyway... it's not great for sound, but you can still hear what they all say, and it's just as moving as what you're seeing.
AND TO JENNY; Jenny, the CW repeats EVERYTHING, trust me.. the episode you look for should be coming up again in the very near future...