“The world is a dangerous place; not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
Albert Einstein
Today is February 28. Only month in a year that we have 28 days, sometimes 29. Crazy, I know. But do you know why we have a leap year?
A common year has 365 days and a leap year 366 days, with the extra, or intercalary, day designated as February 29. A leap year occurs every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year, or the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun, which is about 365¼ days.
Without the extra 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds that is needed to make the cycle complete, time would be off. Everything would be out of sync. The stars wouldn’t align and the seasons, eventually would be off. It just wouldn’t be “right.” It’s a rare day that February 29th, but we all accept it and celebrate the extra day we get every 4 years.
Shouldn’t everyday on Earth be a celebration? We’re alive, right? That’s exactly how I feel about my kids. They are mine to celebrate and mine to protect. Unique in their own ways, but exactly who they are because of what makes them…them. And without them, for me, and many people who love them, the world wouldn’t be what it is without them either. We celebrate life, the normal and realize life is precious everyday.
Today, February 28 is National Rare Disease Day. It’s a day often uncelebrated and really not known. But to me, it’s a day to celebrate my family and give others a glimpse into our life.
I hate (and yes I really do hate) the word disease. I like the word condition. It doesn’t sound so bad, I guess. But none the less, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia is considered such and it’s what we have learned to live with, deal with and manage for the past 10 years.
It’s not easy. It’s not hard. It is what it is. It is life. We have always chose to live with this condition in a positive way because there are many other cards we could have been dealt and this one still doesn’t seem so bad. We DO consider ourselves the lucky ones.
My reason for this post is to make YOU more aware of our condition and other rare diseases and rare cancers that many people battle every day. They battle these conditions with sometimes no one to fight for them because there is little or no research to help them win the battle. Families with loved ones try to fight for research and a cure, but many warriors are lost on the epic journey.
Do something.
We all try to do our part to protect these diamonds we have found. They are diamonds because the are rare and shine so bright in our lives. My three diamonds are the reason I advocate for awareness and give hope and friendship to others who are walking in my shoes.
In May of 2015, I had the honor of being recognized by the CARES Foundation for my contribution. I am humbled and honored. Any parent would do what I do. (I do have something planned soon that I’ll let you know about if you feel so compelled to help raise money for the CARES Foundation.)
Knowledge is power. And learning as much as we can about these rare conditions will eventually save lives. And hopefully, you’ll use your powers for good and maybe you can do something someday for someone that needs your help.
To everyone who supports Jake, Shelby and Abby, we thank you from the bottom of our heart.
To learn more about CAH and how to support the CARES Foundation, click here.
