In the Christmas spirit…

Throughout our travels in the US we were fortunate to meet a lot of wonderful people, each of them contributing in their own way to making our trip more than just a series of beautiful scenes.  In fact, when people at home ask us about the highlights of our trip the first thing we mention are the wonderful people we met each day.  It may sound strange coming from two rather introverted people, but thanks to the sincerity and innocence with which the people in the US live their lives, we now have a string of perfect strangers which we all call our friends.  What struck us most of all is how the evil, contorted Western society we have all come to expect from movies, news and TV, is in fact based on strong religious roots which is not just a front but an actual way of living and treating people.  We learnt a lot about giving and also about receiving.  How to truly give without any expectations or motives or expecting anything in return, even when you could see that hardship and problems has taken their toll in the family.  It suddenly seemed strange that throughout Africa needy families are being tended to by US aid, but here in the midst of the US’s backyard, honest, hard-working citizens are struggling to make it through a month.  The US health system is failing a lot of families causing the very people that make the US such a wonderful place to suffer.  I am not one to judge government policies, especially coming from a country where corruption is commonplace and I am certainly not trying to be an activist for solving the US healthcare system.  I am a traveler, who writes about my experiences and the only way to give back to the wonderful people who have made our adventure so unforgettable is to provide a platform for helping these individuals who have shown such unconditional kindness to us and is the core of what makes your country such a great place to be.

With this in mind I want to tell you about friends we met in Louisiana.  This wonderful family has a heart of gold and faith of steel.  They recently learned that their wife and mother have stage 3 breast cancer.  Since diagnosis, she has undergone radiation and recently also chemotherapy.  The medical insurance is not doing their part and as a result they are stuck with having to worry about their financial situation in a time when they should only be worried about recovery.  It’s a story that, I guess, plays itself out in a million places around the US every year and its easy to look away when these cases are anonymous.  But here’s a family, with young kids, with a problem.  Here’s a chance to make a difference in their lives.  I’m hoping to find individuals who are willing to help (financially or otherwise) and put them in contact with this family.  It’s all I can give at this stage, I’m hoping to inspire someone out there to give something they feel they can.  If you are interested in helping, please send us a comment on the blog and I will get in touch with you by email.

Thanks again for all your friendliness, kindness and humanity…you are truly a great nation.