True Christmas Spirit

Contributed by Forest Whitehall, DDGM No. 21

Wednesday night, November 30, 2004,  I attended a Lodge meeting here in Wenatchee, Riverside Lodge, No. 112,  and one of the members told of a Lodge Brother in Ephrata Lodge, No. 167  that had a baby born about six months ago that only weighed about a pound at birth.  You can imagine the complications.  The baby was in intensive care at Spokane for 6 months and just in the last few days were they allowed to bring it home to Ephrata.  Even now the babies respiration is about 60 breaths per minute and therefore can not eat naturally and is fed intravenously.

Think of the financial burden, to say nothing of the stress and anxiety. 

 

Riverside Lodge here in Wenatchee agreed to donate $1000 to the family as has Hermanos del Artes, Brothers of The Craft Lodge at Brewster.  Since I am master of the Badger Mt. Lodge, No. 57, I told the members up there last night of the family's plight and the Badger Mt. Lodge also donated $1000 to the family.  That's $3000 we are up to so far and I'm hoping other Lodges will join in and the total will keep climbing. 

 

$3000 is not much when we all know the tremendous costs entailed when a patient is in intensive care, and I have heard that intensive care of this type for an infant child is the costliest of all.  But I was very proud of my Masonic brothers last night.  When we think ahead to Christmas morning of all the healthy children excitedly opening their gifts and playing with them and then think of this poor little baby who may never know a normal life, it helps to know we didn't just say, "Gee, that's too bad." 

 

So it's pretty cool when something like this happens in your own area, where you know or have the opportunity to shake hands with the person that needed the help. I know it will make my Christmas a little merrier.

 

Making a Difference

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