Blessing through pain…
Typical for working with people who need help is that their situation often is not the happiest. The approximately 3,000 people who receive regular food aid, many of whom wait in lines at least once a month, are not there because they are doing so very well. And the 200 or so protégés that we have in our medical program are not included because they are so healthy.
And then unfortunately it also happens that despite all the effort and support our hands are too short. And so, at the end of November, Michalina Grala died, a five-year-old girl, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma three years earlier, shortly after her mother died, also of cancer…
For three years, many people have campaigned for fundraising to enable special, experimental treatment that could in no way be reimbursed by Polish health insurance. For three years there was hope, during which Bread of Life has intensively supported Michalina and her father Przemek.
At the moment there is further intensive contact with Przemek, in his terribly difficult grieving process of the loss of both his wife and now his daughter. And also, taking into account his feelings as well as the public opinion of all donors and local media, about what we as Bread of Life can and should do with the financial resources that were specifically raised for Michalina and could not be used for the most part. Especially, as they are dedicated solely for the purpose of our protégés.
We are grateful for Przemek’s wish to use these funds to purchase and adapt a new location for Bread of Life in Kalisz – in particular as a consultation center for support and therapy of young cancer patients, named after Michalina, but also as office for the Kalisz department itself.
The visit to the notary for the signing of the preliminary contract left me with mixed feelings, but gratitude prevailed for being given the opportunity, through the pain of the Grala family, to be a support and blessing to many more young patients and their families, who will face similar challenges. We bow our heads.
