Giveaway!

I’ve posted this before, but I’m going to post it again.

Now, to explain…

There is a guy that lives in my town, his name is Will Sanders, he’s a senior in high school and to put it bluntly, he’s dying. His disease is so rare that they’ve named it after him. The doctor’s are baffled. They have no clue what to do to help him or make him better.

This summer, after he graduates, Will wants to take a road trip across the U.S. in an RV with his mother. A last “hoorah”. To do this, they need to raise 30,000 dollars. So far they’ve raised almost 8,000. Anything you can donate, even if it’s only a $1, helps. It really does. Will’s spirit in the face of dying is inspirational.

As some of you know, but lots of you don’t, two years ago I nearly died. I was 18 and lying in a hospital bed looking at the doctors and horrified at their expressions because what looked back at me was something that said, “no hope.” Who thinks about dying at 17 or 18 years old? Even younger? Not most people. It’s easy to assume that you’re going to live to be old and gray, dying warm and cozy in your bed. But sadly, that’s not always the case. While I was lying in that bed, faced with the reality that my body was shutting down and that most likely I would end up dying before they figured out what was wrong with me, I thought of all the things I would never get to do. The one thing that hurt me the most, was that I would never be an author. (That and I would never get to pet a great white shark. Because doesn’t everyone want to pet a shark?) They pricked me over and over again with needles, testing my blood and trying to identify what was attacking my body. (I still have scars in my veins from it, I’m convinced that strangers think I’m a drug addict. When, in reality, the scars aren’t noticeable to anyone but me) Eventually they figured out what was wrong with me and I got better. But what happened to me left me angry for months afterwards. I’ve always been an upbeat optimistic person. But nearly dying left me angry at the world and myself. I still regret that I reacted the way I did instead of being thankful to be ALIVE. And here’s Will, knowing that he doesn’t have much time left, and he’s SMILING. He’s LAUGHING. He’s LIVING. Why am I telling you all this about myself? I’m telling you, because it explains why this is so important to me. You never know how long you have to live and it’s important to put the emphasis on life. Do what scares you. Do what leaves you breathless. Make memories. Please help Will realize his last dream.

Here’s a quote from Will (I’ll link to the article in the comment box)

“Life is precious, and time is short,” William said. “But I’ve always had a feeling that life would work out.”

Just stop and think about that for a moment.

I’ve put together a giveaway for anyone that donates $5, $10, $25 dollars.

Email  a screenshot of your receipt to msmeltzer9793@gmail.com

Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2d9b9a25/

Donate here: http://www.gofundme.com/4uq61w

If you’d like to know more about Will and his story, here’s an article: http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2013/11/sherando-student-ready-to-embrace-life.php

And a video interview: http://www.tv3winchester.com/home/headlines/Local-Kid-Determined-to-Live-Despite-Terminal-Illness-233545991.html?device=phone#.UpVKeFr8DwR.facebook

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