Thursday, May 29, 2008

Perspective

There's an old saying that goes, "I was sad because I had no shoes; until I met a man who had no feet." In this case, it wasn't a man with no feet, but a kid with no ears who gave me some perspective.

My daughter has Psoriasis. A problem that causes little rash-like bumps all over her body. It's harmless, and not contagious, but makes her look different. Sunlight seems to make them go away, and Wednsday morning, the dermatologist put her on phototherapy. Basically, they expose her to UVB light. It's kind of like a tanning booth, but I learned that you don't call it that in the presence of a doctor. We'll have to take her in twice a week for this phototherapy, which while not too much trouble, is still kind of a nuisance.

Enter the perspective...

Wednesday night, Christine Long and I did a story about the Swoap family. They're a great family with four fantastic kids. What made for the story was their son, Ty. He has
Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of the facial bones and tissues. Among other things, it caused him to be born without ears. He's only four years old and has had 15 surgeries. Watch the story and you'll be amazed at the things this family and this brave kid have gone through.

Every so often my job puts me in a position that really makes me see how small some of my "problems" really are.


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