A Community Joins Hands

 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed...it is the only thing that ever has."

~ Margaret Mead

I honestly believe there is nothing more beautiful in this world than witnessing compassion translate into action; I've been privileged enough to experience this a handful of times in my life, but the sheer abundance that has occurred during these past 30 days of it, has been so astonishing to me, that I simply had to write about it : )

Here's a glimpse at what's been happening "behind the scenes" as a result of our campaign merely existing:

A renowned architect by the name of Dan Goodrich has contacted Inanna House, and pledged to not only help them draw up the blueprints for the center, but has also offered to help oversee the construction of it...free of charge! (That's about $300,000+ he is foregoing...) Why would anyone be willing to do such a thing? Because his daughter went four years undiagnosed with this condition, witnessed how the our healthcare system treats, ignores, and downright robs Lyme patients who attempt to receive adequate treatment, and knows that Inanna House can help.

Lol - don't get me wrong, I consider this man a saint, but the only time he can do this is AFTER Inanna House receives their 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization Status (which is included in the campaign budget)...after all, he IS self-employed and will most definitely need that tax write-off.

*Note: Because I had included the cost of having blueprints drawn up in my original monetary goal for the campaign, I have sent a request to Indiegogo, asking them to subtract that particular amount. Unfortunately, whether they chose comply with this request is entirely up to them.

http://www.wildcondor.com/

Laura Wild (widely known as Wild Condor), writer for Public Health Alert is "buzzing" with excitement about Inanna House. Laura has been a health care journalist, and Lyme Disease patient advocate for the past 15 years, and is honored to help support Inanna House. She is traveling for the rest of the summer, but plans on writing an article in the well known PHA newspaper about Inanna House and Mara Williams once she has returned.
Even though our conversations have only been limited to e-mails and FB messaging, Laura's warmth is entirely palpable, and it has been both a complete honor and pleasure getting to know her. Because her own website is literally chock-filled with valuable resources and information regarding TBD's, I have created a link for it under her image, and in the "Resources" section in this blog. 

http://www.tickedoffmusicfest.com/

Gregg Kirk, lead singer of the The Zen Engines and founder of the Ticked Off Music Fest, a most anticipated, upcoming event to be held in Philadelphia in October 2012, had originally planned on giving ALL of the proceeds from this event to the TBDA, but after hearing about Inanna House, he has redirected a portion of the proceeds to benefit them as well!


Maisie (also known as Lyme Chick) has joined forces with our cause and besides being one of the most sincere, kind-hearted person I have ever met and someone whose friendship has been a true gift for me, has been doing everything she can to see this campaign succeed. Again, I can't stress enough how selfless her involvement has been, for she is still battling CLD and unlike most of us, is not financially desperate. Honestly, she COULD have decided to not care, but has instead, decided most generously to participate...for you.



Every Lyme patient knows of the Congressional Hearing that was held on July 17, 2012 at 2pm to address "Global Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Lyme Disease - Closing Knowledge Gaps." Many of you may remember the outstanding testimony given by Evan J. White, Esq. Although I never imagined he'd actually call me back after I left an embarrassingly nervous and rambling message in an effort to tell him about Inanna House...he (to my utter disbelief) did! And, although he has quite the handful and is VERY busy with both his Law Practice, and with the new birth of his son, he has kindly offered to help Inanna House by holding future fundraising events for them, so long as he is able. 

It is important to understand that ALL of these people are extremely Lyme Literate, and it would have been impossible for me to try to either persuade or convince them of the sincerity of Inanna House had the Organization not spoken volumes for itself. In that sense, I did absolutely nothing but make them aware of it. We all know that centers like this one are sorely needed, and these are just some of the people who are fighting to make it happen.

On a more personal note, however ecstatic I may be over the upcoming prospects for Inanna House, my mission in creating the campaign was to help expedite the building process of this center. Reaching our goal now would allow that to happen. Make no mistake, Inanna House will be built...I have never fought for anything so fiercely in my entire life, but the success of the campaign, and how quickly you would like to see it become a reality is ultimately up to you...

Thank You So Much For Your Time,
Sarah : )