How can I help? (10/21/06)
We have so appreciated everyone's generosity, and are in good shape.
And things will only improve as we continue to find our rhythms. So
please do not feel compelled to do anything (or anything more). We've
provided this list mainly because several people have
requested/recommended it. We've listed lots of options just so that
folks who are looking can hopefully find a good match. Thanks!!
Max's home care suggestions
If you know any nurses, nursing students, or nannies whom we might
hire to provide regular help with Max's home care (or ways to reach
such folks), please let us know!
Food
We've been sustained by amazing meals through all of this. From a
5-course meal from Great Aunts Carse and Paula to perfect packets of
hearty homemade spaghetti sauce from Laura Edwards. From weeks of
baba's comfort cooking to numerous meals brought (and even shipped on
ice) to the hospital. We also have chocolate and dessert supplies
that should last us through the year, thanks to Vanessa Savas (a high
school classmate) and colleague Jan Keenan.
We hope that we'll be in less need of food-for-comfort in days to
come, but can appreciate the possibilities of
food-to-increase-our-chances-of-showering. If the weather forecast
holds, our driveway and front porch should get poured this week, which
would allow our freezer to get delivered toward week's end, giving us
room for meal drop-offs (and Max's milk and meds).
Quilt
I'd never understood the appeal of quilts. But something about this
experience has changed that. Maybe it was the colorful quilts in the
hospital corridors that Max enjoyed from our very first outings, or
the wild contemporary quilts exhibit on the main floor. Or maybe the
oxytocin.
In any case, if you'd like to send a 6" x 6" square of fabric
decorated for Max, we'll include this in a quilt for him. (People in
the know indicate that you can stitch your name in the square, and
should keep in mind that the outer 1/4" perimeter may get covered
w/trim.) We hope the quilt will be something for Max to cherish long
after he tires of our stories about how strong and brave and
well-loved he was through all this.
Cat care
Please let us know if you might be available for cat care on any time
scale -- from a few days during our Pittsburgh checkups, to weeks or
months around transplant.
Donate
To any of the places that have cared for Max so expertly and warmly:
Give blood, be an organ donor,...
Email us
Even though your emails may seem like they're going into a void, we've
loved hearing from everyone rooting for Max -- colleagues from
California to Connecticut to England, Belgium, and New Zealand; former
students and lab members; yins in the 'burgh awaiting Max's return;
Max's teams at St. Joe's and Children's; old friends from high school,
college, and grad school; all of Max's extended family and fans; and
former strangers in Boston, Philadelphia, India, and places
unspecified.