My best pal here in Asia (and I don’t have many, cuz I piss too many people off…heh), his daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer several years ago. It was caught in the early stages and she was clean for a couple years…their treatment was done in Asia and everything went well. A couple years later, during the routine exam, they found another tumor. This time it was worse and they were going to need more extensive care in NYC.

Their insurance plan and the company helped to pay for a couple months stay in an apartment…but when that ran out, the hospital put them in touch with the Ronald McDonald House.

Throughout their entire stay, they told us of the people, volunteers who worked at the house and how much it meant to not only the kids, but the parents as well. Their daughter was on first name basis with Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez…and the family often attended Yankee games as the guests of George Steinbrenner (but I still hate the Yankees…Go Cubs!). When I see pictures of Marcus Naslund and Trevor Linden hanging with the kids at Canuck Place…I think of my friend’s little girl schmoozing it up with the big leagers.

My friend was lucky, he and his wife walked out of the Ronald McDonald House with their daughter and she continues to recover from the cancer that has stricken her twice…but, many of her friends have not been so lucky.

Your contributions really do count.