When I was seven my life changed when an infection took my leg, but that does not mean that everything went bad.  In a way this taught me some things, like giving back.  I was blessed because my parents had the mean to provide me the medical care I needed, and I knew I was going to be fitted for a prosthetic leg, one that would work for me.  Not every child is blessed, and I did not see that until I saw the despair on some of the parent’s faces, and some of the children.  Children, some as young as me, some even younger should not have to worry about burdening their families, but they did.  I was never made to feel that way.  My Mom and Dad made sure to show me that everything would be okay, and I was okay.  I was actually more than okay, I strive, but not all children were as blessed.

                I guess seeing these children were actually the start of the birth of One Can Make a Difference.  I was determined that we could do something, and Mom and Dad supported me.  We raised money to help children who needed prosthetics get them, and those who needed decent wheelchairs we help with those too.  We also did what we could to help people find ways to make sure their children had the therapy they needed, without making the families who really had no money to speak of, having to worry about paying.  I had seen firsthand that not all children were afforded the same opportunities I was, and that made me sad.

                It’s been six years since I lost my leg, just over five since we gave our first prosthesis to a child in need, and I will never forget the joy I felt in giving back.  I had always known that God had called us each to do something special, that he had a special purpose and plan for each of us.  I also knew that if we were blessed we should bless others, and even at seven, with all that I have been through I know I am best.

                One Can Make A Difference is a Christian charity, we believe in blessing others, but more than that we believe in sharing the hope that is found in Jesus Christ.  I was blessed because I came to Jesus two years before I lost my leg, in many ways that helped me.  I was stronger than I could have been without the Lord.  Even at seven I understood the importance of living for the Lord, and I continue to do the same.

                I could not imagine my life without the Lord.   I know that at thirteen I have done more though Christ than many others do in five or six decades, but that is only because God’s hand leads me.  I am blessed every time we reach to a child in need, when we are able to provide them what they need to help them get around, be independent, but more than that I am blessed when I see them give their hearts to Jesus, because I know that is when the true miracles take place.

God Bless

Reena~