"Dai of Hope"

This past Saturday - March 26th - our family was able to be a part of a wonderful event called "A Dai of Hope - Adaila Roach Benefit Concert".  Adaila is the 5 1/2 year old daughter of a good friend of mine & faces a multitude of health struggles.  Her mom, Megan, is who I have to thank for my relationship with Jesus Christ.  She was the first person who invited me to church when I moved from Muncie to Indianapolis.  It was her & her family who kept me involved in the church & were my mentors as I went through my teenage years.

I almost feel indebted to Megan & her family because I don't know where I would be in my life had they not taken the time to care about my salvation.  Being a part of this concert that will help pay for Adaila's medical bills & give her family one less thing they have to worry about so they can focus fully on Adaila (& their family) is the least I can do.

The whole day was so emotional.  There were lots of fun things to do, great bands, artists & groups performing, vendor booths, silent auctions, food - wherever you looked you could find things to do.  There was always that "thing", though, that we all knew why we were there.  The whole day was dedicated to a brave & strong 5 1/2 year old who has gone through more than most of us have gone through in our 20, 30, 40 years of life.  That is what made it so emotional.

During the event they had a Father/Daughter dance where Adaila's dad, Dustin, held his beautiful Princess Adaila & danced to the song "The Climb".  It was an emotional dance & "strong" me held back my tears - then I looked over at Megan's dad (Adaila's grandpa).....I lost it.  Don doesn't hold back his tears, and really, who could when you know how much your grandchild goes through on a daily basis but still has a beautiful smile on her face.  Goodness, I'm crying right now just thinking about it!

I was chatting with Megan at one point during the event & she was talking to me about some pictures that were posted on some of the collages put together for the event.  As she talked about some of the pictures of her baby girl from the many times she was hospitalized her eyes welled up & as a single tear dropped out of her left eye, I felt that thing in my throat...I held it back, swallowed it back down.  My heart ached for her & I so wanted to wrap my arms around her & just hold her but then I would have lost it & we would have been a sobbing mess.

Adaila was actually not feeling well on Saturday.  She had come down with a fever on Tuesday & with rest, pumping food into her & powerful prayer she was able to be well enough to attend this event & with her beautiful smile!  She never turned down a photo or hug & was in good spirits.  We are all so happy she was able to enjoy the day.  Her smile & the joy she has in her life despite the struggles she faces will make your heart smile.

I don't know what else to say about this amazing little girl, Adaila, or about the event except she is just amazing, beautiful & strong & the event was amazing, wonderful & successful.  Adaila is a blessing to every person she comes into contact with & redefines the definition of "strong" - you don't know "strong" until you meet this little girl.

If you want to be a part of blessing Adaila you can still donate at this site:  http://neccindy.org/?page_id=280

You can also check out this site to read more about Adaila's health issues from the "Letter from Dad":  http://www.orgsites.com/in/daiofhope/index.html

Thank you Adaila for showing me the beauty of God in the eyes of a child.  I love you & thank you for being such a blessing to all of us.