“I must admit the road has been hard so far, but I think the trials have shown me … the only thing that matters is that you just try, even a little each day.”
Jade, in her 30s, is working hard to finish her studies and start a career in anthropology and African history. What’s unusual is that in high school, at age 16, she was diagnosed with SLE, a form of the autoimmune disease lupus.
Since then, Jade has dealt with hospitalizations, surgeries, bed rest, and chemotherapy, and now she lives with her parents. She uses a wheelchair to get around. But Jade hasn’t let any of this stop her. She finished high school, enrolled in college, is looking to the future. “Eventually,” she says, “I would love to be a curator in a museum as l work towards being an African history professor with tenure.”
Collaborating with partners Good360, Refreshing Life Ministries in Baltimore, and local contacts in North Carolina, IOCC arranged for Jade and other families in need to receive new mattresses. Recipients included low-income seniors and families in Baltimore and across South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. Jade, who needs extra downtime because of her illness, said, “Your mattress would be a privilege to anyone because it allows for a unique and tranquil experience, even for just a few hours a day.”
Through practical help that meets real needs, IOCC’s donors are having an impact. These mattresses are just one example.
