your wish will be granted

***update: voting has closed and unfortunately the wish wasn't granted, but thanks to those of you that went and voted, it was kind of you to lend support***

those of you who read here regular know that i am not one to plug a cause or post strange mass emails, i find the practice frustrating and fruitless, so please know that this is different.

a friend of mine, becky, who lives in oregon has a dear friend whose 16 year old son matt was hit by a tree that fell during a storm just outside seattle last november. he is paralyzed and very lucky to be alive. the reason i am mentioning this to you is that there is a website called the robinhood fund that grants wishes to those who viewers deem most deserving, and becky has asked for her monetary wish be granted to help matt's family renovate their home to accommodate a wheelchair and to help pay for some of his medical expenses. the voting ends tomorrow (wednesday), and right now this wish is in second place, first place has it granted. it is because it is so close to actually happening that i am asking for your help.

i consider becky a very dear friend and so i want to do all that i can to help make this dream a reality, so please take just a moment and go here and vote five stars.


for those of you interested, this is the full story:

On Monday, Nov. 28, 2006, 16-year-old Matthew Howard was helping his family pick up branches on his grandparents property in Stanwood in the aftermath of another of our areas many recent storms. Without warning, a large tree that appeared perfectly fine came crashing down on him.

Unconscious, Matt was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, then airlifted to Seattle, where he and his family learned that he is paralyzed from the waist down. In addition to spine and back injuries, the impact broke both his legs and bruised his lungs. He has undergone six surgeries at Harborview and Children's hospitals.

Matt was released from the hospital on Jan. 24, 2007 but will be undergoing long-term rehabilitation. He is in good spirits despite this adverse accident. A sophomore at Stanwood High School, he is an athletic young man who participated in track and cross country. He is determined to regain as much strength as possible.

In early February, Matt went back to his high school. This is truly incredible because his accident happened only 3 months prior.

Meanwhile, his good humor and kind, generous spirit are helping his family cope with the tragedy. He is the son of Shari and Blake Howard and big brother to Cody, 14. Shari is a homemaker and Blake is an insurance adjuster.

So far, Matt's medical bills have topped thousands of dollar. Insurance will cover some of the expenses but the family will need help to pay the rest. They are also struggling to remodel their house for wheelchair use. Ultimately, they hope to get Matt who had earned his driver's license shortly before the accident a wheelchair accessible van with hand controls.

Please help grant this small wish for Matt's family.