By Staff
I was introduced to a special website back a few years ago when my then 29-year-old daughter-in-law suffered a stroke. It turned out she had a very rare disease.
One of the hardest parts for a family dealing with a serious illness is dealing with the many phone calls from family and friends.
The support of others is wanted and even needed for recovery, but the telling and retelling of each stage in the prognosis can be extremely trying.
A journal was started on Caringbridge.org I believe by her sister. As time went on, the web site with its entries as to her condition, was taken over by the patient herself.
Photos can be added and there is a guestbook area, where family and friends may post notes of encouragement. If you missed a journal entry, you can go back and read previous ones.
All of this is free for the patient.
Since Carrie went through medical school, her site is probably more technical than some. She is also a wonderful writer so she can share her feelings of how she is dealing with her medication and treatment.
I love seeing the photos she posts of my granddaughter, who wasn't even walking when she first became ill. Now she enjoys preschool, ballet and talking nonstop.
Not only has the site been great for all of us who love them and want to follow the many trips to Mayo Clinic, without bothering them, I believe it has also been important for Carrie.
By writing your story you are better able to understand what is happening, at least that is what I have experienced through the many years of writing this column.
Unfortunately, the website has become all too familiar to the family as another young mother, a cousin, was stricken with cervical cancer and a brother-in-law was found to have bone cancer. Both are still living, still fighting and looking for a clean bill of health.
April 6, the CaringBridge web site made national news as its story was featured on NBC Nightly News – Making a Difference.
CaringBridge was founded in 1997, by Sona Mehring, whose friend's baby was born during the 24th week of pregnancy. The one pound infant was in the intensive care in St. Paul, Minn., near where my son and his family live today.
After nine days, the baby died, but the number of those helped by the caringbridge.org runs into the thousands.
Baby Brighid's family established a memorial fund to allow computer access for other families to establish their own journals, whether the news ends up hopeful, or tragic. The web site www.caringbridge.org is explained as "a place to heal, celebrate and share."
As of April 10, 2007, the nonprofit organization has hosted more than 58,000 CaringBridge sites. Those sites have received nearly 378 million visits and nine million guestbook messages of hope and encouragement.
Though I don't understand all the procedures my daughter-in-law has gone through, I did follow her journal, as they tried to give her a new carotid artery, made out of Teflon. I did share their pain when it too clogged.
I was encouraged when they thought that acupuncture might help restore grasping ability to her left hand.
I watch her mood, am concerned when she seems to lose hope. I cheer when they have a normal fun family weekend, free of worry about the potential for another stroke.
Thank you CaringBridge. Without looking for monetary benefit, you have brought a wealth of communication to families throughout the world.