As I approached a Panda Express for lunch, I was asked by a middle-aged lady if I wanted to buy a teddy bear or make a donation. I’m in situations like this quite often and have grown to be quite cynical in what the money may be used to buy.
I politely said no, that I wasn’t interested in a stuffed animal or making a ‘donation’ to whatever she was asking for.
I sat near a window to eat my lunch and do homework for our bible study on the Book of Mark. I began to watch the lady and what could be her son. She had a flat cardboard box of stuffed teddy bears and a canister of fancy pens. People continued to walk into the restaurant, and they all declined the lady’s request. A customer came in with a t-shirt that said “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life”, she also said no to the lady.
During that time I read Mark 2:17, “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Interesting.
I kept watching the lady and the boy. The boy was bald and had no eye brows. I knew what that usually means.
I was reminded of a recent conversation with Pablo, one of our Compton United coaches. He shared with me the story of his son who developed a very serious disease and needed years of medical treatment. Pablo had a job but had no health insurance. He and his wife are both citizens and hard workers, but had no work benefits. They were told by a local urban hospital that the surgery their son needed would be over $10,000. It took them 2 years of selling food, and anything else they could think of to save the money. When they finally had the whole amount, they went back to the hospital to try to schedule their sons surgery. The doctors laughed at them and said the price had doubled since they were in last in.
They were devastated.
Through a series of events they found another doctor who specialized in the procedure and he performed the surgery for the money they had saved.
Stories like this aren’t that common where I came from, but amazingly, they happen often here in our community.
In the south Los Angeles community in which we are located -- 41% of the people live below the federal poverty level. 79% of the children who live in this neighborhood live in poverty.
Almost half of all residents, 48%, have no health insurance.
In the whole county of Los Angeles, south Los Angeles ranks first in the number of infant deaths, first in the number of teen births, has the highest percentage of low birth weight babies and the largest number of children without health insurance. This area has the highest reported cases of lead poisoning in children. This neighborhood has the highest asthma rates in the county among children and more than 22% of the adult population has diabetes. Over 40% of all the families in our neighborhood are food insecure. 80% of local housing is substandard. And south Los Angeles has the highest rates of unemployment in the state of California. The infant mortality rate in south Los Angeles is three times that of Cuba. People in North Korea have a longer life expectancy than people in this neighborhood. And more people die of diabetes in south Los Angeles than in South Africa.1
I began to piece together that this lady was a mom who was collecting money for her son’s medical expenses.
As I exited, I asked and verified my suspicions. Her son Francisco indeed had cancer, and they were selling these bears and small items as opposed to asking for hand outs.
I told them that I would like to give them some money and I needed to go to an ATM to get some cash out. The mom, Diane, was already incredibly grateful and I hadn’t given anything!
Soon I was back with $40. It may have well been $40,000 based on Diane’s reaction.
Diane told me of their struggle as seven months ago Francisco’s doctor diagnosed him in Stage 4 and told them to make him as comfortable as possible because his death was imminent. When Francisco went home, he told his mom that he didn’t want to hear what the doctor said because the doctor was not God. Several months later Francisco turned 9. He told his mom to save one piece of cake. At their next appointment, Francisco gave the piece to the doctor and stated, “How do you like that nine year olds cake?!” The doctor replied that it wasn’t enough so the nurses went out bought more and had an impromptu birthday party there in the doctor’s office!
She also conveyed the story of a pastor who raised $20,000 for Francisco’s family and then took it (he’s now in jail for that).
Turns out that Francisco is a big soccer fan. We will have him as a special guest at our Urban Soccer Leadership Academy and at the clinic we will do this summer with the LA Galaxy. I will also help him and his family get into a few Chivas USA and Galaxy games.
Francisco really grabbed my heart. I hope to spend more time with him and do whatever I can to help him and his family on their journey.
Maybe you’d like to help as well. I can get any gifts to them. If you’d like to send a check, you could make it out to:
Compton United Soccer Club
415 South Pearl Ave.
Compton, CA 90221
Please put Francisco in the memo field. I will insure every dollar is given directly to the family, Compton United will take none of it.
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"
Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
~Mark 1:40-42
1. http://www.wellchild.org/june8-09newsrelears.pdf
