Crisis = Opportunity

Caleb and I have always embraced the idea that "Opportunity is always present in the midst of crisis." The Chinese word for crisis carries two elements, danger and opportunity. No matter the difficulty of the circumstances, no matter how dangerous the situation,...at the heart of each crisis lies a tremendous oppourtunity. Great Blessings lie ahead for the one who knows the secret of finding opporunity wihtin each crisis.

(Wall Hanging in the Lihn House)

When we began our journey with Zoe and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, I anticipated the negative impact the diagnosis would have on our lives, yet I failed to see all of the Great Blessings we would also encouter. With bad, comes good. With crisis, comes opportunity.

Since Zoe's diagnosis on December 9, 2009 (wow, has it been almost 2 years already?!), our family has experienced both crisis and opportunity.

The crisis is obvious and I've shared that repeatedly. The Great Blessings, however, are easier to oversee. And so, I wanted to point out to you some of those Great Blessings.

Crisis = Opportuniy: Part I

Sisters by Heart

Late last year, I was fortuate enough to help form an amazing organization. The women involved are some of the most brilliant, kind, understanding and strong individuals I know. We came together - out of crisis - and gave birth to an amazing opportunity.

Sisters by Heart is nearly one year old and gaining significant momentum. Our mission is to support newly-diagnosed HLHS families by providing specially-designed care packages and a supportive network of HLHS families. We offer comfort and hope for our warriors and their families. To date, we've touched the lives of over 100 HLHS moms and dads throughout the United States and Canada. We're partnering with some of the top cardiac centers in the country, including Zoe's treating hospital, CHOP, to spread the gift of HOPE.

The women I've met on this journey and work with side-by-side in Sisters by Heart are truly one of the Greatest Blessings I've received through this tremendous crisis. I couldn't be as strong or as successful without them.

If you haven't had an opportunity to see what Sisters by Heart is all about, to see what we're doing to make a difference, to see what Great Blessings we've created from our crisis, please visit http://www.sisters-by-heart.org/and join us in our mission. Know that all of us involved with Sisters by Heart volunteer our time and efforts to spread HOPE and all monies donated to this much-needed organization are used solely for the purpose of advancing our mission.

A great representation of our organization can be viewed in the following video:



Sisters by Heart is just one of many opportunities Zoe has provided me. Check back for "Crisis = Opportunity: Part II" and be inspired!